You must write your paper on ONE of the four questions listed below:

1. Was the Governor General correct to grant Prime Minister Stephen Harper a prorogation of Parliament in December 2008?
2. Is the Role of the Backbench MP an important one within Canada’s Parliamentary System?
3. Should Canada Abolish the Senate? Why or why not?*
4. Should Canada Adopt a Proportional Representation Electoral System? Why or why not?*

*For questions 3 and 4, simply assume that such a reform is feasible. In other words, do not worry about whether or not a reform of this type is realistic in today’s political environment. Rather, assume that making such a change is easily achievable and focus instead on whether or the reform in question is good for Canadian democracy.

Whatever topic you choose, your paper MUST make an argument. It is not enough to explore the different facets of the issue. You must go beyond simple description and pick a side and explain WHY you think this particular way. A good paper will even take a bit of space to anticipate the reasons why someone would disagree with you and attempt to briefly discredit this position. You should include a clear THESIS STATEMENT in the opening paragraph of your paper to leave no doubt what you intend to argue. Your paper must also be organized in a logical manner and flow nicely from point to point. Avoid going off on tangents that take you away from your argument.

You must also use in-text citations with a bibliography or footnotes to document your sources.

Your bibliography should contain at least 6-8 sources (books, journals, government reports/documents). It is not acceptable to use the course textbooks or any other Canadian politics textbook as a major source for your research paper.

Assessment:

We will be looking for 4 things when we grade your paper:

1. Your Argument – You must pick a side and explain WHY you think this particular way.

– A good paper will even take a bit of space to anticipate the reasons why someone would disagree with you (argue for the other side) and attempt to briefly discredit this position.

– The key to making this clear is the use of a thesis statement somewhere in your first paragraph. Do not be afraid to tell me explicitly what you will be arguing.

2. Analytical Depth – Are you doing a good job supporting your argument? Are you providing relevant evidence drawn from reliable academic sources?

3. Logical Flow – Is you paper effectively building towards a conclusion? Does your argument flow from point to point? Are you staying on topic? Is it clear what you are trying to say at all times?

4. Presentation – Is your paper polished? Is it well written or does it contain many spelling or grammatical errors? Have you properly cited your sources?

Overall, you are being asked to:
a) Research and think about this issue carefully,
b) Take a position on the question, and
c) Communicate this position clearly in writing.