Government

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

QEP WRITING ASSIGNMENT FACULTY PACKAGE

ASSIGNMENT

POLS 1101 SEMESTER WRITING ASSIGNMENT (10%)

In this assignment, students are tasked to write a position paper in the form of constituent’s letter to their representative in the U. S. House of Representatives. 

Requirements

The letter must:

1) Stress the importance of a political topic/issue that is of particular interest/concern to you as a constituent member and more importantly, a citizen-voter.

2) Stress the reason(s) for the urgency of your interest/concern.

3) Be supported by referencing a bill or legislation. This specific bill/ legislative action should be researched and identified, and must pertain to your topic/issue of interest.

4) Be addressed to your Member of Congress’s proper Washington DC address.

The following links can assist in researching your U. S. House representative and bills/legislations.

http://www.house.gov/representatives

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members

http://www.contactingthecongress.org/

https://www.congress.gov/members

Guidelines

QEP Submission and Due Dates

Assignment Date: Thursday, March 28

Due Date: Thursday, April 11

(two-weeks window for grading)

(Paper (letter) must be submitted in Courseden (dropbox) Also be informed that Turnitin will be used to check for plagiarism, grammar, spelling, etc.).

Length/Word Count: Two Pages (500-600 words)

Formatting: Formal letter format, typed (Times New Roman- 12 point font, single-spaced, with 1 inch margins).

Late Assignment: 30% deduction on all late papers/letter with 24 hours. Assignments that are over 24 hour late will not be accepted.

Grading Rubric

The Letters will be graded following the “GRAS” rubric as follows:

20% G (Grammar and other writing mechanics including formatting)

20% R (Rhetoric-introduction, development and defense of central argument)

20% A (Analysis-fact and figures, data, public law, court cases, US and State Constitutions, congressional action, precedence etc.)

40% S (Synthesis-articulate knowledge of American government; background, structure, functions, and exchanges).

RUBRIC	Non-Performance	Significantly Below Standard	Below Standard	Meets Standard	Exceeds Standard	Exemplary
Point Score	0(F)	10(F)	13(D)	15(C)	17 (B)	20 (A)
Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics	The assignment was not submitted	There are more than 7 errors of spelling, grammar, usage, or formatting.	There are more than 5 errors of spelling, grammar, usage, or formatting.	The student demonstrates a university level understanding of grammar, usage, and mechanics.  There are few spelling, grammar, or usage errors.	There are fewer than 2 errors of spelling, grammar, usage, or formatting.	There are no errors of spelling, grammar, usage, or formatting.
Rhetoric	The assignment was not submitted	The essay lacks a clear statement of the student’s position on the issue in question.	The essay includes a clear statement of the student’s position, but that statement is not supported by evidence or reasoned argumentation.	The essay includes a clear statement of the student’s position and includes one fact or item of evidence to support the argument, but does not develop a clear line of reasoning that ties the evidence to the statement.	The essay includes a clear statement of the student’s position and includes one fact or item of evidence to support the argument and the fact is clearly tied to the statement.	The essay includes a clear statement of the student’s position and includes two facts or items of evidence to support the argument and the facts are clearly tied to the statement.
Analysis	The assignment was not submitted	The essay does not include reference to the elected official.  The essay does not explain the importance of the bill or policy.	The essay may include reference to the elected official but the essay does not explain the importance of the bill or policy.	The essay includes reference to the elected official and provides a basic explanation for the importance of the bill or policy.	The essay includes reference to the elected official and provides a solid explanation for the importance of the bill or policy that refers to the political context for the elected official.	The essay includes reference to the elected official and provides an exemplary explanation for the importance of the bill or policy that provides a clear linkage to the political context and to the role of the official.
Synthesis (worth 40 points)	The assignment was not submitted	The essay does not integrate material to demonstrate a knowledge of government	The essay includes some material relevant to government, but it is not included in a clear and systematic way.	The essay includes some material relevant to government, but only at a basic level.	The essay includes material that demonstrates a clear understanding of the workings of government at the appropriate level for the elected official.	The essay includes material that demonstrates a clear and precise understanding of the workings of multiple levels of government.

Sample grade matrix:

	Non-Performance (0)	Significantly Below Standard (5-10)	Below Standard (11-14)	Meets Standard (15-16)	Exceeds Standard (17-18)	Exemplary Maximum (19-20)	Point Subtotal
Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics (worth 20 points)				15		20	15
Rhetoric (worth 20 points)			14			20	15
Analysis (worth 20 points)					17	20	17
Synthesis (worth 40 point)				30		40	30
Total Points						100	76%

RESOURCES

UWG Writing Center

Smarthinking