Position Papers
Studentsmustwriteapositionpaperfocusingonacontroversialand/orimportanttopicrelatedtoU.S.history
after theCivilWar.Thepapershouldbebetween3-5pages(double-spaced;12-font)andshouldincludethefollowing:
1)Aclearstatementofyourpositiononthechosentopic.
Example:“Ibelievethatstemresearchiswrong….”
2)Atleastfourstronglogicalarguments/factssupportingyourposition.
Example:“…Ibasedmypositiononfourfactors.Thefirstisthat….Thesecondisthat….
3)Identificationandnotationofatleastthreesourcesinthenarrativeofyourpaper.
Example:“Inherimportantwork,theIsisPapers,FrancesCressWelsingcontendedthat…
4)Clearreferences(eitherendnotesorcontextualcitations)forallinformationordatathatisnotconsideredpublicknowledge.
Example:“BabaZakA.KondoarguesconvincinglythattheAmericaneducationalsystemisdesignedtomiseducateratherthaneducateBlackstudents(TheBlackStudent’sGuidetoPositiveEducation[1987],pg.4).”
5)Aclearandconciseintroductionandconclusion.
Example[Introduction]:“Inthepastfewdecades,wehavewitnessedagrowinginterestintheeffortsofNatTurnerandotherrevolutionariestouseforcetoendslaveryintheU.S.Thetacticsoftheserevolutionarieshavefosteredadebateontheuseofforceasaninstrumentforsocialchange.IcontendthatforcewasneededtoendslaveryintheU.S.andthatviolenceplayedanimportantroleinendingslaverypriortotheCivilWar…”
6)Logicalandreasonableargumentsanddiscussion.
Notes:Organizeyourargumentsfromstrongesttoweakest;citeexamplesthatsupportyourpointsand
demonstratedepthinyourreasoning.
7)Utilizationofatleastsixsources.(3mustbebooksand/orarticles;theotherscanbe
electronicsources.
Notes:Thepositionpaperisamucharesearchprojectasitisapersonalview.Youmustutilizetheresearchofotherstosupportandaugmentyourposition.Therearenoexceptionstotherule.
8)Listingsofcompletecitationsofallbook,articlesandothersourcesconsulted.
Notes:Listyoursourcesattheendofyourpaperineitheranestablishedformat(Turabian,APA…)orinaformatthatyoudevelop.Besuretoincludeallvitalreferenceinformationsothatyourreadercaneasilylocatethe
listed source.
ThePositionPaperwillbeevaluatedbasedonthefollowing:(1)grammar;(2)organization;(3)contentof
thepresentationandtheextenttowhichyoufollowedinstructionsandguidelinesoutlinedabove.Eachof
theseareaswillbeworth33.3%.
ThePositionPapercannotexceed5(five)pages!!!Noexceptionstothisrule!
**PositionPaperTopics
[Topicsmustcomefromthislist!]
- The U.S. Government has/has no right to assassinate nonwhite foreign heads of state.
- The Iraqi War was/was not justified.
- African soldiers should/should not have fought in Vietnam, the Gulf and/or in Iraq.
- African women should/should not be placed in combatant roles in the Iraq War.
- Sports teams with controversial names such as the Washington Redskins should/should not change their names.
- Barack Obama did/did not represent the interests of Black people.
- Bill Clinton did/did not serve the interests of Africans in the U.S.
- Bill Cosby was/was not justified when he criticized “low-income” Africans.
- The passage of the Patriot Act was/was not justified following 9-11.
- Africans voters should/should not support the Republican Party.
- White parents should/should not adopt African children.
- Police departments should/should not practice racial profiling.
- The Bush Administration did/did not do enough to aid Katrina victims.
- The U.S. should/should not recognize illegal aliens.
- 9-11 Attacks justified/did not justify the Iraqi War.
- U.S. is/is not ready for a woman president.
- U.S. is/not ready for a Latino president.
- Congress should have/should not have impeached President Bush.
- The U.S. is/is not justified in Extraordinaire Rendition.
- So-called undocumented aliens should/should not have the same rights as American citizens.
- The Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell Policy in the U.S. Military was/was not fair.
- Trump should/should not be impeached.
- The Dreamers should/should not be protected.
- The U.S. needs/does not need a border wall.
- The U.S. should abolish the Electoral College.
- Trump deserve to be banished from elective office.
You must chose one position [though I provide each number with two positions; thus if you select #17, you must argue that the U.S. is ready for a Latino president or that the U.S. is not. You cannot argue both or neither!!