Buy State Comparative Paper Guidelines

State Comparative Paper Guidelines and Rubric
Students will complete a writing assignment comparing the state of Texas to another state of their choice. The due date is December 1, and it must meet the following requirements:
· Length and Format
1. The paper must be a minimum four pages in length, not including the cover sheet and Reference page.
2. Characters must be typed in Times New Roman using 12-point font.
3. Lines must be double-spaced
4. Margins must be one inch in length.
5. Paragraphs must be indented.
6. Subheadings are not permitted as the written portion should only include paragraphs.
· Organization, Content, and Sources
1. Separate Cover sheet
a. Your name
b. State Comparative Paper
c. Government 2306
d. Date
2. Body ( Each letter must be a separate paragraph.)
a. Introduction paragraph with thesis statement.
b. What is the state you have chosen to compare with Texas and why did you choose it?
c. Name three issues/problems currently facing your chosen state and how its governor and legislators are addressing them.
d. How does your chosen state’s legislature compare to that of Texas? What about the governor?
e. Provide a summary of the political party makeup in your chosen state. Is it more Republican, Democratic, or a combination of both? Include evidence.
f. Provide a summary of voter eligibility requirements for your chosen state. How is voter turnout in this state and how does it compare to Texas? Explain.
g. Are there changes Texas policymakers (e.g., governor, legislature, and local officials) should implement from your chosen state? Conversely, are there ideas your chosen state should adopt from Texas? Explain.
h. Conclusion paragraph
3. Separate Reference Page
a. Sources must be fully documented on a separate page using APA, 7th edition.
b. The heading “References” must be centered on the page.
4. Sources
a. The paper must include a minimum of six sources to receive full credit. Examples of acceptable sources are government websites, major newspapers, political/news media websites, and article databases offered by the Lone Star College Library.
b. In-text citations are required using APA, 7th edition. This means sources must be cited in the body showing where each was used.
c. The following sources are prohibited for use in the paper: Wikipedia, the class textbook, and using the same source more than once. For the “same source more than once” restriction, this means that if you use an article from the Houston Chronicle then you can’t use another article from the Houston Chronicle. This rule is intended to require students to use a diversity of sources.
· Submission Instructions: Click the “State Comparative Paper” tab in D2L to submit the paper.
STATE COMPARATIVE PAPER RUBRIC
Criteria-Levels of Achievement
Excellent-100%
Acceptable-80%
Needs Improvement-60%
Unsatisfactory-0%
Content
60%
The body meets the minimum length requirements of four pages, has exceptional details, includes all content areas, and an exemplary thesis statement.
The body is three but less than four pages in length, has sufficient details, includes all or most of the content areas, and a proficient thesis statement.
The body is less than three pages in length, has incomplete details, includes partial content areas, and thesis statement is either missing or needs revision.
Did not complete.
Sources
20%
Six or more acceptable sources were used, fully cited on the Reference page, and properly cited within the paper using APA.
Five acceptable sources were used, fully cited on the Reference page, and properly cited within the paper using APA.
Four sources were used; Five or more acceptable sources were used but not cited on the Reference page and within the paper using APA.
Three or less acceptable sources were used.
Grammar-Format
20%
Times New Roman 12-point font, double-spaced, one-inch margins, and separate cover page. No writing errors.
Times New Roman 12-point font, double-spaced, one-inch margins, and separate cover page. Three or fewer writing errors.
Times New Roman 12-point font, double-spaced, one-inch margins, and separate cover page. Four or more writing errors.
Incorrect font, spacing, margins, or cover page missing. Four or more writing errors.