Essay Homework: Government
Sample Thesis Statement and Outline for Essay
Rough thesis statement:
While most people may be inclined to believe that one's political views are the result of deep personal introspection and critical thought, more often than not, one's personal circumstances play the single biggest role in shaping one's political ideology.
Rough Body outline:
A. Time and place
a. Time in human history
i. Machiavelli
ii. Jefferson
b. Cultural influences and norms
i. Jefferson
ii. Machiavelli
iii. Lao-tzu
B. Social status
a. Socioeconomic status
b. Racial/cultural/ethnic status in multiracial societies stratified by race, culture, or ethnicity
C. Family upbringing
Task
In a well-developed, thesis driven essay of no fewer than 750 words (the rough equivalent of 3, typed, double-spaced pages), respond to the following prompt:
The prompt:
Consider our readings and discussions thus far on the texts in our "Government" module (Jefferson, Lao-tzu, Yoo, and Machiavelli). Using at least two of these readings as evidence, discuss and analyze how one's political ideology is a product of the historical/cultural environment in which one lives (personal circumstances, religious views, family climate, national identity, gender/sexual identity, etc. can all apply here as well). In other words, how does our culture, our national identity, and current events influence our opinions on government, its role in the lives of the governed, etc; conversely, another way to think about this homework is to ask and answer the following question: How can we analyze a system of government to infer its architects' cultural, social, and/or historical circumstances? Be sure to use concrete examples from your cited sources and analyze those examples to show how they support/prove your thesis.
Format your homework according to the give formatting requirements:
a. The answer must be double spaced, typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
b. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the course title, the student's name, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
c. Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.