Identify and explain a current political problem in American politics. For the purposes of this paper, a current event is an event

 

 

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to acquaint you with the political thought of the

Founding Fathers by applying their political philosophy to a current event. In addition, through

this exercise, students should become familiar with the basics of academic research.

Instructions: Part 1 – Current Event: Students should identify and explain a current

political problem in American politics. For the purposes of this paper, a current event is an event

related to government or politics that occurred on or after August 1, 2017. To identify a current

political problem, students are encouraged to review news headlines from reputable news outlets,

the course syllabus, the textbook, or other reputable sources. Students should pick a topic that

implicates one or more of the themes discussed in relation to government and politics. Such

themes include, but are not limited to, God, the relationship between God, the State, and man, the

relationship between Church and State, justice, law, authority, subsidiarity, religious freedom,

liberty, federalism, civil liberties, and civil rights. To sufficiently examine the political problem

chosen, students must rely on primary sources (a document written during the time under study

by a source that was present at the time of the event, e.g. statutes, regulations, case law,

executive orders, treaties, provisions of the Constitution, etc.)

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and secondary sources (a source

that is one or more steps removed from the primary source which interprets and analyzes the

primary source, e.g. newspapers, magazines, peer-reviewed academic journals, commentaries,

etc.).

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For additional requirements in this section, consult the checklist below.

Part 2 – Founding Father: Once you have identified a current political problem that

interests you, review the list of Founding Fathers below and choose one that interests you.

Students must choose a Founding Father from the individuals listed as signatories to the

Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, or “Other Founding Fathers” below. For Part 2

of this paper, locate research materials that will enable you to write a thorough summary that

identifies and explains your Founding Father’s political ideas that are relevant to the political

problem you chose. In order to accomplish this task, you will want to do enough research to

locate primary sources, read them, and incorporate your findings in your discussion. Examples

of primary sources include speeches, letters, newspaper articles, and pamphlets written by your

Founding Father. In addition, the Federalist Papers, Anti-Federalist Papers, the Declaration of

Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Articles of Confederation are also primary sources.

You may also consult secondary sources such as biographies, peer-reviewed scholarly articles,

books, magazine articles, and reputable web articles to assist you in your research. For

additional requirements in this section, consult the checklist below.

1 What is a Primary Source? (n.d.) https://www.princeton.edu/~refdesk/primary2.html. 2 What is a Primary Source?(n.d.) from https://www.princeton.edu/~refdesk/primary2.html.

1Part 3 – Application of Y