In the landmark case, Shelby County V. Holder (2013), the US Supreme Court struck down major provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act relating to the procedure of “pre-clearance.”
Since the ruling, states like Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina, can now make changes to their voting laws, such as photo ID requirements, that do not need to be pre-approved by the federal government.
Supporters of this ruling say the pre-clearance rules are no longer needed and besides, states need new laws to protect against voter fraud. Opponents say that these laws are just a new form of voter suppression tactics that hit the poor and racial minorities hardest.
Based on this, your paper must meet the following strict content, format and submission requirements:
CONTENT REQUIREMENTS:
1) Describe the provisions (parts) of the Voting Rights Act that discuss the issue of “pre-clearance”.
2) Compare and contrast the views of those who think the federal government should have the power of “pre-clearance” and those who do not.
i) Include three points of comparison.
3) Using evidence from any election in 2014 or later, argue whether or not you believe the federal government should have the power of “pre-clearance” relating to election laws.
i) Include three reasons and/or examples to make your point.
ii) One should describe how other countries ensure their elections are free and fair.
4) List two things you could do to engage in the political process in pursuit of your position in (3) above.
5) Cite at least three (3) reliable, quality references within the body of the paper using the Chicago Manual of Style’s parenthetical citation style.
i) One of the citations MUST come from the class textbook
ii) -10 points if this is not done.
iii) You must have at least three parenthetical source citations in the body of the paper that exactly match the sources properly formatted in the Works Cited Page at the end of the paper (minus 10 points if they do not match).
A paper with no parenthetical source citations in its body will receive a grade of 0.
A paper with no Works Cited Page at the end will receive a grade of 0.
FORMAT REQUIREMENTS:
1) Typed, 2-3 pages (not counting Works Cited Page), 12-point font, double-spaced
i) -20 points if the paper is less than 2 full pages.
2) Your name, my name, POSC 2305, and the date.
3) A title is required, but a separate title page is not necessary.
4) An introduction with a thesis/statement of purpose in the first paragraph: “This paper will…”
i) -10 points if this is not done.
5) A logically organized and sequenced body followed by a clearly stated conclusion.
6) Use of the Chicago Manual of Style’s parenthetical citation format. Students must be very careful and pay attention to details when they examine and cite internet sources.
7) Use of footnotes or endnotes is prohibited
i) -10 points if this is done.
8) Using encyclopedias, like Wikipedia, Ballotpedia, history.com, kids.law.com, etc. is prohibited
i) -10 points if this is done.
9) Use of word mixers like Spinbot and mosaic plagiarism/patchwork writing is prohibited and will result in a grade of 0; no second chances will be allowed.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
1) Log into Canvas and click on the assignment that says, “Assignment: Research Paper,” then click on the submission tab and follow the prompts to upload your paper.
2) Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances, so plan accordingly.
3) A paper placed in my office, in my mailbox, sent through Canvas messages, sent through Google Docs, or emailed will not be accepted for grading.
Papers are graded according to the following four criteria: 1) content; 2) organization; 3) quality of writing; and 4) quality of research sources and reference citation formats.