Your UK Core Citizenship requirement dictates that students should be able to think carefully about intellectual questions, construct rational, well-reasoned arguments with clarity, and display a more than superficial knowledge about making informed choices in the world. That may sound like some heavy lifting, when when broken down, we are simply asking you to be able to communicate educated opinions about the world around you in a thoughtful manner.
Luckily, with this being the dawn of a new administration, most of you have been exposed to may of the political arguments that Americans ponder every day. Should the government run the health care system? Should homosexuals be able to marry? Should taxes for the wealthy be increased? How involved should the United States be in foreign affairs? How should the U.S. handle ISIS/ISIL? What should be done about the number of black people killed by police? Should guns be made more difficult to purchase? And maybe a sore subject for many of you, what do we do about the cost of college and the massive increase in student loan debt? These are just a few of the many, many questions that have been highlighted in this year's election cycle.
Here is where you come in, and how you show some understanding of society and the politics of modern America. It should not take you long, and you will hopefully learn something along the way.
In a 2-3 page double-spaced 12-point font paper, please answer the following questions in a thoughtful, clearly constructed manner:
- What is the biggest issue facing America today? Why? This does not have to be anything mentioned above. Think about what issue concerns you most and why you think it is such a huge problem. Where do you stand? How does it affect the average American? How does it affect you?
- How do the TWO major parties differ in their approaches to the issue? Some avenues of thought to consider: Do they have a strong opinion about your selected issue? Have they outlined a way in which they plan to remedy that issue? Is it enough? It may help to find out what individual politicians or candidates have said about your topic of concern.
Sample Solution