Writing Assignment: Texas Policy Analysis Paper (200 points)
You are required to write and submit a paper analyzing a contemporary topic in Texas public policy, selected from a list of several possible topics. This critical thinking paper requires you to focus on and make a judgment about this policy. It is worth up to 200 points, or 20% of your final course grade, depending on quality and quantity. Quality is more important than quantity. The paper must:
• Be three to four (3-4) pages of content (excluding Works Cited, Endnotes, and Bibliography pages).
• Use at least three (3) academic resources (e.g. journal article, government web site, online newspaper, etc.) to support your position.
• Conform to MLA style when citing sources and composing your Works Cited page.
This paper provides an opportunity for you to take advantage of the excellent services provided by Cedar Valley College’s Writing Lab. See the eCampus “Writing Resources” tab in the Course Information section for links to this, and other resources, you may find helpful in writing your paper.
You will find the questions from which to select and the submission area for the paper under the eCampus “Writing Assignments” tab in the Assessments (by Item) section.
To facilitate grading, all writing assignments must comply with the following guidelines:
• Papers must be completed as a Word document, using one-inch margins, one-and-one half or double spacing, and size 12 Times Roman or Arial font.
• Include the following, single-spaced, at the top left of the first page (before the paper title).
-Your name and student ID number (i.e., John Doe #xxxxxxx)
-Semester, course rubric and number and section number (i.e., 2016SP GOVT 2306-3xxxx)
-Name of assignment (i.e., Texas Policy Analysis Paper)
-Date
• In naming your file include the name of the assignment, semester, course and section number, and your name. (For example, for your paper, name your file “Analytical Paper-2016SP-GOVT 2306-3xxxx-John Doe”.)
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TOPIC:
Answer ONE of the following three questions in a 3-4 page analysis (do not count the Works Cited page in your page count). Be specific. Make sure to edit well and cite at least three scholarly sources. Be sure to follow the detailed instructions listed above.

1. One of the deepest fault lines dividing the political right and left in this country…and in Texas…is the appropriate role of the government in aiding the poor. Should the Texas government do more to redistribute wealth from upper income to lower income households? How might the state’s tax system be reformed to accomplish this? Is the present system regressive? Or is it fundamentally fair and conducive to economic growth?

2. Texas is the death penalty capital of the democratic world. Yet the state has one of the highest crime rates in the country. In addition to the ethical issues capital punishment raises, does this prove that the death penalty is ineffective? Discuss with reference to the theories of punishment, deterrence, isolation, and rehabilitation.

3. Is Texas’ “citizen legislature” really representative of its citizenry? Would Texas be better served by having a full-time, professional legislature rather than its present part-time one? What would be the likely benefits of such a change? Are there any costs that might come with it? Is such change even likely or realistic given Texas’ constitution and political culture?