Research Paper Assignment

During the semester, we have discussed a number of concepts and theories about the way cities and urban areas are governed. You will now be asked to utilize this knowledge to develop a thesis-driven research paper on a particular policy area within New York City. You are welcome to rely on information from our guest speakers and field trip, but do not feel constrained to work within these topics only.

Assignment: Using research from outside sources, as well as your knowledge of the theories of urban politics, write a short research paper that addresses a problem or question within a policy area that is currently of some concern to New Yorkers. Some examples of possible policy areas:

• The rebuilding of the World Trade Center (including memorializing 9/11 at the site), or the rebuilding of downtown more generally
• City campaigns and elections, including the current battle over term limits
• Affordable housing (ensuring that homes and apartments are available to all, regardless of economic status)
• Anti-terror policies/policing (any aspect of law enforcement in the city, possibly focusing on anti-terror efforts)

Your paper should be specific to New York City, but should also incorporate some of the concepts and theories we have discussed in class this year. For example, you might discuss how structural economic constraints limit the choices of the City Council and/or Mayor’s Office in rebuilding the World Trade Center. Or, you could examine how different levels of government in the U.S. affect the anti-terror policies pursued by the MTA Police. Feel free to be creative in identifying a research question, but make sure that there is some connection with the theories and concepts from urban politics that we have discussed in class.

Your paper should have a strong thesis: it should adopt a strong point of view (or “take a stand”); be specific and limited in scope (it can’t too big to cover in a short research paper); and should be arguably true (it shouldn’t be patently obvious, like “cities are complicated”).
Your paper should be 9-10 pages, double-spaced, and typed with 1” margins. You should state your thesis clearly in your first paragraph. Also, use the first paragraph to lay out the structure of the essay (“Below, I will do X, and then Y, and then Z”).

Research and Sources: Research papers require you to support your argument with outside sources; however, this is not an excuse to simply string together a series of quotes and pass it off as your own work. You must organize others’ ideas and arguments yourself, using your own words, while taking care to give credit to others. You should limit the number of direct quotes you use in your paper; in general, if you quote more than 20-25 lines, you’re relying too much on your sources’ writing (and you will be penalized). Please remember that all information derived from your sources must be cited, even when you restate others’ ideas in your own words.
All citations should be properly formatted. I prefer Chicago/Turabian citation style, but you may use whichever format you would like as long as you use it consistently. Internet research sources are suitable for this assignment, but be aware that many sites are sponsored by advocacy groups and their objectivity and accuracy cannot be assumed. Wikipedia can provide useful background information and links, but is often poorly sourced and should NOT be cited as an authority. Citations to the Internet should be sufficiently specific so as to allow a reader to arrive at the same web page where you found the information.

Deadlines: The essay is due in class on Friday, December 5. Late papers are subject to penalties as described below (see section on “Grading”). You also have the option of submitting a draft of the paper on Friday, November 21. This deadline is optional, but I strongly suggest you submit a draft. I will provide extensive feedback on these drafts, and can correct many minor problems with formatting that can lead to grade reductions. (Since we do not have class the following week due to Thanksgiving, you need to make arrangements with me to pick up the draft the following week.) If you do take advantage of the draft deadline, you must attach the draft, with my comments, to your final submission in December.

Just to be clear, these again are the deadlines:
Friday, November 21
First Draft Due (optional)
(Drafts with comments returned before Thanksgiving break by arrangement)

Friday, December 5
Final Draft Due (first draft attached if applicable)

Grading: Standard criteria for grading paper assignments is available here. Your paper will be assigned a letter grade largely based on these criteria. Please note that if you hand in your essay late, without a valid and documented excuse, I will immediately deduct a full letter grade from your grade for the assignment.