+1 862 207 3288 Guideline for Writing the First Assignment: Short Research Paper
Description and Objectives:
This course seeks to familiarize students with the political history of Latin American countries,
and critically assess the validity of major theories in the field of comparative politics. The course
also entails the formulation and testing of hypotheses using primary and secondary sources of
information. To help achieve these objectives, students are required to complete an original
research paper of a minimum of 5 pages (12 point font, double spaced, excluding references)
using a minimum of 10 credible sources. Students will conduct research on a country of their
interest in consultation with the instructor.
Taking into account your preferences, your instructor assigned you a country, and you are
expected to conduct research on that country during the semester. You are encouraged to
share and discuss materials with other students who are doing research on the same country.
However, as stated in the syllabus, you are expected to write and submit papers for this course
individually.1
As described below, for your first assignment you will write a paper on the following research
question: “What factor (s) best explains the emergence of electoral democracy in (country
name)?”
Instructions
For the first assignment, you will be writing a “position paper” in which you will discuss what
made it possible to install electoral democracy in your country during the third democratization
cycle identified by Peter Smith (2012). That is, in your paper, you will be assessing the factors
and processes that led to the inauguration of “free and fair” elections during the period 1978-
2000 in the country of your focus. Your goal is to make a persuasive argument (supported with
evidence) about what best explains the decline of authoritarianism and the subsequent
installation of free and fair elections during the third cycle of democratization.
1Plagiarism will not be tolerated. If evidence of plagiarism is found, the grade for this assignment will be
zero. See the home page for the Office of Academic Ombud Services for a definition of plagiarism, how
to avoid plagiarism, and UK’s new academic offense policy (http://www.uky.edu/Ombud).2
Before you start writing your paper, first you need to find out when free and fair elections were
celebrated for first time in your country during the third cycle. The year of the first free and fair
election will be the reference point for your research. For example, if you were doing research
on El Salvador’s transition to electoral democracy, you would have to investigate the conditions
and political events in the country prior to the 1994 national election, the first election
categorized as “free and fair” during the third democratization cycle.
As a second step, taking into account the materials you read and consult, you will put forward
your argument. Think about how you will go about making your argument in favor of a given
hypothesis about what facilitated the fall of authoritarianism in your country. Which theoretical
framework do you think is more appropriate for explaining the transition to electoral
democracy in the country of your focus? Why do you think that is the case? Generally speaking,
the literature on democratization points out to two main overarching factors: domestic issues
and international influences.
Based on your research, would you say that domestic issues as opposed to international forces
best explain the emergence of electoral democracy in your country? Once you determine
whether domestic or international influences best explain political change, you need to
hypothesize what specific processes, events, and actors gave way to electoral democracy.
Paper Outline
I. Introduction (about 1 page)
Here you will introduce the research question explored. Your introduction should
include a thesis or hypothesis statement presenting your argument about the factor
that best explains the most recent transition to democracy in your country through
the year 2000. Use your creativity to engage the reader.
II. Background ( about 1 page)
Provide an overview of the historical context prior the most recent transition to
democracy in your country. Make explicit reference to the main political events and
actors at that time. In addition, make sure to indicate the year when the transition
to electoral democracy took place, namely the year of the first “free and fair”
election in the country during the third democratization cycle. Note that in the case
of Costa Rica, the longest lasting democracy in the region, transition to electoral
democracy occurred earlier, during the second cycle identified by Peter Smith. This
section of your paper will also be the place to make reference to previous research
on transitions to democracy during the 20th century in the country of your focus.3
III. The Democratization Process in “country name” (about 2-3 pages)
In this section, you will present evidence for your hypothesis. Specifically, you will
explain why your theory does a better job in explaining the democratization process
in the country of your focus. For example, if your hypothesis or theory is that the fall
of the authoritarian regime was associated with its lack of economic performance or
deep economic crisis, you would need to cite evidence indicating that the economy
was doing poorly prior the installation of electoral democracy. In addition, you
would need to persuade the reader that your hypothesis or argument provides a
more complete explanation in comparison to other relevant competing arguments.
It is very important to explain the mechanisms that lead to outcomes. Unsupported
claims will receive a lower grade.
IV. Conclusion (about 1 page)
In the last section of the paper, please summarize the main findings of your research
as they pertain to your hypothesis, and briefly discuss the implications of political
change during the 20th century for the current state of affairs in the country of your
focus.
V. References
A minimum of 10 credible sources should be listed in the reference section. Your
citations should include materials in print or electronic versions of them (reports,
books, book sections, and/or journal articles). In addition, you can rely on credible
websites, data, and news articles. Please note that “Wikipedia” should not be listed
as a source. As specified below, all in-text citations and bibliography must follow the
format established by the American Political Science Association (copy of the manual
will be made available in Canvas).
VI. Appendix (if applicable)
All tables, graphs, maps, or figures should be presented in the appendix. Note that
you are not required to have an appendix. Only include an appendix when it helps
you make your point. Lengthy quotes or interviews can also be included in the
appendix. Do not forget to make reference to any materials in the appendix in your
essay.
Citation and bibliography style
You must cite all the materials that you use in your paper (including course readings) following
the format used by the American Political Science Association (APSA). A copy of the APSA’s4
Style Manual for Political Science has been uploaded in Canvas (in the Files folder). For in-text
citations, please use the format specified in the Style Manual on pages 17-21. Refer to pages
24-33 to format your references or bibliography. At the end of the paper, you should list in
alphabetical order (by author’s last name) the references you have cited in the text and only
those references.
Grading Scheme
This assignment makes up 20% of your grade (a total of 20 points). I will grade your essay based
on the following criteria:
1) Content (17 points)
• Focus: Does the paper meet the assignment requirements? Is the author’s
position or hypothesis clearly articulated?
• Support: Is the hypothesis effectively examined and supported with evidence
and specific description of events and players?
• Organization: Is the paper organized in a way that allows the reader to move
smoothly through the essay? Does the essay follow conventions of syntax and
agreement so that the ideas are clear?
2) Citation and Bibliography (3 points)
• Citations and Style: Were sources cited in APSA format? Was the citation style used
consistently throughout the paper? Were appropriate sources used and presented in
the bibliography? Was the bibliography presented in APSA format?
