The research paper is due at the beginning of the meeting of the class, on Monday, April 17.  The paper should deal with an issue in the international political economy.  There are two key components of this requirement; the issue must be at the nexus of politics and economics, and it must involve relations among countries rather than the political economy of a single country.  The issue that you deal with should be relatively specific, such as the effects of WTO rules on national environmental policies rather than the relationship between trade and the environment more broadly (or, the Argentinian currency crisis, rather than the international monetary system more broadly).

        Begin to think of and research a topic quite soon; a statement of your research question and tentative thesis is due on Monday, March 6, and your working bibliography is due on Monday, March 27.  Each submission is worth 10% of the paper credit (i.e. 3% of the course grade).

        Papers should be roughly 3,000 words, not including citations.  They should be typed or word processed, and printed double-spaced with one-inch margins.  They should also be thoroughly proofread; a reader will have difficulty taking even an excellent argument as seriously as it should be taken if it contains errors in grammar and spelling.  Remember as well that analytical prose may differ from literary prose; aim for precision and succinctness.

        There are two key components to a successful research paper in political science; argument and evidence.  You should begin by presenting the reader with the issue, and the range of ways of looking at and dealing with the issue.  You should then develop an argument as to which of ways you favor, and why.  You should present the evidence that supports your argument, and clearly explain why you think the evidence presented supports the argument.  When constructing a paper, ask yourself:
     -Am I answering the question I set out to answer?
     -Is my thesis presented in a clear and straightforward way?
     -Is the thesis then supported by strong evidence and sound arguments?
     -Have I taken into consideration counter-arguments and successfully refuted them?

It is crucial to cite your sources; see the statement on citation.  See as well the statement on research sources.