POSC 1200 Introduction to Democracy in Theory and Practice

Winter 2024
Faculty of Social Science and Humanities
Ontario Tech University

Guide to Final Research Essay (Proposal + Essay = 40% of course grade)

Proposal & Annotated Bibliography DUE Friday, 9 Feb. 2024, 11:59 p.m. (or earlier) 15%

Research Essay (1,500-2,000 words) DUE Friday, 22 March 2024, 11:59 p.m. (or earlier) 25%

Description:
You will write a short research essay (1,500-2,000 words) on a topic related to the course material. In-text citations and a
reference list, both formatted according to APA style, are required.

1. Choose a question/topic from the list at the end of this document. You may:
a. Explore a democratic theory discussed in the textbook in its historical context and its implications for
creating policy today.
b. Analyze a current policy or policy area using a theoretical lens to explore its implications for Canada (or
another country) as a democracy.
2. For all topics/questions, conduct a literature search for articles about your issue and your theory/philosopher.
You will need a minimum of 5 reliable and scholarly secondary sources for your essay. [Do not use
encyclopedias for university-level research.]
3. Write your Proposal and Annotated Bibliography. DUE: Friday, 9 Feb. 2024, 11:59 p.m. (or earlier)
a. The proposal must be between 300 and 350 words outlining the theory, philosopher, and/or policy or
current issue you will be analysing. Provide the question(s) you are answering in your essay. You must
give a general overview of your theoretical framework and how you will approach your topic: why do
you think the issue and theory work well together? Why is your topic important to understand? Include a
working title for your essay. A working title can be changed for the final essay. All titles should tell the
reader generally what your essay will be/is about.
b. The annotated bibliography must include at least 5 scholarly sources. Each entry in the bibliography
must follow APA format and include an annotation of 50-60 words indicating the source’s relevance to
your topic. NOTE: Encyclopedias (e.g., Wikipedia or Britannica) are not considered scholarly.
4. Write your Essay, taking into consideration any feedback on your proposal and annotated bibliography.
5. Submit your ESSAY by Friday, 22 March 2024, 11:59 p.m. (or earlier). Your final essay must be submitted using
the Turnitin.com assignment feature in Canvas. You may submit your essay as many times as you like prior to the
deadline so that you can check your essay for accidental plagiarism. Note, however, that it may take up to 24
hours to get your report back, so plan ahead. Aim for a match rate of 10% or less.

General Guidelines
Clarity: Is the paper written in a clear, easy to understand style? This includes correct grammar, proper APA
formatting of citations and references, and clarity of thought.

Coherence: Does the paper develop logically and hold together in a coherent manner?

Comprehension: Does the student show that she/he understands the topic?

Completeness: Has the student included everything required to address the topic?
 Essay Proposal and annotated bibliography
Weight: 15%

DUE: Friday, 9 Feb. 2024, 11:59 p.m. (or earlier)

The proposal and annotated bibliography component of the assignment requires:

1. A descriptive working title

2. A statement of your argument (or thesis)
3. An explanation of the topic of your essay for this course
4. The theory, philosopher, and policy or current issue you will be analysing
5. An annotated bibliography (using APA formatting) with at least 5 scholarly sources.

Annotated Bibliography

Your annotated bibliography must be in APA format, including correct alignment of the annotations – all lines
should be indented underneath the APA formatted reference (i.e., hanging indents). Please note that websites
such as Wikipedia, How Things Work, Answers.com and encyclopedias should NOT be used in academic research.

• Your annotated bibliography should consist of at least 5 scholarly sources.

• Follow correct APA style for citations and sources consulted.
• Below each source, write a brief summary (i.e., annotation). This could be about 3-4 sentences (50
words) which sum up the content of the article. If it is not clearly related to your topic, explain how and
why you will use this source. Please do not copy the abstract of the article. This is plagiarism.

RUBRIC for Proposal and Annotated Bibliography

Poor (D) Average (C, C+) Strong (B-, B, B+) Exceptional (A-, A, Possible Your
A+) Marks Marks
Overall Format is Format mostly Carefully includes Document is of 5
Format unprofessional follows required professional
and has many conventions; title components (i.e., quality. Title is
errors; missing a page includes name, title, page creative and
title student name, #s) and is descriptive of
student number, wellformatted content/
page numbers, and with adequate argument.
few errors. Title is margins and
included. spacing. Title is
descriptive of
content/argument.
Problem Problem Problem Problem Problem 15
Statement/ statement/ statement/ statement/ statement/
Argument argument is not argument is argument and argument and
present in the present in the proposal are clear, proposal are clear,
document; document; defined and defined,
proposal is unclear proposal is unclear appropriate appropriate and
creative
Sources in Fewer than 5 At least 5 sources 5 or more sources More than 5 15
APA & scholarly sources are listed, not all are listed and sources are listed,
Annotations are listed or not all requirements are requirements are requirements are
requirements are met; Annotations met; Annotations met, sources
met; Annotations show that the demonstrate a
 show that the writer read the are concise and can variety of
writer did not read sources stand on their own arguments and
the documents credible sources;
Annotations are
clear, concise and
the reader has a
succinct
understanding of
the nature of the
source and has
compared the
articles arguments
Grammar/ Grammar/ style is Grammar/style is Grammar/style is Grammar/style is 5
style poor making clear and organized clear and clear and
assignment organized, flows organized, flows
difficult to well and reads well and reads
understand easily easily. Document is
of professional
quality
Total mark 40
MARK OUT OF 15

Final research essay

Final copy of research essay (25%), DUE Friday, 22 March 2024, 11:59 p.m. (or earlier) in Canvas

Length: 1,500-2,000 words

Your final essay will be on the topic of your proposal. Context includes things such as historical information, regional
analysis, theoretical analysis, and the like. Your final essay will be between 1,500-2,000 words, will follow APA formatting
(with correct grammar, spelling, etc.) and will use a minimum of 5 scholarly sources. [You may submit your essay to
Turnitin as many times as you like until the deadline. Remember to allow adequate time for results to be returned to you.
You should aim for a match rate of 10% or less.]

Your essay will:

• Have a descriptive title (located on a title page following APA formatting) that indicates your main argument
and/or topic
• Be written in a narrative style with an argument
• Include an introduction that outlines your argument, your theoretical framework, philosopher, and policy or
current issue
• Include analysis of specific and concrete evidence to support your argument
• Include in-text citations and a reference list following APA format
• Include a minimum of direct quotations (i.e., the majority of your essay should be in your own words with
citations for both direct quotes and for ideas from your research materials)
• Include a conclusion.

(rubric on next page)

 RUBRIC for Final Essay
Poor (D) Average (C, C+) Strong (B-, B, Exceptional (A-, Possible Your
B+) A, A+) Marks Mark
Introduction: Does not Main topic is Main topic is Main topic is 10
main topic identify main specified specified; specified;
identified; topic to be without clear overview is rationale for
overview analysed; explanation or clear; Thesis/ choice is clearly
presented; Thesis/ description; argument are explained, topic
thesis/ argument is not Thesis/ clear, defined overview
argument present in the argument is and appropriate exceptional;
stated document; present in the Thesis/ argument
introduction is document; is clear, defined,
confusing introduction is appropriate and
clear creative
Context History and/or History and/or History and /or History and/or 10
background of background of background of background of the
the topic is the topic is the topic is topic is clearly
missing or introduced, but explained and explained and
minimal. lacks clarity and relevance is relevance is
relevance. identified. clearly identified;
professional
quality.
Analysis Topic is not or is Topic is analysed Topic is clearly Topic is clearly 30
minimally in its positive analysed in both and concisely
analysed; lacks and/or negative its positive and analysed in both
precision and impacts; negative its positive and
clarity. analysis lacks impacts; negative impacts;
precision. analysis analysis is precise;
attempts to be professional
precise. quality.
At least 5 No sources Minimal sources More than 5 More than 5 10
sources in provided; are provided; sources are excellent sources
APA format sources not in APA mostly provided and are provided in a
APA format. followed. are in APA professional and
format. correct manner.
Format / Format is Format is Format good, Format very clear, 10
Grammar / confusing and adequate; with clear title, with correct
style does not follow missing some title page, formatting, &
conventions; elements (i.e., name, etc.; document is of
Grammar/ style title, title page, Grammar/style professional
is poor; etc.); Grammar/ is clear and quality;
descriptive title style is clear and organized, flows Grammar/ style is
is missing organized; title well and reads clear & organized,
is not easily flows well & reads
descriptive easily. Document
is of professional
quality;
descriptive title is
creative
Total Marks 70
Mark out of 25
LATE Days @ 4% (1 point)/day GRADE
QUESTIONS/TOPICS
1. How have one or more classical or ancient theories of democracy impacted governance and policymaking
today? Why does it matter?
2. How has Republicanism evolved? Consider, for example, what has been happening in the United States in the
past few years (e.g., effect of the impeachment process, the effectiveness of the Republican model,
implications for democracy in the US, Jan. 6 insurrection effort, etc.). Why does this matter in Canada or
globally?
3. What are the debates about public vs private education or secular vs religious schools in Canada? What are
the implications of education policy for a democratic society? (Remember, education is a provincial
responsibility so each province will have different debates.) Which democratic theory fits best as an
analytical tool for this debate?
4. What are the implications of Guaranteed Basic Income models in a “democratic” society? Which democratic
theory fits best as an analytical tool for this debate? Consider, for example, whether a basic income could
help Canadians in light of the economic disruptions caused by the pandemic or by automation.
5. Civil disobedience, protests, and democracy: What role does civil disobedience (i.e., protests) play in a
democracy? Which model of democracy fits best to support the right to protest? If civil disobedience is a
way for publics to express their opinions, what policy(ies) should governments put in place (if any)? Consider,
for example, recent examples of the Black Lives Matter protests, the Defund the Police, Indigenous rights
actions (e.g., around land, clean water, treaties, fishing, etc.), or another similar protest movement.
6. Rights and Democracy: What rights do (or should) individuals have in a democracy? Who should have which
rights? (For this topic, you will need to select one specific rights category to focus on: human rights, property
rights, the right to vote, the right to security, the right to clean water, citizenship, right to movement, same-
sex marriage rights, LGBTQ+ rights, etc.)
7. What role does democracy play in a polarized society? In other words, if there are deep divides between
groups of people (e.g., due to religious beliefs, political beliefs, inequitable distribution of wealth, etc.), can
any model of democracy alleviate or remedy those divides? What type(s) of policy(ies) could help to
overcome such divides? Why? How?
8. What type(s) of voting systems are most “democratic”? Why or why not? What democratic theory supports
your answer? Consider, for example, ‘first past the post’, proportional representation or another model of
governance and decision-making.
9. What role does “charity” play in a democracy? How much should communities rely on charities and fund-
raising to deal with drug addiction, poverty, and homelessness today? Is it better for the government to use
taxation as a method of redistributing wealth or is charity a better method? Why or why not? Consider, for
example, the effects of the pandemic on the capacity of many charities to continue their work with fewer
fund-raising events and donations even as the needs continue to rise.
10. Privatization vs publicly funded social supports: Is a democratic society better supported when social services
(e.g., access to health care, hospitals, employment insurance, education, mental health supports, welfare,
etc.) are funded through the taxation of all members of a society or if they are pay-per-use, privatized, and
profit-oriented? What theory of democracy best supports your analysis?

NOTE: This essay is NOT an opinion essay. It is an opportunity for you to explore the democratic foundations of
many of the policies that are in place today. You must use evidence from scholarly sources, examples from actual
policy documents, and critical analysis.
Possible Primary Sources
[Primary sources are those original documents that were groundbreaking in their period. In addition, you must
use 5 scholarly secondary sources for your analysis. All available for free online]:

Addams, Jane. (1902). Democracy and Social Ethics. Hull-House, Chicago New York & London: Macmillan & Co.,
Ltd. Aristotle. A Treatise on Government. The Project Gutenberg EBook.

Dewey, John. (1916). Democracy and Education. The Project Gutenberg EBook.

Mill, John Stuart. (1859). On Liberty.

Plato. The Republic of Plato. Translator: Benjamin Jowett. The Project Gutenberg EBook.

Thucydides. The History of the Peloponnesian War. Translator: Richard Crawley. The Project Gutenberg EBook.

de Toqueville, Alexis. (1835). Democracy In America, Volume 1 and 2. Translator: Henry Reeve. The Project
Gutenberg EBook.

Trotsky, Leon. (1920). Dictatorship vs. Democracy (Terrorism and Communism). The Project Gutenberg EBook.

Zetkin, Klara. (1906). Social-Democracy & Woman Suffrage. A Paper Read by Klara Zetkin to the Conference of
Women Belonging to the Social-Democratic Party Held at Mannheim, Before the Opening of the Annual Congress
of the German Social-Democracy. The Project Gutenberg EBook.

Other Resources
These are also primary documents. You must use 5 scholarly secondary sources to analyse your document.

• A country’s constitution (i.e., Canada, US, Great Britain, France, China, Russia, etc.)
• UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• Convention of the Rights of the Child, UNESCO
• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:
https://lop.parl.ca/About/Parliament/Education/ourcountryourparliament/html_booklet/canadi an-
charter-rights-and-freedoms-e.html
• Canada’s 2018-2020 National Action Plan on Open Government:
https://open.canada.ca/en/content/canadas-2018-2020-national-action-plan-open-government
• Government of Canada website: https://www.canada.ca/en.html
• Parliament of Canada: https://www.parl.ca