After reading the relevant chapter, find an article in a current newspaper (New York Times, Washington Post,
London Financial Times, and/or Wall Street Journal) that addresses a major concept, theory, or issue
addressed in that chapter. Feel free to use any article from the current week, but do not dig back through
older archives to find what you might think is a better fit; one purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate
that you are familiar with current events. Another is that you can learn to recognize and apply key ideas
from the readings to a wide variety of events world politics.
After you’ve read the chapter and selected an article, review the discussion board for the unit with two
things in mind. First, see what your classmates are writing and what is working and what is not; you can
benefit from modeling your essay on the general pattern and quality of other good essays. Second, you will
benefit from sharing truly unique insights with the class, and reviewing previously posted essays will better
enable you to ensure your contribution is unique. Make an effort to select an article that no one else has
already selected. If, however, someone has already written on the article you selected and you cannot find
another, the burden is on you to either apply a different insight from the reading, or to apply the same
insight but in a clearly different way. Care must be taken to ensure that you are not repeating the
discoveries and insights of your classmates.
Format the essay with two distinct paragraphs followed by a clear reference to the article.
I. Paragraph 1: Exposition of Concept/Theory
Chose one concept, theory, or issue central to the unit’s readings, i.e. some insight that enables you to
better understand the world. Identify that insight in your opening sentence, and demonstrate within one
concise paragraph that you understand the concept/theory/issue.
Please be very careful not to plagiarize the author’s (or a classmate’s) words. Do not copy even a few words.
Do not copy passages and then revise or edit them. The best approach to this paragraph is to read the
material until you understand it thoroughly, then set the book aside and write this paragraph entirely from
your thoughts.
II. Paragraph 2: Application to current event
Identify the essence of the article in a brief opening sentence, and use the remainder of the paragraph to
demonstrate how the concept you explain above illuminates the current event described in your chosen article.