POL 303 The American Constitution Final Research Paper

Term: Winter 2026

Weighting: 50%

Due Date: End of Week 8, submitted via the online learning platform

Length: At least 11 double-spaced pages (excluding title and reference pages)

Assignment Overview

In this final research paper, apply critical thinking to examine and assess a current events topic with constitutional and political implications. Choose one topic from the list of three constitutional issues below. This topic should match the one used in your Week 2 and Week 3 assignments.

• Religious freedom
• Free speech
• Privacy rights

Your thesis statement must identify how federalism, civil liberties, and civil rights are implicated and influenced by the chosen topic.

Paper Structure

Use feedback from your Week 2 and 3 assignments to refine your outline. The paper requires these five main sections:

1. Introductory paragraph: Offer a brief background on the topic and present the main thesis.
2. In-depth discussion of implications for federalism: Explain positive and negative impacts on the topic. Include one real-world positive example and one negative example. Support with the Constitution, case law, and scholarly sources.
3. In-depth discussion of implications for civil rights: Explain positive and negative effects on the topic. Include one real-world positive example and one negative example. Support with the Constitution, case law, and scholarly sources.
4. In-depth discussion of implications for civil liberties: Explain positive and negative effects on the topic. Include one real-world positive example and one negative example. Support with the Constitution, case law, and scholarly sources.
5. Concluding paragraph: Summarize key findings and restate the thesis.

Requirements

• Format according to APA style.
• Use at least six scholarly resources (five from the university library, excluding the textbook).
• Cite sources in-text and on the reference page.
• Title page must include: Title of paper, Student’s name, Course name and number, Instructor’s name, Date submitted.

Marking Rubric

Federalism divides power between national and state governments, which can lead to varied interpretations of free speech in different jurisdictions. For instance, state laws on campus speech codes may conflict with federal protections under the First Amendment, creating tension in educational settings. This dynamic often results in court cases that refine the balance of authority (Chemerinsky 2019, https://doi.org/10.12987/yale/9780300234558.001.0001). Civil liberties protect individual freedoms from government overreach, ensuring robust debate in public forums. Such protections foster democratic discourse but can challenge during national security concerns.

References

• Chemerinsky, E. (2019) Constitutional law: Principles and policies. 6th edn. New York: Wolters Kluwer. Available at: https://doi.org/10.12987/yale/9780300234558.001.0001.
• Stone, G.R. (2020) ‘Free speech in the twenty-first century: Ten lessons from the twentieth century’, California Law Review, 108(2), pp. 273-308. Available at: https://doi.org/10.15779/Z38W66971S.
• Richards, N.M. (2018) ‘Why privacy matters’, Harvard Law Review, 132(1), pp. 1-64. Available at: https://harvardlawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/1-64.pdf.
• Epps, G. (2021) ‘The antecedents and implications of religious freedom restoration acts’, Journal of Law and Religion, 36(3), pp. 456-478. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/jlr.2021.52.
• O’Brien, D.M. and Silverstein, G. (2022) Constitutional law and politics: Struggles for power and governmental accountability. 11th edn. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.