capstone selecting a topic. what is a social problem it must harm a significant number of people or...
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Capstone
Selecting A Topic
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What is a Social Problem
• It must harm a significant number of people or an influential segment of the population
• It must occur frequently (not a 1 time event)• It must be able to be remedied by collective
human action (this means Government)
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What is Not a Social problem
• Something that is produced by natural or biological conditions (getting older, hair loss)
• Something that is purely a private issue
• Something that is a pure ethical argument (what is right and what is wrong)
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What can We do about it?
• What is social Policy?
• Types of Social Policy– Preventive Measures- too difficult– Intervention- most common– Broad Social Reform- never happens
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Should We Solve the Problem?
• Can We afford the Cost?• Does it create spillover effects?• Is it Feasible?
Policy makers find that doing nothing is often the best solution!
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If No one is trying to solve your social problem, then it is not a
political controversy
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SOCIAL PROBLEM VS. SOCIAL POLICY
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Examples:Social Problem
Immigration
Failing Public Schools
National Debt
Global Warming
Controversial Solution
Dream Act
Race to the Top
Fair Tax
Cap and Trade
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A Good topic has a social problem that has a solution and decision makers are actively trying to solve it
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GOOD AND BAD TOPICS
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Good Topics are not statements
• The thesis is stated in the form of a question because your Capstone paper explores both sides of a controversy without bias.
• Check your topic question for neutral language. Avoid words like “wrong,” “prevent,” “avoid” that indicate you hold a position on the topic.
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Good Topics are Normative• The Opposite of Empirical
• Based on what we think should be
• Usually involves the words “should” or “ought to”
“Should the Federal Government allow off-shore drilling”
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Good Topics are controversial
• They do not involve symbolic politics
• There are real people (interest groups, legislators, political parties) who care about your topic
• The above groups will answer yes or no to your question
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Good Topics Have A Real Solution
• A political controversy without a solution, is just Drunk Talk– Who is/was the best president?– A lion vs. a bear in a cage match?– Who would win in a fight Batman or Spiderman?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rMjvemLxLc&feature=related
• Real Solutions take the form of policy outputs (laws)
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Good Topics have a clear level of analysis
• A good topic has some level of government actively working on it
• A theoretical “government” solution is not a good topic
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What is a unit of analysis?
• The Level of Government that has jurisdiction over the social problem
• Not all governments are powerful in all areas
• Which means that saying the “government” simply isn’t enough?
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How many units?• 1 Federal• 50 State• 3,033 County Governments• 36,000 Local Governments• 13,051 School Districts• 37,381 Special Districts
– Utility Districts- PEC– Hospital Districts– Transit Districts- e.g. CAP Metro– Park Districts– Water Districts- e.g. LCRA– And more!
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What Does This Mean?• There are roughly 89,500 governments that
have legal authority over policymaking. 4,835 in Texas alone!
• Some governments are impotent in certain policy areas, while extremely powerful in others.
• When selecting a topic, you must choose it in the context of the proper unit of analysis.
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Who is More Powerful?
National Government
• National Defense
• Commerce Policy
• Environmental Policy
• Macro-level regulation
• Immigration
State Governments
• Education
• Law Enforcement/Crime
• Mass Transit/Traffic
• Social Services
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A Good Topic is Practical
• Ask yourself, can you write 30 pages on this?
• Can you find people to interview
• Can you do a service project on your topic
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What is not a good topic• Banned Topics
• Dilemmas from other nations and esoteric foreign policy
• Lopsided Topics and Culture War issues (science vs. values)
• Conspiracy theories (short on evidence)
• Issues not subject to government regulation in some way
• Sports Issues: i.e. BCS policies
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Where to find good topics
• Google News
• Newspapers
• The White House Page/ State of the Union
• The Library
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Good or Bad?• What are the effects of Embryonic stem cell
research?
• Should the US lift the trade embargo on North Korea?
• Should the use of cell phones be prohibiting while driving?
• Why is the war in Afghanistan wrong?
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Good or Bad• Is global warming detrimental to human existence?
• Should the Federal Government pass a cap-and-trade bill to combat global warming
• Why has the federal government diminished the rights of citizens since 9/11?
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Good or Bad
• Should Texas adopt a pay by the mile gas tax?
• Should the burning of the flag be made unconstitutional
• Should Botswana charge fees for state education?
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Good Macro Topic Areas• State and Federal Income programs• Economic Policies • Immigration• Energy and the Environment• Foreign Policy with troublesome nations• Social Security• Budgets and deficits• Education at the State level• Campaign finance/electoral reform• Transportation (federal, state and local)• Health Care Repeal/Reform