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UNIT 6: INTEREST GROUPS
1. We cannot take the time to fully explore what is meant by critical thinking. You do, however, need to have some general idea what critical thinking means in order to write a good critical thinking essay. Read WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING? before you do any work on your essay.
2. A critical thinking essay is very similar to an exploratory essay - a type of writing with which you may be familiar. It has a specific focus and a specific structure. Read WHAT IS A CRITICAL THINKING ESSAY? before you go any farther … Don’t try to wing this assignment!
3. Look at your topic carefully and make sure you understand it. Try rewriting it using your own words but keeping the meaning the same.
TOPIC Although most people associate the term politics with government and governmental processes, the term is actually much broader. Politics refers to power relations wherever they exist, including those in one’s own life. Every group is political, for in every group there is a power struggle of some sort. Weber defined power as “the ability to get your own way even over the resistance of others.” Micro-politics refers to the exercise of power in everyday life. Macro-politics refers to the exercise of power over a large group.
For society to exist there must be a system of leadership and power. Authority is the legitimate use of power that people accept as just. In contrast, coercion is the illegitimate use of power that people do not accept as just. The government claims a monopoly on the legitimate use of power in a particular territory. It also claims an exclusive right to punish people for violating its laws. The more its power is seen as legitimate, the more stable a government is. When people reject a government’s claim of power over them, it may result in revolution.
Keep a journal over the course of any two days noting all the uses of power you come across, at both the micro and macro levels. These might include, for example, a policeman writing out a ticket, a bouncer throwing someone out of a bar, a boss issuing an order (even if framed as a request) or a parent punishing a child. As you record each example, note the following: who or what is using power on whom, how power is being used, and if the use of power is legitimate (on what authority) or illegitimate (disregarding what authority).
After completing your journal, examine your examples and consider the following questions. (These questions are meant to help you think about your topic. They are not questions you are to answer in your essay.)
o Can you discern any patterns in the examples that suggest which groups in America typically use power and which groups in America typically have power used on them? o Overall, would you characterize most of the examples as uses of authority or coercion? o What might this say, if anything, about how much power in America is used legitimately versus illegitimately? o How many of the examples represent micro-level uses of power and how many represent macro-level uses of power? o Based on your observations, how do power relationships vary, if at all, between the two levels?
Since the basis of power in a democracy supposedly resides in the people - a government of the people, by the people and for the people - it makes sense that at both levels most power should be legitimate and used only by those to whom the people have given authority.
[NOTE: There is no right or wrong answer to the question posed by your topic. I'm not interested in what your answer is but in your rationale. Go back to an example I used earlier. You start out in favor of the death penalty because you believe it has a deterrent effect but all of the research shows there is no deterrent effect. If you end your essay still in favor of the death penalty, that's okay. If you end your essay still in favor of the death penalty because it has a deterrent effect, that's not okay since your rationale is not consistent with factual information.]
4. Look at the information and research about your topic in the margin notes & power point presentations from your course and in the links below. Use the information from these sources to write your essay. However, do NOT use any direct quotes, citations or references from these sources. The essay is too short for direct quotes ... use your own words. As for references, I've given you the sources so I'll know where the information came from. (I've tried to give you a wide range of sources and opinions in the reference list below. Inclusion on the list does not constitute an endorsement of either the sources or the opinions.)
I do not expect you to use additional sources of information on your topic. If you do, you MUST cite and reference any additional sources using the following format.
For additional details, see HOW DO YOUR FORMAT YOUR REFERENCES USING THE APSA FORMAT?
5. You may use any font and line spacing you wish when formatting your essay but the content of your essay must be a minimum of 750 words. You must also adequately cover your topic, though, and you may find it difficult to completely cover your topic in 750 words unless you are extremely concise. If you feel you need more length to cover your topic, you are welcome to write a longer essay. However, you are only required to write an essay the content of which is 750 (not 749) words in length. If the content (that does not include your name, type of assignment, citations, etc ... only the actual content of the paper itself) is not at least 750 words in length I will return your paper to you unread.
Your critical thinking essay should follow a specific outline. Before you begin the writing phase of your essay, read CRITICAL THINKING ESSAY FORMAT. The outline given is the one you need to follow in your essay. Too, take your time proofing your essay for spelling and grammar mistakes. If spelling and grammar are not among your talents, ask a friend who is good with spelling and grammar to proof your essay. “A” papers do not have spelling and grammar mistakes!
Under the Optional Downloads section at the top of this page, I have posted a copy of my grading rubric for the critical thinking essay.
6. By the deadline shown in the Course Schedule on the main page of the syllabus:
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Copyright © 1996 Amy S. Glenn |
READ THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS FROM THE MARGIN NOTES.
