TOPIC——-My fear of what is going on in our world today. Trump making friends with North Korea, Russia, and then calling our allies names among so many other things. I chose this essay as Mr. Haass gives a more knowledgeable point of view, based on his experience in foreigh relations.
The essay is scholarly written however, not peer-reviewed. Richard Haass has many years of experience as a diplomat in foreign relations.
The claim: “But, for that to happen, the administration will have to act with considerably greater discipline and work to frame its policies toward regional and global issues as part of a coherent, strategic approach to international that benefits the United States, its allies and partners, and the world at large.” (Haass) Haass proves this claim by providing examples of how the United States, more specifically the Trump administration, could make steps to solve the current foreign relation and policy issues. For example, Haass says, “Another element of responsible behavior is continued support for international aid and development, which is a cost-effective way to promote American values and interest simultaneously.” (Haass) Here Haass is giving his input on way the United States can help itself by helping others. The Toulmin method is not being used in this essay. Haass is using his experience in foreign relations to provide possible solutions to the complications within the international community.
Personally, I have no experience with the Toulmin method. I will be using my degree to work in the healthcare profession and unsure how I would be able to use it on a daily basis.
Haass, Richard N. “Where to Go from Here.” Foreign Affairs. 29 Oct. 2018. Web. 29 Oct. 2018.
ESSAY!!!!
Choosing a topic:
The Toulmin essay will help you practice what you have learned so far in this course.
First, you will choose a topic of interest. Make sure that you choose a public debate with clear sides and stakes (see attachment!).
Then, you need to research that debate in order to narrow the topic’s scope, so it can be easily discussed within the word count range.
For example, you may be interested in learning more about traffic issues in the United States. However, that topic is too large to cover for this assignment. After researching peer reviewed articles that discuss US traffic issues in general, you may discover that the metro system in the District of Columbia is underfunded and underutilized. Through your research, you found that you could make a claim that more funds should be made available in order to upgrade the metro system, which would improve traffic issues in the District of Columbia. This would make for a stronger, specific argument. Attached below is a PDF on sides and stakes that can help with this process.
Finding sources:
As you’ll see from the requirements of the assignment (listed in the requirements section of these instructions), you need to find peer-reviewed sources using the APUS databases. From the library welcome page, click on Advanced Search at the bottom of the page and then check the “peer reviewed” sources box filter.
This video will hopefully clarify the term, “peer-reviewed”. You may use eBooks; however, as discussed in your textbook, books generally are not as current as peer-reviewed articles. You may also use primary sources (interviews, statistics, etc); however, these primary sources should be obtained from experts within that field. If you cannot find strong sources for your chosen topic, then change your topic. If you have a question about the validity of a source, please email me, or post your question to the open forum.
Structure of the argument:
Make sure to include the following sections in your essay:
an introduction and claim,
background,
body,
and a conclusion.
Within the body of your essay, make sure to include the following in any order:
support for your claim,
opposing or alternate views,
the strengths and weaknesses of your opponents’ claims,
and your rebuttals of their claims.
The Essay:
For this assignment, you have some rather creative options. This will not be a “traditional” essay, so part of the challenges is trying to apply the Toulmin model to a very real situation in which you might use it. Choose what will challenge your writing and what would be appropriate for your topic and field:
Op-ed newspaper article.
Blog post.
Letter/proposal to stakeholders.
Press release.
Letter to the editor.
Presidential address.
Election speech (written only).
Application for a position related to the topic.
Defense attorney’s opening statement.
Meeting or conference speech (written only).
Report to supervisor or colleagues.
Case brief.
Advocacy statement.
Call to action paper.
You might need to do a bit of Googling on the type of document you decide to write. For instance, if you choose to write a defense attorney’s opening statement for your persuasion paper, you’ll want to find out how that is structured by looking up examples and tips.
***In the title page, state which document type you’ve chosen so that I know how to grade it, such as stating that this is a letter to the editor***
Requirements:
PURPOSE: To persuade using the Toulmin model
AUDIENCE: The applicable audience for the type of document you’ve chosen to write.
LENGTH: approximately 500 – 750 words (Times New Roman font)
SOURCES: A minimum of 3 with at least 1 from the library, and at least 1 from a professional journal or organization
FORMAT: The citation style that is appropriate for your discipline: APA, MLA, or Chicago
DUE: SUNDAY 11:55 pm EST
SUBMIT: In ASSIGNMENTS submit your essay by uploading your Word file
Use only third person (he/she/they) for a more professional tone. Avoid first person (I, my, us, we) and second person (you and your) in your essay.
**Remember that all work submitted is to be your own original work except where properly acknowledged and cited. Do not reuse work, papers, or speeches from previous (or concurrent) classes as this violates APUS academic integrity policies. (Make sure to note the section on self-plagiarism.) **
