Purpose: We began this class with a foundation of the U.S.’s founding documents. From there, we have discussed how Americans get their news and form their opinions, and we have dug into various issues that divide the American public. In this assignment, you will demonstrate your understanding of the nation’s founding texts, your understanding of a national debate, and your ability to analyze and offer points of mediation on that debate.                 The assignment will help you gain the following  skills:

1. The ability to articulate how viewpoints are formed in national debate.
2. The ability to identify opportunities for mediation on a hotly debated subject.

This assignment will help you gain the following  knowledge: 1.)    Familiarity with a debated subject in national political conversation. 2.)    Understanding of how different political viewpoints come into existence. 3.)    Understanding of how national founding documents can be used to support and/or challenge a debated topic. 4.)    Strategies for mediation. Task: Below are a list of topics that you can write about. Please pick only one topic to cover. If there is a topic that you would like to write about and that is not listed (and is a topic that we did not cover in a previous unit), please email me with your proposed topic so that I can grant approval. Citizen’s United v. FEC (2010)Shelby v. Holder (2013)Obgerfell v. Hodges (2015)Whole Woman’s Health v Hellerstedt (2016) Replacing Associate Justice Antonin Scalia’s Supreme Court seat The Mueller Report Colin Kaepernick and the national anthem Intervention in the Middle East Energy Immigration Outsourcing Assisted Dying Family Paid Leave In this assignment, you will have the opportunity to objectively write a 4-6 page paper on another divisive topic. For each topic, you will locate a minimum of six sources from various news outlets. These readings should come from different viewpoints, as you will be examining how the topic is reported on and why each side holds the opinion that it holds. As we have practiced on the discussion board, you will read the various articles, and will explain why each side views the issue in the manner that they do. To do this, you will need to consider the following:

• What (or who) informs each side’s opinion?
• What is the influence of any of the U.S.’s founding documents in these opinions?
• Are the articles offering equal coverage of all sides’ opinions of the topic, or are these opinion pieces?

Most importantly, you will address this question after addressing the above question:

• Can a mediated position be reached on this issue? (The answer here is yes – you will need to offer a suggestion on how).

Students will remember that their own personal opinions should be withheld from their final papers. Both sides of the issue should be covered equally – I will be looking for objective coverage of both sides of the issue in your submitted paper. Ultimately, you will be presenting both sides’ viewpoints, and offering suggestions for mediation. Step by step, you will… 1. Describe the debate and equally identify opposing viewpoints, being mindful to identify factors that influence each viewpoint in the debate.2. Analyze the role of the United States’s founding documents in supporting and/or addressing the debated topic.3. Explore opportunities for mediation between the two viewpoints in the debate.Criteria for Success: Papers should… 1.)    Be four to six pages long (this is content – the four page minimum is NOT met with the cover and reference pages). 2.)    Include at least six opinion pieces so as to examine the national debate on your chosen subject. These six sources can come from a variety of outlets, but you should be careful to find an equal number of opinion pieces for each side of the debate. Secondary, peer reviewed sources may be used to aid your analysis of the national debate. 3.)    Be double-spaced and 12 pt Times New Roman font (for ease of review) 4.)    Include appropriate citations whether you are quoting directly or paraphrasing. Please use the writing style that is preferred within your major – I am familiar with all styles, which include APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian. The Purdue OWL can be a wonderful source to help you with any of these formats. Visit  https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html 5.)    Avoid the first-person – treat the assignment as a formal essay.   The 250 points assigned to this paper will be determined by the following rubric:  

	Superb	Meets Expectations	Developing	Insufficient
Topic Selection	Selects a topic provided by the instructor or consults with instructor on independent topic.	N/A	N/A	Does not select a topic provided by instructor or does not consult with instructor on independent topic.
Balance of Viewpoints	Balances presentation of both sides’ arguments concerning chosen topic, and includes balanced evidence and analysis of nuanced viewpoints.	Balances presentation of both sides’ argument concerning chosen topic, and includes mostly balanced evidence.	Leans too heavily while presenting a certain side of the argument (and/or…)   Evidence is lacking or overbalanced on one of the sides (and/or…)   Introduces personal opinions.	Only presents a certain side of the argument (and/or…)   Evidence is completely missing (and/or…)   Makes the argument paper an argument for a particular viewpoint.
Exploration of Mediation	Develops an insightful argument as to how both sides of the chosen topic could make efforts to reach mediation (and/or…)   Acknowledges nuances and identifies ways to overcome obstacles previously outlined between the two sides of the topic (and/or…)   Explores what might be acceptably ceded or not ceded in efforts at mediation.	Develops an argument as to how both sides of the chosen topic could make efforts to reach mediation (and/or…)   Identifies ways to overcome obstacles previously outlined between the two sides of the topic.	Minimally addresses how both sides of the chosen topic could make efforts to reach mediation.	Does not address how both sides of the chosen topic could make efforts to reach mediation.
Analysis of Effect of Founding Documents	Draws insightful conclusions about the role of the founding documents in supporting and/or playing a role in the national conversation concerning the topic. Conclusions are informed with evidence.	Draws informed conclusions about the role of the founding documents in supporting and/or playing a role in the national conversation concerning the topic, but some awkwardness applying them.	Paper vaguely addresses the role of the founding documents in supporting and/or playing a role in the national conversation concerning the topic. Evidence is generic or lacking.	Paper does not address the role of the founding document in supporting and/or playing a role in the national conversation concerning the topic.
Selection of Sources	Clearly and expertly uses a wide selection of sources to explore the national conversation related to the topic. Sources are not only appropriately interpreted and used as evidence, but reveal nuance in the national debate concerning the topic.	Uses the required number of sources to explore the national conversation related to the topic. Sources are appropriately interpreted, and used as evidence.	Paper uses a minimal number of sources to explore the national conversation related to the topic (and/or…)   Sources are inappropriately interpreted, or inappropriately used as evidence.	Sources are not cited or referenced (and/or…)
Conclusion	Elegantly synthesizes and reframes key points from the paper.   Suggests new perspectives or questions relevant to the central argument, and brings closure.	Synthesizes and brings closure but does not examine new perspectives or questions.	Restates the same points as the topic paragraph without reframing them. (and/or…)   Introduces new material rather than new perspectives.	Is missing or cursory. (and/or…)   Repeats the topic paragraph more-or-less verbatim.