| Due Dates: | Requirements: |
| Working draft: February 4, 2000 Final draft: February 11,2000 |
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Write an opinion piece on an issue of your choice. In choosing an issue, think about what you plan to do when you leave the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Then, think about a political issue that will influence your career. The next step is to consider this issue in terms of an existing problem and a possible solution to that problem.
Thus, your topic should have at least two parts: an existing problem, and your solution to it. It may be necessary to research some of the articles addressing this problem. While these articles will be helpful to you, the focus of this paper should be on your own argument for change. Anything you use, you should cite according to APA format.
In developing this argument, break it down into more manageable subtopics and arrange them according to some kind of logic. Go from the least to most critical of issues or from the weakest to strongest arguments in favor of change. Also, mention one or two counterarguments in your paper and explain why your solution is still the best choice.
The following are few general areas for research and possible topics from current newspapers, but you are welcome to choose your own topic. You will still need to identify a problem and solution for the one that you choose.
Local Issues: Development vs. preservation of buildings and natural areas in Duluth. The Technology Village in downtown Duluth. Preventing a cataclysmic forest fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Snowmobile access to natural areas vs. ski access to these areas. The strengths and weaknesses of the Edison school. Etc.
State/Regional Issues: Welfare reform. The Ventura Administration. Maintaining the corrections system. School safety. The 1999 Farm Crisis. Methamphetamine usage. Light rail in the Twin Cities. Etc.
National Issues: What to do with the budget surplus. How to protect privacy in the Internet Age. Concerns about health care and Health Management Organizations. Campaign finance. The primary system for Presidential elections. Access to guns. Abortion and reproductive freedom. The War on Drugs. Etc.
International Issues: How to respond to wars in distant regions-Kosovo, Chechnya, East Timor. Issues surrounding free trade and protectionism. The Environment. Etc.