First Assignment

Pick one of the following:

• Find a recent (since June 2009) article pointing to a problem that Publius or the Anti-Federalists anticipated. (You may search newspapers at news.google.com.) Explain how The Federalist or Anti-Federalist writing sheds light on the story. In this instance, is the political system working as the Founders hoped – or as the Anti-Federalists feared?
• Write a rebuttal to any of the readings that we are covering through next week.
• Read Peter Robinson’s article at http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/16/tea-party-taxes-king-george-opinions-columnists-obama.html. Do you agree or disagree? Explain.
• Do Tocqueville’s observations on majority tyranny apply to the United States in 2009? If not, why not? If so, explain how, with concrete examples.

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• Whichever essay you choose, do research to document your claims. Do not write from the top of your head.
• Essays should be typed, stapled, double-spaced, and no more than three pages
  long. I will not read past the third page.
• Put your name on a cover sheet. Do not identify yourself on the text pages.
• Cite your sources with endnotes, which should be in a standard style (e.g., Turabian
  or Chicago Manual of Style). Endnote pages do not count against the page limit.
• Watch your spelling, grammar, diction, and punctuation. Errors will count against you.
• Return essays by the start of class, Wednesday, September 23. Late essays will drop a
  letter grade. I will grant no extensions except for illness or emergency.

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