Proposal Essay / English 112: Argument-Based Research

PROPOSAL ESSAY / ENGLISH 112: ARGUMENT-BASED RESEARCH

CONGRATULATIONS! BY NOW YOU HAVE WRITTEN THE MAJORITY OF YOUR ESSAY; YOU HAVE LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR AN EFFECTIVE PROPOSAL IN YOUR CAUSAL ANALYSIS.

THE FOLLOWING IS A STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO ORGANIZING YOUR PROPOSAL SECTION OF THIS MAJOR RESEARCH ESSAY.

VI: SECTION SIX: TRANSITION (PARAGRAPH) FROM CAUSAL ANALYSIS INTO PROPOSAL: In this section (as many paragraphs as needed), formerly your conclusion for your causal analysis, you want to transition from causes to solution—how to fix the problem or at least improve the situation. Resummarize your enthymeme, and then give your specific proposal, your precise policy change. As stated in our Lunsford, Ruszkiewicz, and Walters text, you are making a claim (your proposal) “that proposes a practice or policy to address a problem or need and that is oriented toward action, directed at the future, and appropriate to your audience” (344). Explain your proposal clearly and thoroughly before continuing.

Additionally, make sure you go back and add your proposal to your thesis statement in your introductory paragraph, since it is now the second half of your entire essay thesis.

VII: SECTION SEVEN: Implementation. You are starting a grassroots movement (on paper anyway). With this in mind, how will you start it from the ground up? What are the costs involved? How will you raise money? Is letter-writing to any government representatives, groups, etc. involved in a grass-roots-effort type of proposal? How would you distribute information about your proposal? What can we (your audience) do to become active participants in this proposal? This section shows how you will step-by-step start a grassroots group/movement in order to get voices together to petition the people in charge to change the current policy/practice.

VIII. SECTION EIGHT: Addressing the Causes

[S]tatements that clearly relate the claim to the problem or need” (Lunsford, Ruszkiewicz, and Walters 344). Using your own analysis and any research to support it, one by one address your causes, explaining exactly how your proposal will solve or at least address the each of them, since they are the causes of the problem you have outlined earlier in this essay. IX. SECTION NINE: Precedents

“To be effective, proposals must be feasible: that is, the action proposed can be carried out in a reasonable way (Lunsford, Ruszkiewicz, and Walters 340). What are the precedents which have been set (other groups, communities, states, countries, etc.) which have implemented similar actions with positive results? They come here and lend more credibility to your claim. These precedents may be very specifically close to your own policy change; in fact you may opt to adopt a policy exactly like one of these. But you don’t have to do so. The precedents just need to be in the spirit of your own policy change. Remember, attorneys (some of the best arguers around) rely heavily on precedents to win their cases in court. Be sure to analyze how these credible precedents have been effective and how if followed in this instance they would very likely produce similar results. This section of your essay is part of “pursuing best information” in that this represents some of the best information that indicates that your proposal is logical, reasonable, and fair. If you’re having trouble finding precedents, you may still be able to validate your proposal; you may just have to be more creative in showing how the proposal is reasonable.

NOTE: YOU MAY CHOOSE TO INCORPORATE YOUR PRECEDENTS WITHIN SECTION EIGHT (VIII). THIS WORKS QUITE WELL, SOMETIMES EVEN BETTER THAN DEVOTING A SEPARATE PARAGRAPH OR PARAGRAPHS TO IT. YOU MAY ALSO CHOOSE TO PUT YOUR IMPLEMENTATION PARAGRAPH(S) AT THE END OF THIS SECTION—EITHER AT THE BEGINNING OR THE END WORKS BEST. JUST MAKE IT LOGICAL.

X. DRAWBACKS TO PROPOSAL

As you did earlier, look at the opposite side of this issue and explore any objections based on other points of view. (You need at least one source for this section dealing with at least one drawback.) What are the drawbacks of your proposal? Acknowledging them gives your essay further credibility.

XI. REBUTTAL:

Explain how the drawbacks can be overcome or how you rebut them.

XII. CONCLUSION Resummarize your thesis. Then answer this question: What will happen if your proposal is not implemented? Don‘t be overly dramatic and go down a slippery slope of logical fallacy, but instead logically present the wisdom of following your recommendation. Then state what you think can reasonably be expected if your proposal is implemented, ending on a hopeful note.