Generic Outline for HC Political Science Term Paper (typed, about one page).
[Yours will be assessed on how thoroughly it is developed].
General Title:
Specific Subtitle:
Author(s):
Course(s):
Probable layout of paragraphs [and space budgeted within the actual paper]:
  • Basic issue or problem this paper will address.  Why it matters. [1/2 page]

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  • Scope (coverage) of the research, in terms of institutions, countries and time periods? [1/2 page]

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  • Literature survey. [2-3 pages]  What causes have authorities claimed to be important in political behavior in your topic?  How did they argue for their theses and with what kind of evidence?  (This section often differentiates good papers from excellent, thorough ones).

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  • This paper's specific focus or path through the field.  (This might include, in a policymaking paper, a model of policy analysis such as the process model or game theory.)  Have you found any specific new evidence that can help settle controversies?  [1 paragraph to 1/2 page]

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  • Hypothesis of the paper.  What you expect to find.  [1 paragraph to 1/2 page]

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  • Limitations of the research. (Academic modesty).  [1 paragraph to 1/2 page]

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  • Account of the major events (if a chronological history) or major causes or factors (if a more social science approach).  [Half to 3/4 of total pages; 8-10 pages within a 15 page paper?  Perhaps 15 pages within a joint paper of 20 pages.]  If organizing the paper by factors, begin with most important and work to lesser factors.  In a public policy paper, you might decide to give a combination of the policy history, followed by the analysis of causes.

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  • Conclusions on what were the most powerful causes of the behavior you have analyzed. [1-2 pages.]
  • E.g., you might argue (but find your own answers):
  • Civil rights came to African Americans because of their social and judicial pressure, not because of leaders in Congress.
  • the Great War was caused by German expansionism [or, systemic breakdown] rather than Russian mobilization.
  • Ideological bias rather than interest group imbalance [or, the reverse of this] caused the failure to develop a US national health system.
  • President Reagan's ideological bias [or, interest group pressure] resulted in an economic policy that reduced taxation at the expense of a deficit and future borrowing.
  • President George Bush (41) was not re-elected in 1992 because voters felt the economic recession outweighed the success of the Gulf War.
  • President "W." Bush (43) switched from unilateralist [go-it-alone] foreign policy to a multi-lateralist [do-it-with-allies] foreign policy owing to the external shock of a terrorist attack on New York and Washington.
  • President Clinton survived impeachment owing to a successful economic policy [or, his opponents overplaying their investigation at the cost of public impatience].
  • Countries with lower tax rates are associated with fewer government services and higher economic growth [or not].
  • President Roosevelt's New Deal was primarily caused by pragmatic responses to problems, not ideological fervour.
  • Of the five pairs of major Supreme Court opinions reviewed in this paper, four indicate a strong conservative coalition in the Rehnquist court compared to their predecessors in the Warren court.
    • Avoid trite ["beauty pageant"] conclusions such as the following (no kidding, this is very close to some actual examples):
    "Despite everything I have written in the above 15 pages, I believe America is a happy place to live and we just need to try harder to live in peace with each other."
    This superficial type of conclusion doesn't really inform the reader.