Opinion Editorial
Description
In this assignment, you will be writing another op-ed essay. An op-ed (opinion editorial) is an opinion piece typically published by a newspaper or magazine. The scope of an op-ed attempts to raise awareness about a specific topic or to persuade others. As students of comparative politics, the purpose of this assignment is to identify a specific, important issue in a country and to then offer an explanation and suggestion. This assignment allows you reflect on the foundational concepts that we have covered in class. For this second op-ed essay, you are to pick a different topic/country than your previous one. This op-ed is also limited to a strict 800-word limit. The purpose of the 800-word limit is to help strengthen your ability to write an industry-standard op-ed and to tighten up your writing style. Paper Guidelines In the op-ed essay, you may choose any topic or country as your focus. When writing your op-ed, it may be beneficial to think of the following: a. What specific issue/controversy/event in my selected country am I responding to? b. What is my position on said issue? c. How do the foundational concepts discussed in class help explain the issue/controversy/event and support my position? Paper Guidelines (cont.) When writing an op-ed essay, it is important that you express your point clearly, argue/persuade effectively, and provide a logical connection throughout the paper. With these three points in mind, the following criteria is the basis for the grading rubric: 1. A different topic/country than the first op-ed 2. 800-word limit 3. 12pt. Times New Roman or Arial font 4. 1” margins 5. Double-spaced 6. Utilizes footnotes 7. You have a clearly defined thesis in your introduction 8. The op-ed argues a specific point 9. The main body of the essay demonstrates the thesis 10. Each paragraph is logically connected 11. You do not make factually incorrect statements 12. The op-ed uses concrete examples and empirical evidence to illustrate and support their point/position 13. You define/explain key terms 14. You reflect upon contemporary issues based on the course material 15. You deeply engage with the assigned readings 16. You provide proper citations when appropriate 17. You have a strong final paragraph that summarizes your essay 18. You submit your paper on time through Turnitin on Blackboard
