POL 500 6-2 Final Project Milestone Three Rough Draft
Overview You will choose a contemporary political issue and propose a solution informed by your conception of the public good. You will have the opportunity to take a position on both your understanding of the public good and what you believe is the most effective solution to the problem you have chosen. Support for your positions will be drawn from scholarly, academic sources. You will be required to find sources examining the problem from diverse methodological perspectives using both qualitative and quantitative methods. You will evaluate the overall effectiveness of these methods in analyzing the issue. You will also be required to evaluate the findings presented in the sources you choose and whether the authors’ methodologies conform to ethical guidelines governing social science research. In order to promote a well-rounded analysis of the issue, you will be required to analyze sources that present a perspective contrary to the solution you propose and evaluate these arguments in an even-handed manner. This project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions.
This assessment will evaluate your mastery with respect to the following course outcomes:
· Evaluate competing theoretical perspectives of the public good as a central concept in the study and practice of political science
· Evaluate research designs for their compliance with ethical standards governing the use of human subjects as referenced in the Common Rule
· Compare and contrast methodological perspectives to distinguish competing visions, goals, and purposes of political science
· Interpret quantitative and qualitative research data from published academic primary and secondary sources to make informed judgments
· Propose solutions to contemporary political issues through the lens of the public good using an objective, non-partisan approach
Prompt Your analysis should answer the following question: In addressing a contemporary political issue, what solution would best serve the public good?
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Personal Theory of the Public Good a) How do you define the concept of the public good? In other words, propose a personal definition of the public good based on an examination of multiple theoretical concepts of the public good. b) How does your definition fit within broader discourses concerning the public good? Justify your claims concerning how your personal concept of the public good fits within the broader theoretical discourse by citing specific theories from this broader discourse. c) What benefits and costs/trade-offs are associated with your definition of the public good? Justify claims concerning which populations will benefit and how they will benefit under the personal theory of the public good. What costs/trade-offs/sacrifices will accrue under such a theory of the public good?
II. The Problem
a) What contemporary political issue have you chosen to analyze? Why is this issue important to you?
b) How is the problem relevant to the real-world practice of politics? Justify your claims
c) To whom do you believe the problem is most relevant? Justify your claims
d) How does the issue you have chosen fit within the concept of the public good that you have outlined above? In other words, why is the personal theory of the public good sufficient to propose solutions for the chosen political issue?
III. Research
a) How do the quantitative and qualitative sources you have chosen analyze the issue? Use peer-reviewed, academic sources, ensuring that both qualitative and quantitative sources are represented. Describe how these sources analyze the chosen political issue.
b) What methodological perspectives are represented by the sources you have chosen? Evaluate how your choice of methodological perspective affects the source’s approach to analyzing the chosen political issue.
c) How has the research informed your approach to conceptualizing the issue? In other words, how has an examination of diverse sources affected the conceptualization of the chosen political issue?
d) What ethical implications are raised by the articles you have analyzed? Assess whether or not the sources you have evaluated adhered to political science ethical guidelines. What impact do the ethical standards have on the sources?
IV. Solutions
a) Informed by the research you have conducted, how do you think the problem can be most effectively addressed? Justify your reasoning.
b) How have perspectives contrary to your own position informed your solution to the problem?
c) Why is your solution best for the real-world practice of politics? Justify your claims.
V. Conclusion
a) What ethical implications are raised by the solution you provide to the problem? In other words, evaluate the ethical implications of the proposed solution to ensure conformity with political science ethical guidelines.
b) How does the solution you have provided best serve the public good as you have defined it? Justify claims.
Milestone Three: Rough Draft In Module Six, you will complete a rough draft. Your analysis should answer the following question:
In addressing a contemporary political issue, what solution would best serve the public good? Refer to the critical elements listed above for a full listing of required elements.
The paper must be 6 to 8 pages in length (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style. You must include at least seven scholarly sources, which may include your course text. Cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the reference page.