Research Letter Assignment – Texas Government
General Instructions: Each student must write a 1-page letter about a current state policy issue.
Detailed Instructions: Your paper must be directed to any member of the Texas legislature (31 senators and 145 representatives) and should address a goog I recommend that your paper begin with an introduction that clearly states 1) the bill/issue you are addressing, 2) the action you are urging the senator/representative to take, and 3) your reason for urging a particular action. Your letter must rely upon facts and ideas presented in class, your textbook, and at least five valid external sources (e.g., articles from national or state newspapers/news magazines or from a database). The purpose of this assignment is for each student to create a paper that is personal (your paper expresses your thoughts and feelings about the issue) and well researched (your paper relies upon concepts, facts, and arguments from valid sources to make a convincing case for or against your bill/issue). Things to consider:
Of the state policy issues in the news, which are you most interested in? Can I narrow the issue to something very precise, rather than something very broad? (If yes, your task will be much easier.)
What position do I believe a senator/representative should take on the bill/issue? What position do others (pundits, party leaders, the president, interest groups, etc.) think should be taken on the bill/issue? (For the latter, basing your argument on knowledgeable, informed people will help you be more informed and persuasive.)
To explore your bill/issue, you will benefit most from issue coverage in newspapers and news magazines. I recommend daily reading of both (e.g., the Washington Post, Time, Texas Tribune) and use of newspaper search tools through the UTA library, as well realclearpolitics.com, Politico.com and thehill.com. Academic journal articles are strongly encouraged, whereas television news stories are not. For academic articles visit s site for political science/news.
A properly formatted references page must be attached to your letter, though in-text citations (e.g., Boyea 2016) are not necessary. Please consult a college-level style manual if you are uncertain about the format (I use the Chicago Manual of Style, but IDEAS Center and Writing Center can also provide advice).
Use of Websites: Many sites on the internet are venues for biased, uninformed viewpoints (e.g., blogs). If you wish to use a non-newspaper website as a reference for your letter, you are required to 1) visit the IDEAS Center or Writing Center or consult a style manual to consult how to correctly cite the website; and 2) provide at least two lines of information (after the citation on the reference paper) that supply evidence about the legitimacy of the organization or person. Ask yourself, does this seem like a valid and informed source? (If no, then do not use.)
Due date: It is to be submitted as a Word document, and uploaded to the Writing Assignment Uploader Blackboard by Friday, July 30th, 2020 by 12 noon. No late submissions will be accepted.
Grading Rubric
_____ Minimum Criteria (25 points; otherwise 0 points if any of the following are not met)
Letter must be a full page, single-spaced and typed and addressed properly to a member of the Texas legislature; margins must be 1-inch, the font, either Times New Roman or Calibri, and 10-12 point.
The letter must be stapled, one-sided, and include a properly formatted reference page with at least 5 external sources.
_____ The letter must provide the student’s perspective on a current state policy issue. General Content (0-10 points)
The letter must clearly identify one bill/issue and what action should be taken.
The letter must clearly articulate why such action should be taken and opposing viewpoints considered.
Is the letter both personal and well researched?
_____ Research/Sources (0-10 points)
Does the reference page include 5 (or more) sources?
Are the sources appropriately high in quality? (Or do they include TV sources and blog citations?)
_____ Is the proper citation format used in the attached reference page? Style/Grammar Spelling/Etc. (0-5 points)
Is the letter logically organized?
Is the letter nearly free of grammatical, spelling, usage and other errors?
Is the letter respectful and courteous?
Papers are written from scratch We have molded our writers to develop content for all assignments from scratch. This way, we promote originality and reduce cases of plagiarism that might affect your grades and hinder you from realizing your academic goals. We encourage our clients to indicate the deliverables that should be featured in the final paper. Our online help services allow one to make a clarification and even interact with the writer directly to help them understand the needs of the assignment. Many of our writers are professional tutors who understand the approaches that should be used to fulfill the specified instructions. Every time a client places an order on our system, we link them with the most qualified writer in the subject of interest.
YUnlike other writing companies, we encourage clients to draw back their money at any stage of the writing process if they experience any uncertainties with the quality of generated content. However, you will hardly have to make this decision because of our business approach that suits your needs.
We have an advanced plagiarism-detection system that flags any work that fails to meet the required academic expectations. Our company thrives in honesty, and as such, you will be guaranteed to achieve a paper that meets your expectations.
We encourage our clients to return papers for revision seven days after the last submission for free. Depending on the proposed changes, we will work on your article to achieve the desired expectations.
We uphold confidentiality and privacy through our interactions with clients, an aspect that has enhanced our relationship with prospective customers seeking for assignment help. We do not disclose your information with third-parties
We boast of a diverse pool of ENL and ESL professionals who respond with a personal touch to the needs of every client. Our focus is to become the best platform that offers specialized services to individuals to accomplish their academic goals.
