Write an evidence-based argument to a local audience defending your stance and proposing a plan of action the audience should take.

Assignment Question

RESEARCHED ARGUMENT ADVOCACY LETTER

Assignment #2 of the Advocacy Letter Project Length: 1,250-1,500 words for the letter; minimum 250 words for the reflection. (Word count does not include bibliography. Failure to meet one of these word requirements equals a 10-point deduction. failure to meet both equals a 20-point deduction.)

OVERVIEW In this assignment, you will present a stance on an issue where there is a difference of opinion. Your task is to try to persuade a local audience—one specific person or group with influence over the issue and who is resistant to your stance—to validate your position and consider action on the issue. You will have one major assignment to complete before submitting your letter: an Annotated Bibliography; this will require you to explore a current, unresolved issue in your field, establish your stance on it, and identify and research an audience. The Annotated Bibliography and the homework assignments you complete for the remainder of the course will help you plan for the final letter. Armed with the facts and informed opinions you compile, you will write a persuasive, researched argument about that issue, tailor it to your audience’s expectations, and present your argument in a specific genre appropriate for appealing to a resistant audience.

ASSIGNMENT Write an evidence-based argument to a local audience defending your stance and proposing a plan of action the audience should take. Your argument should be presented in the advocacy letter genre. Issue: You must present a stance on an issue that is arguable, current (i.e. up for debate at this moment in time), and related to your major in some way. The Annotated Bibliography, IAG Analysis, and other class assignments will help you discover background information on the topic and prepare a solid argument on this issue. (Note: There are only two issues you cannot write about—legalizing marijuana and lowering the alcoholic drinking age.) Audience: You must write with an awareness of the audience you choose. The audience must be localized, have a vested interest in the issue, have decision-making authority over the issue, and be opposed to your position (in part or in total). You will research and analyze that audience before tailoring your word choice, evidence, and tone to their expectations. You MUST pick a local or regional audience that could conceivably read and respond to your letter. (Note: You cannot write to the U.S. President, the U.S. Vice President, any members of the U.S. Presidential Cabinet, any members of the Supreme Court, CEOs of major corporations, primary leaders of other countries, or national/international organizations; if you do so, I will ask you to change your audience, since these audiences are too high-powered for a letter of this scope.)

1 Evidence: This is a researched academic argument, so you must use evidence from at least five sources, two of which must be scholarly articles. The Annotated Bibliography assignment will help you gather and begin to synthesize these resources. Your other references should come from the most reputable sources you can find (such as news articles, government-published statistics, or interviews with the intended audience). You will be writing to a sophisticated audience who will be persuaded only if you use highly credible evidence. Introduce and synthesize the evidence you provide.

Genre: You will be writing to persuade your audience to accept your proposed response or solution. One of the ways writers present such arguments is through the genre of the advocacy letter. The final version of your letter should comply with the formatting and length conventions of this genre. Note how advocacy letters position the writer’s ethos. You will need to do this, too. When they are available, please see the sample advocacy letters on Blackboard for examples of the advocacy letter genre. Structure: Advocacy letters have a specific structure, but that structure still requires an introduction and thesis, body (background information, argument, and counterargument), and conclusion. Use good paragraphing techniques to help your audience move easily through your argument.

Thesis & Argument: Since you are writing an argument, you will need an argumentative thesis that contains a claim and a reason. Your thesis must take a stand on the issue, provide reasons for your stance, and propose a solution your audience should take. The thesis is most often the answer to your research question.

Counterargument: In the body of your letter, you must also address the counterarguments to your position in order to persuade your audience. The counterargument should address the audience’s resistance, concerns, or opposition to your position and/or your suggested plan of action. Concede where necessary; refute where you can.

Documentation Style: Use the style appropriate for your academic discipline (MLA, APA, or other) and include a Works Cited or References page. Note that some advocacy letters use bibliographic footnotes, which are also permissible. By the time you finish this assignment, you should have a piece of writing that is timely enough to send to your audience. (Note: You are highly encouraged to send your final letter to your audience, though it is not required for this assignment.)

REFLECTION Following your letter, please answer the following questions on a separate page in at least 250 words: 1. Describe three specific decisions you made to shape the writing of this letter to your audience and in the advocacy letter genre. For each, identify at least one place in your final letter where a reader could see evidence of your decision. 2. Explain how your letter contributes to a scholarly or professional conversation about the issue you chose. Does your argument address a gap in that conversation, bring a new 2 solution to it, raise new questions about it, or add something else that enabled you to “join” this conversation? Failure to include a reflection results in an automatic 10-point deduction in grade.