Describe the rational actor model of foreign policy decision making as set out by Allison. Raise an objection to the model. Reply to your objection or raise a second objection. In your answer, be sure to define “rationality” and discuss the concept in term
Type of document Essay
Number of pages 4 Pages
Subject area Political Science
Academic Level Undergraduate
Style Chicago
Number of references 4
Order description:
Write an essay of approximately three typewritten double-spaced pages (approx. 1000 words) on each of the following topics:
Describe the rational actor model of foreign policy decision making as set out by Allison. Raise an objection to the model. Reply to your objection or raise a second objection. In your answer, be sure to define “rationality” and discuss the concept in terms of the US decision to invade Iraq. DUE JUNE 4
Written Assignment Policy:
(i) All written assignments are due at the beginning of class AND must be uploaded to the course website otherwise they are considered late; (ii) late assignments will be accepted without penalty only in the case of illness, family emergency or authorized university business and require proper documentation; (iii) all other late assignments will be penalized one grade fragment per each day (B+ grade becomes a B) late starting at the beginning of class; and (iv) assignments not handed in directly to me must be handed in to the Department of Political Studies main office and date stamped – assignments slid under my office door or submitted via email will not be accepted. Students are required by the Department to retain a copy of each assignment submitted to their instructors. Unreturned term work will become the property of the Faculty of Arts and will be subject to confidential destruction.
General Guidelines for Essay Assignment
Your essays are a vital part of this course. The research and preparation you put into it will increase your subject matter knowledge; improve your ability to think critically, and to write in a clear fashion. The essay is also intended to correspond to some of the various fields of political studies and encourage your interest in those fields.
A good essay is coherent, interesting, and should express an independent viewpoint that is based on reasonably extensive and thorough research. Remember, clear writing comes from clear thinking, so you should spend some time thinking about what it is you intend to say before you write the essay.
The introduction of your essay should contain a thesis statement and a brief account of how you plan to argue your case. A thesis statement is a one or two sentence description of the argument contained in your paper. Do not assume that your audience or instructor knows what you plan to say or how you will proceed. Be as clear as possible in this section. Moreover, make sure that your paper reflects the thesis statement. Ask yourself throughout the writing stage whether you are meeting your own requirements spelled out in your introduction.
The textbooks provide you with additional sources for your essays. Remember that the sources that you have used in your research and writing must be listed in a bibliography at the end of the essay. Only those sources directly relevant to the essay topic should be included in the bibliography. Your bibliography must consist of three sources, including books and journal articles. It is best to have a mixture of these sources. DO NOT USE WEB SITES FOR YOUR RESEARCH. These sites might provide some information, but books and journals academic provide academic information that is reliable. In addition, a diverse bibliography presents more highly developed research.
Indicators of a Good Essay
In broad terms, your essays should include the following:
A statement of your objectives and summary of how you intend to structure your essay.
A clear and concise thesis statement.
Conceptual definitions and an overview of key terms, as well as an identification of any important assumptions upon which your argument is based.
If applicable, a brief history of the ideas or events that led to the problem or question you are addressing.
A critical assessment of the information you have discovered and documented in your research. Be aware that there inevitably will be criticisms of what you are saying, but the strength of your paper will lie in its ability to pursue logically and coherently your central argument.
A summary of your discussion in your conclusion, indicating some of the problems or dilemmas raised in your paper. If applicable, offer some directions for future research and thought.
Guidelines for Essay Answers
To stay focused you should create an outline of the argument you plan to make in your answer. The outline should spell out your main argument, and list in order the points that you wish to make. Remember, this outline is intended to keep you on track, so it is in your best interest to create one that will help your organization and the development of your argument. Make several drafts of your essay.
You will be told which general points should be addressed by your essay; it will be graded according to how well it achieves the following standards:
Does the essay answer the question? Usually there are several components to each question. Make sure that you have not left anything out in your answer.
Does the essay show that you are familiar with and understand the material?
Is the essay clear and well argued? An important goal of this course is for you to learn how to develop concise, informed, convincing, arguments; hence, your mark will reflect your ability to achieve these goals.
Are there relevant and useful citations from your sources that support your essay answer?