1. You need to discuss background. Congressional issues do not appear out of nowhere. They develop over time. They are recognized, considered, and addressed over time. You should discuss why the issues you are covering are prominent now. Have they been around in the past, or are they new? Use judgment: you need not cover the entire nation's history to provide an adequate background.
2. You need to discuss dynamics. Congress is not static. It evolves and adapts over time (to changes in the population, changes in the political environment, the emergence of new issues). What caused the evolution? Did society or public opinion shift—and if so, why? To what are the changes attributable? —the people involved? —their positions? —the Congress or its nature? —the committee system? —House and Senate differences? —the budget cycle? —the legislative process? What about political parties, interest groups and/or their campaign contributions, or the electoral cycle? Your project may not involve all these factors, but it must involve several of them.

Both academic journals and news magazines are valuable sources. Supplement these with daily newspaper accounts. Use the New York Times or the Washington Post. They are national papers of record, meaning they provide complete coverage of all national issues. You won't find comprehensive information in any other newspapers. There are also many Internet sources to assist you. One caution—use discretion. There are no content restrictions on the Internet, and there is a lot of junk out there! Avoid personal sites in favor of sites attached to established organizations. Please consult: POLS 4110 Research Resources.

1. Project length (see below for each component)—partial pages (no matter how much) do not count. As noted above, minimums do not include any title pages; pictures, tables, charts/graphs covering more than 1/3 of a page; or bibliography. Deduction: 1 point per page.
2. Formatting—Your project must be divided into labeled sections (see component 2, below). Deduction: 1 point.
3. Formatting—12-point or smaller Times or Calibri font, double-spaced, 1-inch or smaller margins (If you use an older version of Word—2003 and earlier—you need to change the 1.25" default margins. For help with this, click here). Deduction: 1/2 point each for font, spacing, and margins.
4. Citations/References—Minimum number of references (see Project Components, below), APA style for citations/references. APA exceptions: Page numbering must begin with text, not cover page; Quotes of more than three lines must be single-spaced with 1/2" or 5 character additional margins (NOTE: too many long quotes harms your grade); All bibliographic entries must be single-spaced with one space between entries. Deduction: 1 point each for number and style.
5. File—must be submitted to Turnitin.com by the due date/time for each component. The file must be in either Word format (.doc or .docx) or WordPerfect format (.wpd). NOTE: if you use Microsoft Works, you must save your file as a Word (.doc or .docx) file and not as a Works (.wps) file (Turnitin.com does not accept Works files). Click here for help on saving a Works document as a Word file. Deduction: 1 point per day.

1. Annotated Bibliography—3 points. The purpose of this is to explore the major literature associated with your topic and to refine your specific proposal. Minimum 8 academic references in addition to any course readings (NOTE: 1 point deduction from project for each reference, below six, not used). In your "annotation", provide 1) a brief description of the literature, and 2) a discussion of why it is relevant to your work. Your references should be limited to MAJOR academic literature in the field (not just ANY literature—no newspaper or magazine articles for this part of your project). Use your texts as guides (Check endnotes and references).
2. Annotated Outline (2 page minimum)—2 points. The annotated outline is a formally ordered, descriptive account of each of the specific sections (see component #3, below, for a general outline) of your project. In other words, you will explain each section of your project. NOTES: 1) Be concise, don't overplan—an outline of 30+ sections and sub-sections for an 21-page paper (i.e., less than one page per section or sub-section) is not a good sign!  2) You must discuss how you will use the sources covered in your annotated bibliography.
3. Project—10 points. You must divide your project into sections. Groups must assign each section to a particular person.
   Sections (You need not have these exact headings, but you must have similar sections with some heading):
   • Introduction: What is your topic? Why did you select it? Why should anyone care? 1-3 pages.
   • Background/History: Provide readers with relevant history and context. Concentrate on fundamental #1 (above). 5-10 pages.
   • Analysis: Concentrate on fundamental #2 (above). Apply our class (but don't just repeat—build !). 5-10 pages.
   • Conclusion: Wrap up (but do not just summarize). What did you learn? Does it differ in any way from what we've learned in class? 1-3 pages.
   • Bibliography: Minimum of 11 references in addition to one or more class readings and at least 4 from academic books or refereed academic journals. All references must be cited in the project. At minimum, 50% of your references must be print (non-internet) references (online resources that also appear in print may count as print references if they are properly cited as such).
4. Presentation—10 points. Presentations will be 10 to 20 minutes, depending upon the number of presentations. You must provide an outline page for class—one class prior to your presentation. Presentations are class activities—two points of everyone's class participation will be determined during presentations.
5. Revision—10 points. Make significant use of feedback from me (on your project and presentation), and the from the class (on your presentation). You must make revisions to maintain your grade. A revision that is identical to, or substantially similar to, the project you submitted earlier will receive a lower grade. All prior project requirements apply to your revision as well.