Assignment 4: Proposal Argument

Proposal Due: Wednesday, July 27

Rough Draft Due: Friday, July 29
Final Draft Due: Monday, August 1
Overview: In the Productive Counterargument essay, you engaged with a larger
conversation and clearly expressed your position on an issue. In this Proposal Argument
essay, you will build from those skills as you identify a problem and advocate for a way
to address, solve, or resolve that problem. A proposal might begin from questions such
as, what is wrong and right here? How might this situation be improved? What are some
good solutions to this problem? In developing your proposal, then, you will identify a
problematic item, policy, or object, make an evaluative judgment, and move forward
from there to suggest an alternative or a solution to that problem.
Prompt: Identify a problem and advocate for a way to address, solve, or resolve that
problem. First, youll want identify an audience who can benefit from and participate in
the solution your proposal addresses. You may also need to convince your audience that a
problem does, indeed, exist, if that is not obvious. In most cases, it is helpful to explain
not just the problem but also the way that you understand the stakes of the problem. Your
starting point, then, is to identify something that bothers yousomething you feel should
be changed.
Then youll argue that a certain action should be taken to respond to or resolve that
problem. Your proposed plan of action should be both possible and desirable. You will
need to explore the costs and benefits (the feasibility) of your solution. Most of the paper
should be devoted to advocating for your proposed plan for addressing/ resolving that
problem.
Process: As you are brainstorming, explore your local communities, practices, and
investments. (National or international problems may be tough to address in the space of
this essay.) What real-life problem might benefit from a concrete solution you can
identify?
As a part of your proposal, you will include a list of five sources you might consult for
information about your topic (these can be specific articles or books, titles of relevant
publications, names of individuals you could interview, etc.). What scholarly or popular
publications address this topic? What local, national, or international contexts could you
research with published resources? What local people or organizations could you contact
for further information? Where might you find proposals of a similar scale that you could
use as a model for your own? What kind of field research could you do to collect your
own information?
As youre drafting, carefully consider issues of feasibility. Think about how you are
explaining the time, money, labor, resources, etc. that would be necessary to put your
solution into action. Consider how you might establish common ground and build
consensus with the opposition. Consider how you will address competing solutions and

do not assume that everyone will agree that your plan is best. Consider any concessions
your audience might need to make and do your best to convince them that your solution
is the most effective.
After drafting, youll revise and edit. Consider carefully how you should refer to your
readers and your topic. Consider the tone you should establish. Consider the best
rhetorical uses of sentence structure.
Format: Your final draft should be 4-6 pages (double-spaced, 12-point, TNR font, 1
margins). When citing your outside source(s), you will follow MLA format (see HGW
Ch. 19 and/or the PSU Libraries Citation Research Guide:
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/researchguides/citationstyles/MLA _citation.html).
Grading Criteria: Your proposal essay will be graded according to the following criteria.
Your essay should: (1) identify and describe the problem clearly; (2) address a limited
audience who can help you achieve and/or benefit from your proposed solution; (3)
present a concrete proposal for change; (4) explain how and why your solution will
address the problem you have identified; (5) fairly assess and fully explore the possible
costs and benefits of your proposed solution; (6) use outside research that is credible and
appropriate, as well as properly cited following MLA guidelines.