to what extent the government should go to secure the U.S. borders are among a vast myriad of issues currently percolating in the U.S. political environment.

Research Paper Grading Rubric

1. Grammar (10 points)

   – Excellent (10): The paper is free of grammatical errors.

   – Good (7): The paper has a few minor grammatical errors.

   – Fair (4): The paper has several grammatical errors that distract from the content.

   – Poor (1): The paper has numerous grammatical errors that make it difficult to understand.

1. Punctuation (10 points)

   – Excellent (10): The paper uses punctuation correctly throughout.

   – Good (7): The paper has a few minor punctuation errors.

   – Fair (4): The paper has several punctuation errors that distract from the content.

   – Poor (1): The paper has numerous punctuation errors that make it difficult to understand.

1. Content (50 points)

   – Excellent (50): The paper provides a thorough and insightful analysis of a current political event. It demonstrates a deep understanding of the topic and presents a clear, well-structured argument. It examines the selected topic from every position on the political spectrum and clearly provides the key component for supporting as well as critiquing each position. Ultimately, it selects the position that makes the most sense to the author.

   – Good (35): The paper provides a good analysis of a current political event. It demonstrates understanding of the topic and presents a clear argument, but may lack depth or structure. It covers most of the positions that can be taken on the selected topic but may lack some of the arguments and counter-arguments for each position. It still selects and defends the position that makes the most sense to the author.

   – Fair (20): The paper provides a basic analysis of a current political event. It demonstrates some understanding of the topic, but the argument may be unclear or poorly structured. It covers some of the positions that can be taken on the topic but appears to defend a pre-determined position on the topic. The author has selected sources that support her/his position and does not attempt a thorough analysis of the topic from each position.

   – Poor (5): The paper fails to provide a meaningful analysis of a current political event. It demonstrates little understanding of the topic and lacks a clear argument. It does not cover the relevant positions on the selected topic and is clearly biased in its use of information, data, sources, and analysis.

1. Proper Citation (15 points)

   – Excellent (15): The paper correctly cites all sources using MLA citation form.

   – Good (10): The paper mostly cites sources correctly, but there may be a few minor errors or inconsistencies in citation style. Plagiarism has occurred but appears to be unintentional.

   – Fair (5): The paper cites some sources, but there are several errors or inconsistencies in citation style. Plagiarism has occurred ; source material is not correctly cited or cited at all.

   – Poor (1): The paper fails to cite sources correctly or consistently. Evident plagiarism has occurred and is rampant.

1. Quality of Sources (15 points)

   – Excellent (15): The paper uses high-quality, reliable sources to support its argument.

   – Good (10): The paper mostly uses reliable sources, but may rely on one or two sources of questionable reliability. Primary source use is questionable.

   – Fair (5): The paper uses some reliable sources, but also relies heavily on sources of questionable reliability. Primary source use is lacking.

   – Poor (1): The paper fails to use reliable sources to support its argument. Sources are not generally legitimate, and primary source use is minimal or entirely missing.