Low-Carbon Policy in California

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Research/Argumentative paper on Low-Carbon policy in California.

MY WORKING THESIS SO FAR:

The California State Legislature should prioritize low-carbon power as a step toward limiting climate change, as this will help reduce greenhouse emissions and promote a low-carbon future.

Outline below for the research paper:

Though the research paper is not due until the Monday of finals week, you have access to the prompt throughout the entire semester. This will give you plenty of time to brainstorm, conduct the necessary research, outline, write drafts, and come to office hours for help (or for feedback, or for ideas about how to get started, or for research strategies with the library databases, or for help with citations, or even just for some reassurance that you’re on the right track!).

• The research paper is worth 25 percent of your grade, so plan to start early!

Two Important Notes

Before reading through the other materials in this page, please read the following two important (and necessary, though a little unpleasant) notes:

• To avoid any issues, make sure that you fully understand the policy and, if you have any questions at all, let me know. In addition to the actions listed as cheating in that policy, I will also consider uploading a corrupted file through the “turnitin” app as cheating.

• Please do notwait until the last minute to turn in your research paper. Invariably, this is when students encounter submission/technical problems.
  • If you have technical problems and you contact me 24 hours beforethe paper is due, I can help you resolve the issue.
  • If you contact me about technical problems less than24 hours before the paper is due, there is nothing I can do to help and I will not accept your paper late.

The goals

This assignment has three major objectives:

1. to increase your undertanding of the arguments surrounding a current, important public policy issue
2. to gain practice at locating relevant sources of information, such as academic journals, data sources, and government documents
3. to help you improve a crucial, transferable skill: articulating a clear argument in writing and supporting it with reliable evidence

The prompt

In this research paper, you will examine a current policy area of your choice (either at the federal level or in California), recommend a specific public policy (this will be your thesis statement), and then argue for the adoption of that policy.

• The paper should be 5-7 double-spaced pages (excluding the title page and the bibliography).

What you need to include in your paper

The paper prompt is intentionally broad, as it is designed to have you research a policy topic that (1) you find interesting and (2) is current.

• The paper should include a minimumof seven sources beyond sources assigned in this class (i.e., you are welcome to use any materials from the class–and this includes articles or podcasts located in the recommended materials–but on top of these materials, you must find seven of your own sources).
• • You will need to look at more than sevensources to craft your argument. This minimum refers to the number of citations that you actually end up using in the paper.
    • The seven sources must be scholarly and reputable.
      • These canbe scholarly articles or books, government documents, or data sources.
      • Depending on the topic, these maybe newspaper articles, documentaries, or podcasts.
        • However, your goal is to present the most convincing evidence possible, so relying exclusively on these sources is nota good idea. You should aim to use a majority of scholarly sources.
      • These sources cannotbe dictionaries, encyclopedias, or blogs.

Format

Your essay needs to:

1. have a length of 5-7 double-spaced pages (excluding the title page and bibliography)
2. use 12 pt. font
3. have 1 inch margins
4. include page numbers
5. include APA-style citations
   • this includes parenthetical (in-text) citations for bothquoted and paraphrased materials
   • this includes a properly-formatted bibliography
     • Note:If you are using an automatic citation generator (e.g., EasyBib (Links to an external site.), BibMe (Links to an external site.)), double-check your citations! While these are convenient tools, they provide computer-generated citations that often have mistakes. It is your responsibility to correct these errors according to the citation style you’re using for the research paper (see links to the library guides below).

Content

Your paper should…

• …in the introduction:
  • draw the reader in (e.g., introduce a puzzle or provide an illustrative anecdote–this is necessary to answer the “Why?” questions, such as “Why is this topic important?” or “Why is this paper necessary?” or “Why should the reader care?”)
  • develop a clear, concise, and easily identifiable thesis statement (i.e., your policy recommendation)
  • provide a “roadmap” that explains how you are going to demonstrate what you claim in your thesis statement (think of this as a mini-outline for your paper–it can take the form of “First, I will…Second, I will…Third, I will…”)

• …in the body paragraphs:
  • logically build evidence in favor of your thesis statement
    • this will require presenting an overview of the currentpolicy, considering opposing arguments (and/or actors) in the debate, and taking into account public opinion on the topic
    • this will also require you to present datato back up your proposal (i.e., to explain what about the current policy you want to change and why this change would be beneficial)

• …in the conclusion:
  • re-emphasize the main points of your argument

Quoting

• Using quotations in your writing is one way to provide evidence for your argument.
• To use quotations effectively, you must introduce them.
  • That is, you need to introduce who is speaking or where the quotation comes from. You should neverjust “drop-in” a sentence that is all in a quotation.
    • Here’s an example with a quotation properly introduced:In response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco stated, “…” (Lee 2006).
  • To use quotations effectively, you must also analyze them.
    • That is, you must discuss why you included the quotation and explain how it relates to your thesis/argument.
      • This means that you should onlyuse quotations as evidence that helps to prove your thesis/argument.
      • You should notinclude a quotation that simply states the information you want to include. In this case, you should paraphrase the information in your own words and cite it appropriately.
    • You should nottake quotations directly from the textbook, unless the quotation comes from primary source material (like a speech or the founding documents). Again, this is material that you should paraphrase in your own words (and then cite appropriately).

Citing

The most important thing to remember with citations is the following: You must cite all of your sources, even if you’ve paraphrased (and remember, paraphrasing means restating all of the information in your own words–not only changing a word here or there)! When in doubt, cite!

Which citation style should you use? Please use APA Style for your citations.

Remember, you must cite all of your sources in both the body of your paper and at the end of your paper in a separate bibliography. In the body of your paper, use in-text (parenthetical) citations, which appear within parentheses in the sentence in which you have used material.

When using the same source multiple times, the source should only appear once in the bibliography.

• For example, if you use several different sections from the textbook, you will provide onecomplete citation in the bibliography for the Bianco and Canon textbook, then reference the specific page numbers when you use them in your parenthetical citations.

Writing style

The advisory for this course is the completion of English 101A. This means that I expect you to know how to write successfully at the college level, which includes using proper spelling and grammar. If you do not turn in college level writing, you will not do well on the assignment. If you need help with your writing, please visit the writing center in Hyman Hall. There is absolutely no shame in seeking out writing and editing assistance! Writing well is a learned skill that requires practice and it’s important to remember that even seasoned writers often need help–an extra set of editing eyes is always a good thing!

I expect polished and proof-read papers. At a minimum, you must:

1. express onlyone idea per paragraph (i.e., the paragraph should have one topic sentence and all following sentences should provide evidence that support the topic sentence)
   • This means that paragraphs should never be super long! If you are expressing more than one idea in a paragraph, break it in to two paragraphs (or three…or however many ideas you’re expressing)!
2. provide transitions between paragraphs
   • If one paragraph discusses the Declaration of Independence and the next jumps to a discussion of political parties, I will have no idea how you’re moving from thought #1 to thought #2. Include a transition that connects the two ideas–this way, I can easily follow your train of thought! 
3. write in complete sentences
4. use active voice
   • Example of active voice: “Delegates signed the Declaration of Independence…”
   • Example of passive voice: “The Declaration of Independence was signed by delegates…”
     • Always use active voice. It makes your writing more direct and impactful. 

5. edit the work thoroughly to ensure there are no grammatical problems or typos
   • I highly suggest reading your paper out loud during one of your editing sessions. This is a great way to catch errors.