Essay
The essay is designed to enable you to show that you can clearly organize a set of arguments in a complex text and defend your interpretations and opinions by appealing to reasons and arguments derived from (i) the required readings (ii) online sources, and (iii) your own thinking about these issues.
Length: 6-8 pages, typed, double-spaced, 12 point font
Weighting: 30% of the final grade .
The penalty for late essays is 1% deducted per day.
Write a term paper on one of the following topics:
1. (a) Compare and contrast two states in the Middle East (your select country and another country of your choosing) in relation to their executive, legislative, judicial and military functions, (b) Critically evaluate the level of democracy in each state in terms of due process, civil liberties, human rights, equality before the law, public participation, and peaceful conflict resolution, (b) provide a reasoned assessment about which state is more democratic and why.
Many attempts have been made to regionalize the Middle East. However, political, security and economic cooperation continues to be limited. (a) Evaluate where these attempts have failed or succeeded in your select country, (b) consider prospects for greater regional integration in the future, and (c) differentiate understandings in the Middle East of regional identity above and beyond the state, such as in the new social movements associated with the Arab Spring or in the growing movement of Pan-Islamism.
Note: In your essay, you must refer to at least six secondary sources as support for your arguments. Referencing course materials, whether textbook or outside sources should be done according to a recognized referencing system in order to avoid plagiarism or incomplete referencing. Choice of referencing style rests with the student in consultation with the professor. Three commonly employed referencing manuals are:
Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations 8th edition. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2013).
The Chicago Manual of Style 16th edition. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2013).
Joseph Gibaldi, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th edition. (New York: Modern Language Association, 2009).
Essay Grading Rubric
Your essay will be graded using a grading rubric. Please review this rubric prior to writing the essay as it will give you a clear idea of what the expectations are.
