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Assignment 3A: Essay plan
Teaching Period 2, 2019
POL10001: Australian Politics
Assignment 3A: Essay plan
Word limit: 750 words (+/- 10%)
Weighting: 10%
Due date: 5pm AEST Monday 2 September 2019 (Week 8)
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Assignment overview
This assignment requires you to write an essay plan that will form the basic framework for your final essay. The purpose of the task is to:
• introduce you to the practice of essay writing at the tertiary level
• to get you started early on building a research base of relevant sources
to encourage you to think carefully about how you will structure the essay and address the essay question.
Assignment Details
Before diving in head first, it’s a good idea to do as much thinking and planning around your essay as you can. This essay plan will form the foundation for Assignment 3B: Research essay. Your essay plan will help you develop a sense of the shape your essay will take. It also means you can be more strategic in the research you undertake.
Feedback on your essay plan will be provided by your eLA in Week 10 and should be incorporated into your final essay.
Step 1: Choose your essay question
Choose one essay question from the Assignment 3 essay question list.
It may help to select a question that interests you and to choose something you have some prior knowledge of.
QUESTIONS
You will need to select one of the following questions in order to complete Assignment 3A: Essay plan and Assignment 3B: Research essay.
1. Federal politics in Australia has adopted what might almost be described as a ‘coup culture’ with six changes of prime minister since 2007. How might this leadership instability be explained?
2. What form, if any, should Indigenous recognition in the Australian Constitution take? Is a successful referendum on the issue likely given the barriers that Australian constitutional changes usually face?
3. 'As the guardian of the Constitution, the High Court of Australia from time to time disappoints the ambitions of legislators and governments…Parliamentarians, naturally responsive to the wishes and demands of the majority in the community, are sometimes not well placed to uphold individual or minority rights.' (Chief Justice Murray Gleeson, 1999). Discuss.
4. Examine the ideology, core beliefs and support base of the Australian Greens, OR Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, OR the National Party. What challenges does your chosen party face in order to become or remain a viable player in Australian politics? Does the party have a future?
5. The Australian Labor Party (ALP) arose as the political arm of the labour movement. Is the ALP still a ‘workers’ party?
6. How would you describe Australia's political culture? Is the tendency towards apathy and cynicism a sign that our democracy is healthy, or does it pose a threat to the democratic process?
7. The defection of Cory Bernadi from the Liberal Party to his own party, Australian Conservatives, in 2017, highlighted internal Liberal Party divisions between conservative and liberal factions along ideological lines. These tensions raise serious questions about the Party’s future as a political force as we know it. What do you think the future holds for the Liberal Party?
8. Proportional electoral voting, such as that used to elect the members to the Australian Senate, are fairer and far more effective than preferential voting systems. Do you agree?
Step 2: Do your research and create an annotated bibliography
Research several articles on your topic and create an annotated bibliography. Here is an example annotated bibliography entry for you to see how this is done.
Example annotated bibliography: extract
Example annotated bibliography entry
(Example topic: Consider the relationship between culture, socialisation and identity)
Henslin, J, Possamai, A & Possamai-Inesedy, A 2011, Sociology: a down to earth approach, Pearson Australia, Frenchs Forest.
In the second chapter of this text, the authors describe culture as a set of characteristics that shape our view of the world and consider socialisation to be a range of processes whereby people learn these characteristics. The ongoing process of socialisation is said to be integral to the development of a ‘self’, shaping who we become as individuals.
The authors use a range of research evidence, case studies and everyday examples to support their claims. They draw on well-known sociological theories to explain how we are socialised into emotions and gender roles. The authors do not cite any sources when defining components of culture, bringing into question the widespread acceptance of these definitions in sociology.
This chapter is useful to me as it provides clear definitions alongside accessible examples that will further stimulate my thinking. The authors pay scant attention to identity and I will need to locate additional sources to better understand this concept.
Step 3: Familiarise yourself with the requirements
An essay plan should:
• provide a clear outline of the arguments you intend to make in your final essay
• detail how you will structure your essay
• identify key findings from the articles you have read for your annotated bibliography
• provide a brief outline of some of the key articles you will draw on in completing the essay.
Your article selection will be assessed on reliability and relevance to the essay question.
Take a look at the Assignment criteria for more detail on how your essay plan will be assessed. Keep it handy as you build your plan.
Step 4: Build your essay plan
When preparing to answer an essay question, it is important that you understand it well. Underline key words and identify their function.
Your essay plan should be divided into sections and provide a brief outline of what will be included in each section, by using dot points or normal prose. Structurally you should include:
• an introduction
• three to five main points
• a conclusion.
Don’t worry if you’ve never put together an essay plan before. Use this Sample essay plan as a guide.
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Feedback on your essay plan will be provided by your eLA in Week 10 and should be incorporated into your final essay.
Step 1: Choose your essay question
Choose one essay question from the Assignment 3 essay question list.
It may help to select a question that interests you and to choose something you have some prior knowledge of.
1. Federal politics in Australia has adopted what might almost be described as a ‘coup culture’ with six changes of prime minister since 2007. How might this leadership instability be explained?
2. What form, if any, should Indigenous recognition in the Australian Constitution take? Is a successful referendum on the issue likely given the barriers that Australian constitutional changes usually face?
3. 'As the guardian of the Constitution, the High Court of Australia from time to time disappoints the ambitions of legislators and governments…Parliamentarians, naturally responsive to the wishes and demands of the majority in the community, are sometimes not well placed to uphold individual or minority rights.' (Chief Justice Murray Gleeson, 1999). Discuss.
4. Examine the ideology, core beliefs and support base of the Australian Greens, OR Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, OR the National Party. What challenges does your chosen party face in order to become or remain a viable player in Australian politics? Does the party have a future?
5. The Australian Labor Party (ALP) arose as the political arm of the labour movement. Is the ALP still a ‘workers’ party?
6. How would you describe Australia's political culture? Is the tendency towards apathy and cynicism a sign that our democracy is healthy, or does it pose a threat to the democratic process?
7. The defection of Cory Bernadi from the Liberal Party to his own party, Australian Conservatives, in 2017, highlighted internal Liberal Party divisions between conservative and liberal factions along ideological lines. These tensions raise serious questions about the Party’s future as a political force as we know it. What do you think the future holds for the Liberal Party?
8. Proportional electoral voting, such as that used to elect the members to the Australian Senate, are fairer and far more effective than preferential voting systems. Do you agree?
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