Students are allowed one extra credit assignment that is worth 10 points. Successful completion of the extra credit assignment can raise a student’s standing by one full letter grade. It must be turned in no later than the date of the final exam. NOTE: all requirements must be met to receive the full allotment of points. EXTRA CREDIT PAPER IS DUE ON THE DATE OF OUR FINAL EXAM! ALL OF THE FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS MUST BE FOLLOWED. THE PAPER MUST BE: TYPED! Ten to twelve pages (coversheet not included). NOTE: You can type till your heart’s content. The paper should have 1-inch margins with a font size of 11 or 12 and be double-spaced. Written well in your own words. Final draft is due no later than May 20, 2008 at 11:55pm TOPIC: Students are to compare and contrast elitism with pluralism. You will have to state their similarities, differences and then declare yourself as either an elitist or pluralist. The body of your paper will require you to explain how the American political system operates through the eyes of your chosen theory. Conclude your paper with suggestions about how our political system can be improved. Make good use of the wide assortment of reading material that is made available via www.tabakian.com. Any subject discussed in any assigned reading may be expanded or drawn upon for this assignment. When attempting to explain how the American Political System operates it is advised to choose examples that are known to you personally. For example, you could examine the political system by looking at various fundraising scandals, California’s Recall Election or even the 2000 or 2004 Presidential Elections. The examples that you choose are best left up to students. Do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail if you have any concerns. PAPER LAYOUT: It is recommended that your paper be laid out in the following manner: Coversheet: Paper title, name, class, section number, e-mail address and instructor’s name. Introduction: Begin your paper with an introduction that tells the reader how your paper is going to be laid out. Never assume the reader already knows about the subject you are writing about. Tell the reader (Mr. T) what you are writing about all while thinking about the following phrase “Here is the path I’m taking you down and here is why!” Then compare and contrast elitism with pluralism and discuss their similarities and differences. Body: This is the “guts” of your paper. Choose either elitism or pluralism and then use that theory to explain the American political system. The only materials that you should be referencing are the assigned textbooks and your lecture notes. Conclusion: State how the American political system can be improved. ABOUT CITING: The last section of your paper should contain a bibliography of reference materials used for this paper. There are various style formats available for use, including APA, Chicago, etc. Students need only to utilize the suggested style when listing their resource materials. In this case those materials are likely to be the assigned textbooks. You are allowed to reference additional materials, but there is no requirement to cite every additional resource. You only need to be concerned about “The Irony of Democracy” by Thomas R. Dye and Harmon Zeigler. Below is an example of citing: American elitists are united in their belief of private property, limited government and individual liberty (Dye & Zeigler, 3). Here is an example of how your textbooks may be listed in the bibliography: Luttbeg, Norman R. and Michael M. Gant. American Electoral Behavior 1952-1992. Ill.: Peacock Publishers, 1995. NOTE: Students are allowed to research additional texts, including links to web pages, documents or graphs hosted on www.tabakian.com. Relay any concerns with this assignment to class@tabakian.com. THERE ARE 10 POINTS TOTAL IF ALL REQUIREMENTS ARE MET.