Task: Public Argument & Organization: Now it is time to express your public argument! This is what you have been working hard for all semester and this is where you will demonstrate to relevant...

Task:

Public Argument & Organization:

Now it is time to express your public argument! This is what you have been working hard for all semester and this is where you will demonstrate to relevant stakeholders you have a well-researched, well-reasoned, and well-supported position. Articulate a sound and solid position that takes into consideration strong refutations and limitations to your position. Utilize the critical thinking and argumentation skills you have acquired over the course of the semester to produce a 3-5 page research paper expressing your public argument on the topic you have been researching this semester.

Your paper should express a clear proposition that is supported by 4-5 supporting arguments (sub-arguments) - each assembled with multiple pieces of supporting points. Your argument must be constructed as a rational argument meaning claims, grounds, warrants, qualifiers, backing, and rebuttals should be expressed clearly.

It should follow this format:

• Introduction: The proposition or major premise should be expressed in the introduction and should be fact, value, or policy-based.


• Background/Contextual Information: Provide a brief overview of the topic that you've selected, why it's controversial (why stakeholders disagree), and any important contextual information to understand the issue at hand.


• Sub-Argument/Minor Premise 1


• Sub-Argument/Minor Premise 2


• Sub-Argument/Minor Premise 3


• Sub-Argument/Minor Premise 4


• *Sub-Argument/Minor Premise 5


• Conclusion:Restate the proposition and make the final point.

You will determine 4-5 strongest and most compelling sub-arguments and their order to support your proposition but here are a few ideas to consider:

• Problem


• Cause


• Solution


• Alternatives


• Refutation of a point made by stakeholder


• Reasons to support solution


• Reasons to oppose solution or point made by a prominent stakeholder

Citations & Sources:

The argument should be supported with at least five sources that contain credible and verifiable evidence from various types with at least one scholarly source and one popular source.All sources must be listed on the reference page in APA format and include in-text citations in the paper. Research papers that lack a reference page and/or in-text citations will not be accepted.

Source such as Ask Jeeves, ProCon.org, Wikipedia, and similar sources may not be used.

Collegiate Writing:

This research paper must have a title page that includes a title to your public argument and your name. Each page should be numbered, text must be 12 pt font, and double spaced. (Note: the title page does not count towards the 3-5 page count).

You are expected to write at a collegiately level with the absence of spelling and grammar errors.

Criteria:

This assignment is worth 100 points and will be evaluated based on the criteria above. See the rubric below for more details.

Rubric