Paper Draft

Choose an ethical issue to write about. You may choose from the list below, or, with approval from the instructor, select a different socially relevant topic. It is recommended that you choose a topic that you are familiar with or that you have some interest in exploring further. For the purposes of this paper, your topic should pertain to a current area of interest in the news and/or government policy forums.

Choose one of the following topics for your paper:

• Corporate contributions to political campaigns
• Mass incarceration and the prison industrial complex
• The role and responsible use of social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.)
• Corporate or government whistleblowing
• Immigration reform in the US and/or abroad
• Gender and/or LGBTQIA equality in the workplace
• Gun violence and gun law reform
• Climate change and individual responsibility
• The legalization of recreational drugs

In your paper, you will apply at least two ethical theories and at least one ethical perspective to the issue that you select. You do not have to use all six, but you should apply at least two ethical theories and at least one ethical perspective in your paper. Make sure that you write primarily on ethical topics and concepts, aiming to be both balanced and intellectually driven in your work. You may share your personal views, but do not rely on opinions (yours or those offered by others) to make your case. Think about the evidence that helps to make your case and use it. For your rough draft, you need to include at least three scholarly sources in addition to the Mosser textbook. For the final paper, you will need to have five scholarly sources.

Address the following questions:

• What are the ethical issues?
• Where are the breaches of ethical behavior?
• How could each ethical theory and perspective you cite help people think about what constitutes virtuous or ethical behavior?

Click to view the Model Rough Draft of the Final Paper. Many students find that this template is helpful while completing this week’s assignment.

In your paper,

• Present a discussion, not an outline.
• Describe at least two ethical theories and one ethical perspective.
• Identify a social issue and apply the theories and perspective.
• Explain how the draft will be further developed in the final paper.
• Apply ethical viewpoints to an ethical question with support.
• Describe the major theory used.

Note: The final version of this paper will be 1500 to 1800 words, plus separate title and reference pages, and will use at least five academic sources.

The Rough Draft of Final Paper

• Must be at least three full double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA Style (Links to an external site.) as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Formatting for Microsoft Word (Links to an external site.) Use 1-inch margins and a size 12 font. Do not submit an outline version of this assignment.
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name (Refer to how your Instructor has asked to be addressed in the Welcome announcement and proceed accordingly.)
  • Date submitted
• Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance.
• Must explain how you intend to develop the final paper and include a list of the sources you intend to use.
• Cite your sources in your text and on your reference page.
• Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper. Make sure that you cite the relevant theories and perspective you will be using in the thesis of your paper.
  • For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.) as well as Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.), refer to the Ashford Writing Center resources.
• Must use at least three scholarly sources in addition to the course text.
  • The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
  • To assist you in completing the research required for this assignment, view this Ashford University Library Quick ‘n’ Dirty (Links to an external site.) tutorial, which introduces the Ashford University Library and the research process, and provides some library search tips.
• Must document any information used from sources in APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA: Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.) Sources simply copied and pasted as internet links will not be accepted.
• Must include a separate reference page that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. See the APA: Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.