Overview:
Many students (and Americans, in general) are disillusioned with the idea of America as a democracy. Despite supposedly having a government “of the people, by the people, for the people” as President Lincoln declared in the Gettysburg Address, the U.S. government increasingly appears to serve the interests of the few instead of the many: Elections are not won by majority vote; Congress is constantly stuck in gridlock; and despite ordinary Americans’ real concerns about climate change, the economy, gun control, health care, immigration, etc., nothing ever seems to change.
Often, America’s founding documents, such as the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, are referenced and revered as encapsulating the nation’s principles and ideals, but who does the U.S. government truly serve and have these documents withstood the test of time given the ever-changing demographics of the U.S. over the last 240+ years?
Prompt:
Respond to the issues raised in this unit. Begin with a thesis that highlights your argument by considering the following:
Do you believe that the U.S. government, as a democracy and based on its founding documents and their subsequent amendments, is working to ensure your personal freedoms?
(In other words, do you see yourself included in the “We” of the “We the People” of the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution?)
-What specifically about the way the government works, as outlined in these founding documents, needs to change to ensure the freedom of all Americans?
-How will you, as an informed citizen, work to affect this change?
Narrow your topic, and then reflect on the following essential questions:
-What is the definition of a democracy? Does the United States have a democracy?
-Whose freedom was America originally founded for? Whose freedom does it currently serve?
-Is the U.S. Constitution a rigid document or a “living, breathing” document?
-Have founding documents like the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights outlived their utility?
-What’s the process for making amendments to founding documents such as the U.S. Constitution? Which articles and sections still need to be amended in order to ensure freedom for all?
-Support your argument in the body paragraphs.
-Reference the U.S. Constitution and/or the Bill of Rights
-Incorporate at least two additional readings from the module to support your argument
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Incorporate at least two additional sources from your independent research (other credible site)
-Discuss your personal plan for civic engagement to affect the changes you want to see
Audience: Write for an audience that is not in this class. That means you’ll need to spend some time summarizing key ideas, defining any terms that might be unfamiliar, and choosing short quotes from the reading selections to help your reader get a sense of the authors’ arguments.
Include an original title (not “Module Four Essay” or “Democracy Essay”)
Use MLA style to format your essay
Compose a thesis statement that highlights your argument about democracy and freedom
Organize the essay so that each body paragraph is providing support for your thesis
Source requirements:
Integrate the U.S. Constitution and/or the Bill of Rights as the primary source(s) through extensive analysis of one or both documents
Integrate at least two additional readings from the module
Research and integrate at least two additional sources (other credible source)
Include a discussion of your personal plan for civic engagement to affect the changes you want to see
Cite all sources using MLA style in-text citations
Include an MLA style “Works Cited” page at the end of the essay (not included in 4-5 pages of text)
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/05/13/is-the-united-states-of-america-a-republic-or-a-democracy/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/our-government/the-constitution/
https://sgap.org/article/preamble_articles_of_the_u_s_constitution_infographic
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
https://billofrightsinstitute.org/primary-sources/bill-of-rights
https://sgap.org/article/14th_amendment_then_and_now_infographic
http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/education/all_amendments_usconst.htm
https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/constitution
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