Policy Claim paper
Step one is to choose a subject. For this assignment you can write about anything you want to. Choose a few topics that are important to your life (as a student, as a citizen of the United States, as a person) and identify problems you think may be occurring with those topics. Pick the problem you most want to talk about. Write an introduction that gets my attention, explains what the problem is, and explains why the topic is important. Remember, because you have chosen the topic your audience may not know much about it.
Step two is to argue that a problem is actually happening within this topic. You need to use fact and value claims to make this argument, so find two pieces of pro research to logically support the fact that your problem is actually happening. If you use value claims you may need to define values using one to four of the definition methods we discussed in class. Any research used for definition will also need to be cited. Make sure to state any warrants that are unstated and unclear. You also need one piece of con research which states that a problem does not exist (i.e. someone who likes the system the way it is). Refute this source as being wrong. Cite all research used in this section of the paper on a Works Cited page. Once you feel you have successfully proven the problem is real, move to step three.
Step three is to construct the thesis. The thesis of this paper is a policy claim. Give me a solution to the problem. How can we fix it? Assume that I (the audience) actually have the ability to put your solution in place but don’t want to. This solution will be the focus of the rest of the paper. Place the thesis in text (Note, you should already be several pages into the paper by now. Do not put your thesis at the beginning of the paper).
Step four is to argue your thesis is correct (i.e. your solution will work) using fact and value claims. You need three pieces of pro research to logically support that your solution will actually fix the problem. If you use value claims you may need to define values using one to four of the definition methods we discussed in class. Any research used for definition will also need to be cited. Make sure to state any warrants that are unstated and unclear. Place these three sources on the Works Cited page.
Step five is to write a con section that argues against your thesis (i.e. someone who does not think your solution will work or someone who has a competing solution he or she thinks is better than yours). Find one piece of con research and refute it, using classic, Rogerian, or Hegelian methods discussed in class. Place this piece of research on the Works Cited page.
Step six is to write a conclusion that restates your solution and recaps why it will actually work to fix the problem discussed in the first section of your paper.
At least two of the seven pieces of research used for the paper should be a print source and at least two should be a web sourc
