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• The persuasiveness, logic, and clarity of your argument – see structure below for further tops on being logical and clear in your essay
• Your general understanding of the subject matter under discussion
• The appropriateness and relevance of citations of class readings
• Correct English grammar, spelling, usage, and consistent citation style.

  Structure
  Since the essays will focus on a specific issue, it is important to have a clear structure, containing a thesis and key arguments to back up this thesis.
  A suggested structure could be one as follows below:
  Please note that this is only a suggested structure, and that other ones work too if you have used those in previous classes.
  Also note that my example statements are by no means perfect. In your essay, these parts should be fleshed out a lot more.

• INTRODUCTION
  General introductory statement
  E.g., The theory of Realism in International Relations is frequently used to explain world politics etc.
  Clearly state the thesis
  E.g., “While Realism has strengths in explaining security matters, this essay seeks to argue and demonstrate why it is not a persuasive theory in explaining world politics.”
  Tip: using words like “while” or “although” can help to showcase that you\’re acknowledging both sides of an issue
• Order of arguments
  Present a road map of the arguments that you will elaborate on throughout your essay
  E.g., This essay is divided into three parts. Part I. will argue that Realism is not persuasive due to its Eurocentric perspective. Part II. demonstrates Realism\’s limitation in only identifying states as actors in world politics. Finally, part III. considers Realism\’s oversimplification of world politics.
  see attached essay for an example of this
• BODY
  Subheading 1
  Argument 1
  Evidence 1
  Subheading 2
  Argument 2
  Evidence 2
  Subheading 3
  Argument 3
  Evidence 3
  Always relate your arguments back to your thesis
  Make sure to use material evidence from the readings to illustrate your argument
  Tip: using underlined subheadings helps to guide the reader in your argumentation

  For example:
  1. Eurocentrism
  Expand on argument 1
  Use Evidence to prove your argument
  2. Lack of Non-State Actors
  Expand on argument 2
  Use Evidence to prove your argument
  3. Oversimplification of World Politics
  Expand on argument 3
  Use Evidence to prove your argument

• CONCLUSION
  Restate the goal/purpose of your essay (i.e. your thesis)
  e.g., “this essay sought to argue …. ”
  Briefly recapture your arguments
  e.g., “Realism\’s lack of persuasiveness was exhibited by…”
  General concluding statement or remark

  Write a 1600 words essay plus bibliography, (12-
  point font, double-spaced) in response to the text above. , if you want to draw on outside sources. Your essay must include appropriate references to the text above, with specific page citations. If you consult outside sources (books,
  articles, news sources, web material, etc.) and use their ideas, these sources must also be cited. Please
  note that your paper should have at least six page citations
  (You can, of course, include multiple citations
  from the same source.) Any recognized citation style (parenthetical or footnotes) is fine, as long as you
  are consistent. Try to paraphrase the text you are using (but do not forget to give page citations when paraphrasing). Only quote directly from the source, when the precise wording is crucial to a point
  you are making, or when a formulation is a particularly apt expression of an important claim.
  The goal of your essay is to present a clear and convincing argument about the question \”“Is a world with a flawed United Nations is better than a world without the United Nations.”
  Discuss. (Develop your answer in relation to what you would see as three or four major flaws of
  the UN.) . To test
  whether you have presented an argument, ask yourself if someone could disagree with you and contend
  that you are wrong. Your argument will be more convincing if you anticipate potential criticisms from
  someone who might disagree with you. Make sure that the argument (thesis) you are trying to prove is
  not too general. Examples of arguments that would be too general are:
  Realist and liberal international relations theorists have different ideas about international
  cooperation. (What are the differences? Why do they matter?)
  -Marxist and liberal international relations theorists both agree and disagree about the role of
  non-state actors in international politics. (In what respects do they agree and disagree, and
  why?)

• It is fine if you argue that a question itself is wrong or misleading. However, such a critique also has to
  be defended by argument, not simply asserted.
  Present your argument in a clear and structured manner. In the introduction, briefly indicate the
  relevance of the topic and/or restate the question (as you understand it); then state your thesis in
  response to the question concisely. (You may also give an overview of various steps or aspects of your
  argument.) Make sure you break up the main part of your paper into paragraphs that cover different
  steps or aspects of your argument. In the conclusion, summarize the most important results of your
  analysis. (You can also point to the wider implications of the analysis.) Include a bibliography with
  complete information about your sources.

Evaluation of the essays will be based on (in declining order of importance):

• the merits (persuasiveness, logic, and clarity) of your argument;
•  your general understanding of the subject matter under discussion;
•  the appropriateness and relevance of citations of class readings
  (including a consistent citation style);
• correct English grammar, spelling, and usage.