'

WRITE AS A POLITICAL SCIENTIST: SUPPORT AN ARGUMENT WITH

RELEVANT EVIDENCE

Throughout this course you have examined foundational documents and Supreme
Court cases, analyzing their evidence and the reasoning they use to back up their
arguments. Use what you have learned from reading and analyzing others' arguments
to write your own.
After you have developed a claim or thesis statement that takes a defensible position
and lays out a line of reasoning (see page 257), gather the evidence you need to
support it. The task requires that you use at least one piece of evidence from one of
several foundational documents the prompt identifies. In addition, you must use a
second piece of evidence from any other foundational document not used as your first
piece of evidence, or your second piece of evidence could come from your knowledge
of course concepts.
Suppose, for example, that you are given the following prompt for an argument essay:
"Develop an argument that explains whether the federal government went too far in
restricting civil liberties after the September 11 terrorist attacks:' After reading the
prompt, identify the Big Idea or core principle it relates to and focus your essay on that
concept rather than the particulars of the attacks. You are told that at least one piece
of evidence must come from one of the following foundational documents:

The Constitution
The Declaration of Independence
First piece of evidence:
• Chances are good you might go straight to the Fourth Amendment for evidence
related to what the government can and cannot do in relation to searches. It says
that people have the right to be secure in their homes, safe from government
searches without probable cause and a warrant.
• You might also, however, recognize that the USA PATRIOT Act relates to First
Amendment protections, since some searches may be made on the basis of a
person's speech .
• The Fifth Amendment also provides possible evidence to use in your argument,
since it guarantees everyone due process of law. Searches under the USA PATRIOT
Act sometimes do not follow standard processes of law.
• Remembering that the initiative to combat terror through surveillance was an
executive order by President Bush, you may also look to Article 11 of the Constitu·
tion for evidence related to your subject.
Any of the sections of the Constitution listed above could provide your first piece of
evidence in an argument about civil liberties after September 11.
• You would also think about what evidence you might find in the Declaration of
Independence, the second identified foundational document. Evidence from that
might include the long list of grievances the colonists had against the British gov·
ernment, some of which described government intrusions and harassments.

Second piece of evidence:

• While you are considering the evidence from one of the required foundational
documents, you might also be thinking of evidence from other sources you could
gather to use in your argument. This evidence might include information you

390 UNIT 3: REVIEW

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 member about the USA PATRIOT Act ob' ·
re .. . , Ject1ons over access to cell phone meta-
data, ~nd th e political science concepts of public safety and order and their tension
with liberty.
Applicatio~: As ~ou compl~te th e argument essay below, take time to think through
all the pos~1ble pieces of evidence you_ can use to support your claim. Be sure that at
least one pie~e is from o_ne of th e required foundational documents, and be sure to list
at least two piec~s of evidence, th e second (and any additional ones) from a different
source from the first.

For current free response question samples, check the College Board's website.

Argument Essay

4. The 1964 Civil Rights Act prevents merchants, public accommodations,

and employers from denying service and practicing discrimination in
employment based on defined criteria. Develop an argument explaining
whether Congress should alter or maintain this law.
Use at least one piece of evidence from one of the following foundational
documents:
• Bill of Rights
• Commerce Clause
• "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"
In your response, you should do the following:
• Respond to the prompt with a defensible claim or thesis that
establishes a line of reasoning.
• Support your claim or thesis with at least TWO pieces of specific and
relevant evidence:
• One piece of evidence must come from one of the foundational
documents listed above.
• A second piece of evidence can come from any other
foundational document not used as your first piece of
evidence, or it may be from your knowledge of course
concepts.
· why your ev1·dence supports your claim or
· to exp1a1n
• Use reasoning
thesis.
• Respond to an opposing or alternative perspective using refutation,
concession, or rebuttal.

UNIT 3: REVIEW 391