AP GOVERNMENT

E - CONGRESS RESEARCH PROJECT 3rd QUARTER

 

FORMAT -            Research paper - 10 page, typed and double-spaced (topic and thesis sign-up required)

                        

ASSIGNMENT - For the 3rd quarter E - Congress research project, you will:

 

1.       Select a current public policy issue and prepare a research paper on that issue.

2.       Based on this research paper, you will develop and prepare a bill to submit during the 3rd quarter E – Congress research project. (2/17/09(A) & 2/18/09(B)

3.       Participate in the authorization committee phase of the E – Congress – (3rd quarter) - dates 3/2/09 to 3/19/09

                            4.    Participate in the House floor vote phase of the E – Congress – (3rd quarter) - dates 3/30/09 to 4/2/09

REQUIREMENTS:                          

A.   RESEARCH PAPER - Research a topic of your choice.  All topics must be approved relevant to US/VA

                                            government policy.  Use the guidelines set out for research papers found in the E -

                                            Congress and Guides for Writing Research Papers websites.  Please use parenthetical

                                            documentation and a “works cited” page (minimum of 5 sources) rather than footnotes

                                            and a bibliography.    Please submit an electronic copy to Turnitin.com and a print copy

   on or before 2:30 PM:  3/20/09(Both A & B) in the following order:

 

1.       TITLE PAGE - typed, including your name, paper title,  class,  due date and instructor.

 

2.       TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE – includes headings and page numbers for all parts of the paper.

 

   3.    INTRODUCTION PAGE – typed, 1 page maximum with thesis statement.

 

4.    BODY OF PAPER - 5 pages typed with parenthetical documentation - 10 to 12 font-double spaced -

                                         one inch margin all around - (all text)

 

   5.   CONCLUSION PAGE - typed, one page maximum summing up main points and restating thesis

 

   6.   WORKS CITED PAGE - typed and in the correct MLA format (see website)

 

Grading:  

A separate evaluation sheet based on these 6 requirements will be used to determine your grade.

This project is worth 100 points and counts as the 20% project grade for the 2nd quarter.   

LATE PENALTY – missing on due date, grade drops to a “C” – missing on the second day, grade drops to a “D” – missing on the third day, grade drops to a ZERO!

    

 

Possible Topics:

 

1.       Economic Policy (Chapter 17)

·         Social Security reform

  • Flat Tax
  • Balanced Budget Amendment to Constitution
  • Estate Tax
  • Marriage Penalty Tax
  • Farm subsidies
  • NASA funding (or funding for any government agency)
  • Line-item veto
  • tax cuts
  • Alternative Minimum Tax

 

 

 

 

2. Health Care and the Environment

¨       Aviation security                                                                                                         Alternative Fuel/Energy

¨       Clean Air or Clean Water Act                                                                                    Emission Standards

¨       ANWR Oil drilling                                                                                                       Auto Emissions

¨       Family and Medical Leave Act                                                                  Auto MPG Standards

¨       Nationalized Health Care                                                                                            Federal Lands Policy

¨       Prescription drug cost reduction

¨       CDC policies concerning pandemics

¨       FDA policies concerning generic and foreign prescription drugs

·         Food Import Safety

 

3. Social Policy

¨       Welfare Reform                                                            Death Penalty                                       Congressional Ethics Reform

¨        Physician assisted suicide                                     Stem Cell Research

¨       Campaign Finance Reform                                         Affirmative Action

¨       Term Limits                                                                   FEMA Disaster Policy

¨       Constitutional Amendment to ban flag burning  Medicaid  Reform

¨       Megan’s Law                                                               Immigration Reform

¨       Abortion policy – be specific                                    Health Care Reform

¨       Gun Control – be specific                                           AIDS Policy

¨       Medicare Reform                                                         Transportation Policy

¨       No Child Left Behind                                                  Electoral College Reform

¨       Gay Marriage                                                                Minimum Wage

 

4. National Security Policy

¨       US Policy towards a chosen country                       Kyoto Agreement                                Weapons Procurement                       CIA

¨       Don't Ask Don't Tell                                                   Iraq War Policy                                    Nuclear Weapons Policy                    NSA

¨       Homeland Security                                                      Afghanistan War Policy                     Foreign Trade Agreements

¨       Patriot Act                                                                    War Powers Act                                   Foreign Security Agreements

¨       Nuclear Waste Storage                                               Executive Privilege                               United Nations

¨       Privacy and Surveillance                                            Military Spending                                Border Security

 

Web sites –

                                Politics1 - http:://www.politics1.com/

                                Thomas - U.S. Congress on the Web - http://thomas.loc.gov/

 

                                *Guides for Writing Research Papers - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/02/

                                                                                                         http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets.shtml

                                Student Government Affairs Program    http://www.sgap.org/

                                The Policy Action Network - http://www.movingideas.org/

                                CATO Institute - http://www.cato.org/

                                Economic Policy Institute - http://epinet.org/

                                The Heritage Foundation - http://www.heritage.org/

                                Progressive Policy Institute - http://www.ppionline.org/index.cfm 

                                *Congressional Quarterly Researcher - http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher

                                 (User name is westfi  and the password is chanti)

                                *E - CONGRESS  -  http://www.youthleadership.net/