Students are to produce a comparative research paper based on a clearly stated hypothesis or thesis based on a topic/issue of their own choosing. You must complete each of the following steps:
- Clearly state and discuss the hypothesis or thesis itself. Students will do this in their introduction.
Be sure to state how you will present your paper. Never assume the reader already knows about the subject you are presenting. Tell the reader what you are writing about all while thinking about the following phrase “Here is the path I’m taking you down and here is why!” - Design a comparative research project to “test” your hypothesis/thesis using one of the following approaches:
a. most similar system design
b. most different systems design
c. statistical approach
d. “mixed” comparative design - Explain and justify why you chose the one approach rather than each of the other three. In the process of doing this, fully discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of each approach, both (a)in general and (b) as applied to testing your hypothesis/thesis.
- Specify the particular empirical cases—–e.g., countries, regions, sectors—you would use in your project (you must include at least two cases) and thoroughly and explicitly explain the reasons for your selection of these cases. Make sure you clearly justify your selection of cases with reference to your hypothesis/thesis. In addition, discuss and justify the number of cases you decide to compare.
The following is an example of how one may begin their paper: This comparative research strategy will address the following problem facing the international community: Can democracy take root in an Arab state? We focus on Iraq as the issue of whether democracy is possible in that country has garnered great concern among US policymakers. This research paper is laid out as follows. Section 1 details those independent variables that will be explored as serving to promote the dependent variable, or the fostering of democracy in Iraq. Section 2 introduces Most Similar Systems (MSS) design as our future comparative strategy and those empirical cases that the paper will study. Section 3 concludes with a brief analysis of the problem along with a brief discussion drawn from the rational choice, structural and cultural camps.
ALL OF THE FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS MUST BE FOLLOWED. THE PAPER MUST BE:
- TYPED! Five pages.
- The paper should have 1-inch margins with a font size of 11 or 12 and be double-spaced.
- Written well in your own words.
PAPER LAYOUT: It is recommended that your paper be laid out in the following manner:
- Coversheet: Paper title, name, class, section number, e-mail address and instructor’s name.
- Introduction: Begin your paper with an introduction that tells the reader how your paper is going to be laid out. Never assume the reader already knows about the subject you are writing about. Tell the reader what you are writing about all while thinking about the following phrase “Here is the path I’m taking you down and here is why!”
- Body: This is the “guts” of your paper.
- Conclusion: State how the American Political System can be improved.
Sample Solution
