Going Out to Vote, or Not?

Going Out to Vote, or Not?

The prompt for this assignment is a rather simple one. I want you to think about an election in which you were eligible to vote. That can be a national, general election, or an election for SGA, or your high school parliament even. It doesn’t matter what kind of election it is—you just had to be eligible to vote for it.

Now, think about whether you actually participated in that election, or if you sat it out. Write an essay about why you did or did not participate in the election, and explain your reasons for voting or not voting. Make sure to address some of the key issues we discussed over the course of this module—did you feel motivated to vote because the issue affected you directly, or did you not participate because there were significant barriers preventing you from doing so? Did you go and vote because you believed it was your civic duty, or did you stay home because you thought your vote didn’t matter? Whatever the explanation for your voting behavior, I want to hear about it, and I want you to address the theories on what motivates people to vote or stay home that were mentioned in the book(s) and in the lectures.

Nuts and Bolts of the Assignment

• Submit a response that is between 500-600 words long.
• At the top of your paper should be your name, the class, and the title of your paper. Nothing more, nothing less.
• Papers must be typed, and should have the following:
  • Double spacing;
  • Indented paragraphs;
  • 1-inch margins;
  • 12-point Times New Roman font (this includes periods, spaces, etc.);
  • Page numbers (bottom center or bottom right).

Not adhering to these conventions will lead to points being deducted.

Grammar, Diction, and Spelling

Prose must be grammatically correct, with proper usage, and some attention to style. If you wish to argue persuasively, you must write in language that your reader will easily understand. Proofreading and spell checks are expected; a poorly executed and careless paper displays the author’s disrespect for the reader. If you anticipate any problems in this domain, you should feel encouraged to seek the assistance of the Write Site. You can find more information online, at https://www.twu.edu/write-site/ (Links to an external site.).

Plagiarism

Don’t do it. Just don’t. I have the means to detect plagiarism; it is absolutely not worth the risk. If you do plagiarize, you will face the consequences outlined in the syllabus.

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