Assignment task: Confronting Terrorism
For your final paper, you will demonstrate the ability to write a substantive report using strong research skills and technical writing proficiency. This paper will serve as your final opportunity in this course to prove that you can write a clear, well organized, and well-researched document. Take this opportunity to support your arguments using scholarly sources (the minimum of six scholarly/credible sources is just a bare minimum for a passing score). It is recommended that students go above and beyond that minimum, keeping in mind that most if not all of your declarative statements should be well backed by evidence (references).
To prepare for the final paper, review the various terrorist groups, causes, and motivators of terrorism examined throughout the course. Be sure to read Max Fisher's article Terrorist or Disturbed Loner? The Contentious Politics of a Label.
Select an international or domestic terrorist group or movement that is active today and a threat to U.S. interests either at home or overseas. Your one-page discussion on the group will help to set the stage for how the U.S. should confront terrorism in the future.
The paper should include the below items, at a minimum.
1. Introduction
o Provide a general overview of paper.
o List a thesis argument.
o Very briefly mention each of the main sections of the paper.
2. Discuss your chosen group or movement (maximum of one page).
o Background
o Goals
o Notable activities
3. Summarize various strategies the U.S. can use to respond to or prevent terrorist attacks by your chosen group.
4. Assess the potential effectiveness of each of the below as the most appropriate response to the group:
o Assess the potential appropriateness and effectiveness of the normal police response to criminal acts. Why do you consider it to be or not be appropriate and/or effective? Should it be combined with other response measures?
o Assess the potential appropriateness and effectiveness of more comprehensive socioeconomic strategies. Why do you consider them to be or not be appropriate and/or effective? Should they be combined with other response measures? Should it be combined with other response measures?
o Assess the potential appropriateness and effectiveness of military action. Why do you consider it to be or not be appropriate and/or effective? Should it be combined with other response measures? Should it be combined with other response measures?
o Include historical, cultural, and diversity aspects of the terrorist populations and the victim/target populations as context to support your conclusions relative to each of the response options above.
5. Appraise if additional police powers or legislative measures are needed by the federal government to protect the country from terrorist threats.
o Use references as evidence to support your reasoning.
6. Evaluate if increasing governmental powers to enhance security is worth the potential erosion of civil liberties.
o Use references as evidence to support your reasoning.
7. Conclusion
o Restate the general overview of paper using different language from the intro.
o Briefly summarize findings relative to your thesis.
o Very briefly mention each of the main sections of the paper using different language from the intro.
Support your analysis with a minimum of six scholarly and/or credible resources (including a minimum of three from the UAGC Library). Don't forget to review the assignment rubric (link below) to see scoring criteria for each section.
The Confronting Terrorism paper
- Must be 10 to 12 double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages)