POL 4190:  SENIOR SEMINAR:
THE FUTURE OF THE UNITED STATES
Spring 2004

Preliminary Paper

The term paper should be an essay on what you see as the primary problem(s) facing the United States and/or the primary direction it should be going.  You can write your own, free-form essay, or you can use the outline I present below:

1. Symptoms:  How do we know there's a problem(s)?  To the extent that you can, point to empirical (i.e., observable, objective) indicators of the existence and dimensions of the problem(s).
2. Diagnosis:  What's the root cause of the problem(s)?
3. Prognosis:  What will happen as a result of not addressing the problem(s)?  Why should we even bother to address the problem(s)? — Why not let sleeping dogs lie?
4. Prescription:  What should we be doing to address the problem(s)?  This will probably involve some kind of collective action (new laws or institutions;  new economic policies;  new cultural expectations), but it might be about individual changes as well.

The purpose of this assignment is four-fold:  to start you thinking as a social critic;  to start you recognizing your own concerns;  to tell me more about you and the class as a whole;  and to let me assess your writing skills.

The essay should be no longer than three pages (1000 words).  As with all your writing assignments, please follow this standard writing format. and meet these writing standards.

The paper is due in class on the Monday of the second week of class.  You are of course free to turn it in earlier.

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