Assignment
For the current events assignments, students will find a recent (not older than one week) article describing an event relating to international relations (broadly defined to include comparative politics, IR, and IPE) from a newspaper, magazine, or other reputable source or news website (i.e., no opinion pieces, Wikipedia, or FoxNews). Your event should happen after the last current event you submitted (i.e., your third event cannot be older than your second). The first part of the current events assignment is summarizing the story in two or fewer paragraphs. Next, analyze the story. Use theories we've read about or discussed in class, or apply a concept to the story. You might use your event to test a theory, or you might find that a particular reading is helpful in understanding your current event. I encourage you to use outside resources aside from just our textbook. Essentially, your task is to tell me how the story relates to our class or readings, and what our theories would say about your event.
Formatting: Your current event assignment must be typed, in 12-point Times New Roman font, doublespaced and should not exceed two pages (excluding references); you should be able to complete the assignment in about one page. You must cite your source(s) in APSA format. Your assignment must be uploaded as a .pdf file to be graded. Grading is split into three parts. The first part, description of the current event, is worth 10 points. This will be judged on your presentation of the facts and the reliability of your source. Your analysis and application of theories and concepts from class is the second portion of the grade, also worth 10 points. This portion of the grade will be based on the extent to which you display a correct understanding of course material and ability to apply abstract concepts to the real world. Grammar should not detract from the readability of your submission, and formatting must be correct; grammar and formatting will be worth 5 points. Be sure to use in-text citations to cite any information that is not your own original work or idea. Current event assignments must be submitted on blackboard - emailed submissions will not be accepted.