Your final draft should be a minimum of 8 pages long and should use a  minimum of 8 high-quality sources.  Please note five important aspects  of this assignment:
 

• This is an analytical paper.  In other words, your paper should be  devoted to defending your conclusion using logic and evidence.  It  should use only credible sources, and it should back up its assertions  with facts taken from credible sources.  It should also consider both  sides of the issue.
• This is a research paper.  That means that you should conduct research  to find relevant information to support your conclusion.  Although I am  interested in your opinion, you must be able to support that opinion  with facts and figures and evidence.  You will obtain these facts and  figures and evidence from your research.  Please note that the better  and more numerous your sources, the higher your grade is likely to be.   Academic sources are especially encouraged.  Papers that use only web  sites as sources cannot receive a  “A” or “B.”  Papers that use  Wikipedia or an online encyclopedia as a source cannot receive an “A.”
• This is a paper about government.  Although your paper should  certainly address the issue of whether the proposal is a good idea  (would it work?), it should also address issues such as its  constitutionality, its effect on federalism, its effect on separation of  powers (if any), etc.
• You must provide attribution.  In an academic paper, you must cite  your sources within the text of the paper, as well as provide a “works  cited” page at the end.  This applies both to direct quotes from other  authors AND circumstances in which you merely use the ideas or  information reported by another author.  Please note:  all papers are  automatically submitted to Turnitin.com.
• Your writing counts.  Points will be deducted for poor spelling and grammar.  
• Effort counts.  This paper should be at least 8, typed, double-spaced  pages long, and it should use a minimum of 8 sources.  Papers that  demonstrate more effort are more likely to receive a higher grade than  papers that demonstrate less effort.  
• Certain Topics Are Off Limits – There are several topics that you may  not write about.  These include any proposals or actions related to gay  marriage, marijuana, abortion & birth control, the death penalty, or  gun control.