Political science
Instructions: Please construct an argument based on one of the following prompts:
- Niccolo Machiavelli, in the opening paragraph of the excerpt from The Prince, claims
that a ruler who wishes to keep in power must “know how to do wrong—that is, must
recognize where and when to ignore the demands of conventional morality. In the rest
of the excerpt, does he give any convincing evidence to support his claim? Can you
think of an example in history when a political leader behaved in this way? Was there
any justification for his/her actions?
- In The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson argues that the colonists are
entitled to certain rights under a just system of government, and that when these rights
are usurped or abused, the colonists have the right to “throw off such government.”
Does he argue convincingly that the colonists’ rights have been violated and that
rebellion is therefore justified? What are his most persuasive arguments?
- Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s Declaration of Sentiments argues that both married and
single women have been denied equal rights and protection under the laws of the
United States. Why does she make a distinction between married and single women?
How was the prohibition of women from entering professions available to men a
means to keep women subservient in all ways? Which of Stanton’s grievances does she
argue most compellingly?
This paper should be three-four pages long. Please do not reference outside sources in this first paper; instead, construct the best independent argument you can. Be sure to distinguish between your own opinions and those of the writers you are discussing. Please edit your paper for grammatical, mechanical, and syntactical errors, and follow MLA formatting of your headings, margins, etc. Avoid the use of “I” and “you” in your statements. Don’t forget to cite the selection you are discussing as an “indirect source” on a “Works Cited” page at the end of your essay: We will discuss how to do this in class.
Please remember to submit your essay to SafeAssign by 5:00 p.m. on the date it is due. You will also need to bring a hard copy of your essay to class on that day.
