Paper 2 options

Essay 2 (Unit 2) and Options

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:
As usual, this essay will be a minimum of two full pages of essay, single spaced, Times Roman 12-pt font with standard 1-inch margins, with the list of works cited on a third or separate page.
- Strive for a strong introduction and a clear thesis statement that's narrow enough for a short paper. See the Introduction Exercise on the blog and the resources in CWH on thesis statements.
- Have a good sense of organization, paragraph development and progression of ideas (which usually comes from drafting after creating an organized outline or list).
- You need not (and usually should not) restrict yourself to a 3- or 5- paragraph essay model. Each paragraph has its own central idea, and usually a topic sentence, or a clearly implied central idea. You'll need as many paragraphs as you have main ideas in your outline.
- You must use in-text and parenthetical citations whether you use direct quotes or simply summarize or paraphrase from other sources; either way, citations in MLA format are needed.
- You will need to use some well-integrated quotes. See the Integrated Quotes exercise on the blog.
- Use at least one major reading source assigned for class as an integrated source in your essay (preferably more).
- Wikipedia, online dictionaries, and other online encyclopedias are not considered strong enough to use as sources for a college essay, but you can start with them in your research. Notice that at the bottom of articles on wikis like Wikipedia or SourceWatch, there is usually a list of references and articles. Read the Wikipedia article if you feel you need to get a first, general grasp of a topic, and then skim and read many articles to broaden your understanding.
- You'll also need a list of works cited in MLA format. Make sure you know the difference between a list of works cited and citations. You'll need both.
- Your conclusion need not simply be a summary, although that sometimes works. Sometimes good conclusions hint at another step for where the reader might go in light of the points made in the essay.


OPTIONS

Option A: Big Money and Corporate Interests.
Speculate on “Big money” or “Monied Interests” as a major influence of public opinion. Click for more information.

Option B: Politicians, political organizations and their methods.
How do politicians and political organizations/forces manipulate public opinion? Click for more information.

Option C: Personal responsibility for public opinion.
Speculate about how ignorance and apathy from a too-comfortable lifestyle may contribute as a cause for why American public opinion is so easily manipulated by corporate interests and/or political propaganda. Click for more information.

Option D: War in Iraq, and possibly, Iran:
Who controls (or is controling, so far) public opinion and policy on war in Iraq and a possible war with Iran? Click for more information.

Option E: Neglected Stories/Under the Radar:
What explains/causes the neglect of certain important, key stories that citizens are not informed of or ignorant about? Click for more information.

Or if you want to propose a topic of your own, submit it by email. Use at least one source we read or viewed during the unit.