Choose a political concept, and discuss the various definitions of that concept by different scholars.
Your essay should be no more than 1,200 words, which is approximately four double-spaced pages. Below, is provide the structure for the essay, depending on the topic you choose. The word count for each part is not strict but rather suggestive, i.e. you won’t be penalized if you use slightly more or fewer words in each section than what is proposed.
Choose a political concept, and discuss the three definitions of that concept by different scholars.
Introduction:Briefly state which political concept you focus on in your essay, and which scholars’ definitions you will discuss.
Introduce the definitions by different scholars and compare them to each other. Are there any common elements? What are their differences? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
Discuss which of these definitions is most useful or meaningful according to your understanding of the concept.
Conclusion
Provide the list of references you used in your essay, in alphabetical order
Example: Suppose, you want to focus on the concept of power in your essay. You can discuss definitions of power as control over actors, control over events and outcomes, and structural power. Then you can compare the three definitions, and argue for instance that structural power is more useful because it captures the fact that power is usually exercised in a less direct way than the other two definitions suggest. (see the discussion in Halperin and Heath, Chapter 6, pages 150-51.)