COMPINAR PEEPS!!!  

Sample WHITE about Sen. John McCain 

White Papers in the 2008 Campaign

Today we will:

1. Review What is a White Paper?
Typically, the purpose of a white paper is to argue a particular political position or to propose a solution to a problem, addressing a specific audience. White papers are powerful persuasive tools used to aid key decision-makers and influencers to justify implementing specific solutions. 

2. The Writing Assignment:
Step A:

Pollitical Bio. The student will research and find a political figure whose political biases are similar to their own. (Example: United States Congressman Senator or Representative.)
The student will discover the political ideology of the selected political figure and research their political biography.

Step B:

 Choose a topic/issue. Choose an issue that aligns with your Senator or Representative’s political agenda. Your audience for this paper is the Congressman/Senator of your choice. You will be acting as their staffer and trying to persuade them so consider your thoughts and reasoning. You will need to research the history of what legislation has been considered or passed by Congress regarding your issue of choice. Look only at the last three Congresses (111th, 110th, and 109th). Feel free to see if the 112th Congress has considered your issue, but understand that it has only recently convened and may not have addressed your issue at this point.

Step C:

 Persuasion. You will now write to your Senator or Representative on your issue. Become the expert on your issue by researching the databases presented in your Composition and Seminar courses in order to write a White Paper. Give details regarding what should be done for your issue. Keep in mind that you are a member of the legislative staff for your Congressman or Senator. One of the key jobs of staffers is to inform or persuade their legislator. If a bill is currently under consideration, provide an argument for why your Congressman should vote for or against the legislation based on your research. If no bill is currently under consideration, provide an argument for why your Congressman should propose new legislation or reintroduce old legislation.

• Use the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and/or logos to persuade the legislator to your position.
• Use the rhetorical elements (purpose, audience, voice, and situation) to argue your position. You should address why this solution is the appropriate one for the target audience and present the benefits of the solution to the Congressman.

3. FORMAT of a “White Paper” (This is your OUTLINE for the Essay!!!) You know what you need to research and fill in. )

A.  Description of Problem

• What is the issue, and the need for this issue to be addressed
• Who is specifically is affected by this problem or needs support?
• What data exists to validate your claim regarding the problem/issue?
• How will the problem change through the course of your suggestion for action?

B. Overview of the Problem/Issue

• What legislation has Congress considered and/or passed in the last 6 years (3 Congresses) that deals with this issue?
• Give an overview of the history of this particular issue, so as to familiarize the Congressman of the issue and its relevance to your constituents or community
• You argue that there is a problem for your Congressman. So what? Why should they believe you? After exposing them to the primary problem, you need to support your claims with evidence—scholarly, credible research.

C. Additional Problems

• 1. Sometimes the initial problem is enough to get your audience’s interest, but not enough by itself to make them feel the action is necessary now. There are often additional problems that could be addressed by the same solution. Include them here. 

D. The Basic Solution(s)/Proposed Changes  

• Here you should discuss the basic solution(s) for your Congressman to consider.
• Disucc the benefits of these solutions as a persuassive tool.

E.  Your Solution/Overview of your proposed change(s)

• By this point, you should hopefully have persuaded your audience that he/she likes the basic solutions. 
•  Now you need to offer your solution to the problem. THis should be the best possible solution to the problem you have presented to your Congressman to persuade him/her to take action.
• What is the basic purpose of the proposed change?
• Who will benefit from it?
• How is your project/proposal different from the other solutions/proposals presented?
• Why does it deserve prioritization?

F. Outcomes

• What immediate or long-range results are expected?
• How will the results impact your constituents or community?
• How serious are the need and necessity for immediate action?

4.  Format Details
• APA format. Please see class main page for handouts with details.
• APA heading and cover sheet
• 4 1/2 to 5 pages double spaced.
• 9 to 10 sources.
• 12 pt. font Times New Roman

5. Overall Goals for this assignment:
1. To ascertain an informed opinion(s) based on the research collected.
2. To discover pertinent information on an issue and present a persuasive perspective to  a Congressman.
3. Integrate quotes properly into the essay AND correct in-text citation and References (pg).
4. Demonstrate use Pre-writing skills to organize your “White Paper”
5.  Create a thesis which sets up your paper according to the genre of the essay.
6.  Student demonstrates a logical flow to thoughts and ideas
7.  Student demonstrates unified paragraphs and effective topic and transition sentences
8.  The Information used within the “White Paper” needs to be relevant to the context of assignment.
9.  Student demonstrates a personal connection to politics.
10.   The student offers well thought out and realistic recommendations on their issue of choice.
11.  Free of mechanical errors (i.e. spelling, grammar, and punctuation). Does the student Fulfill the requirements for page length and reliable sources.

6. Please NOTE by The end of CLASS  Part ONE and TWO of outline needs to be completed. AND I want to see your thesis statements for this paper. Today, A grade on your activities will be taken  for composition and seminar.

HW: Work on completing the Outline. Your First draft is due NEXT WEEK!! The completed outline is due TUES.