Reference no: EM132495085 , Length: 5 Pages
POLI 150 Paper Assignment -
Topic - Choose an event (or set of events) that recently (within the last five years) led to important cooperation or conflict between two or more actors (states, NGOs, firms, groups) in the international system (e.g. renegotiation of NAFTA/USMCA, Brexit negotiations). You should not do the same topic for both papers.
Problem Statement - Identify a question you wish to answer or a problem you want to solve in the event you selected. Try to develop a "why" question, for example: why did the U.S. go to war in Iraq in 2003? Why did Saddam Hussein refuse to cooperate with weapons inspectors? A "why" question lends itself to a theoretical explanation.
First, explain the situation. Provide only enough background to facilitate the development of your argument. Any information you provide should feed directly into your argument. Then detail the motivation for both actors' behavior. Use what we have learned in class (readings, lectures, discussions) to explain why this behavior is occurring. You are also encouraged to draw on credible external resources if you need them. Form an argument about why this cooperation or conflict event occurred (and occurred the way it did). This is most easily done by applying a theory (or two competing theories) of political behavior to the case (e.g. bargaining model of war, the Prisoner's Dilemma, Stolper-Samuelson model of trade protectionism, etc.). Finally, briefly engage with an alternative explanation. The majority of the paper should focus on the analysis/theory application.
Paper Requirements and Evaluation - The paper should be at a minimum five pages and should not exceed six pages (using standard formatting - Times New Roman 12-point font, 1-inch margins).
Resources - I will read thesis statements and outlines. Feel free to talk to me about picking topics, how to best structure your paper, or structuring a why question. The writing center is also an excellent resource.