Module 3 Current Event Analysis (CEA) assignment Instructions
General (100 pts.) – To access the Module 3 Current Event Analysis (CEA) assignment click on “Module 3-CEA” above after reading the instructions herein. The CEA is a critical thinking and formal writing assignment requiring the same quality of effort as a research paper worth 100 points (25% of the course grade). As the name suggests it is to be the student’s critical analysis of an online news article (not more than one-year old from the date it is submitted) they selected dealing with an American Legal System issue appearing in a news website (i.e. New York Times, MSNBC, Fox-news.com, News.yahoo.com, CNN.com, etc.,) prepared and save off line on Word Document to be submitted by the end of Module 3 in accordance with the following instructions.
Formal Elements –
Type/font – (1) in black Times New Roman 12 pt. non-bold font, (2) double-spaced, (3) page numbers in Arabic numbers in the upper right-hand corner of each page, and (4) with 1” margins all around
Only Three (3) Paragraphs – the body of the CEA should have no more nor less than 3 paragraphs organized under three section headings centered above their respective sections in bold upper and lower case type: Citation, Summary, and Critical Analysis further described below under “Body.”
Length – The entire CEA should not be no less than 750 words, but no more than 1,500 words with the Critical Analysis section being no less than 300 words.
No Running Head – Inasmuch as your CEA is not likely to be much more than one or two pages it is not necessary for it to have a running head which the APA requires for the typically lengthier pieces as they are intended for publication.
No Reference list (or bibliography) – again in as much as your CEA is not likely to be much more than one or two pages it is not necessary or appropriate for it to have a “References” list at the end of the paper (or on a separate page as required by APA) which the APA requires for the typically lengthier pieces as they are intended for publication.
No cover or title page- again in as much as your CEA is not likely to be much more than one or two pages it is not necessary or appropriate for it to have a title or cover page.
Body– the body of the CEA should be organized under three section headings centered above their respective sections in bold upper and lower case type/font: Citation, Summary, and Critical Analysis further described below as follows:
Citation – To be in APA format beginning with the author’s last name first (often in the case of a news article it will be the reporter’s name), and then first and middle initials (not names) (if no author is named then list the source by title), then publication date in parenthesis, followed by a period, then article’s complete title, including subtitles, and then the name of the online news source (i.e., New York Times, MSNBC, Fox-News, etc.) then the words “Retrieved from” followed by the URL-link to the article. Use a period followed by a space to separate author, date, title, news source (italicized), and retrieved from information. For example the first paragraph of the CE should read Gettleman, J. (2014, December 27). UN says malnutrition in Darfur on the rise. Boston Globe. Retrieved from http://www.boston.com.
Summary – A summary of the article in the student’s own words: (1) in no less than one-half the words of the student’s Critical Analysis discussion of the article, but (2) no longer than the student’s Critical Analysis discussion of the article, and (3) include in-summary citations to the subject article in APA format.
Critical Analysis (evidence of critical thinking) – narrative discussion in no less than 500 words including: (1) the student’s analysis as to the article’s significance, relevance and relationship to the course, and (2) supported by at least four in-discussion reference citations to pages in the course text or another authority on the subject, with at least one in-discussion citation to the course text. The in-text reference citation required is a modified version of the APA author-date citation system modified by including the relevant page number. For example, in the case where you are referencing let’s say page 149 in the course text then your citation would typically come at the end of the sentence (or phrase being referenced) but before the period (or comma, semicolon, etc.) and begin with a parenthesis followed by the author’s surname, date of publication, and the page number(s) and then the closing parenthesis, and then the period like so = (Clemons & McBeth, 2016, p. 149).
Plagiarism and Citations – to avoid plagiarism you should provide in-discussion citations in APA format (or the case of a book and in particular your textbook in modified APA format as follows:
Citation – paragraph where the subject article is cited and in the case of the CEA’s first paragraph citation it should appear just as it would as a listed citation on APA Reference list that would appear on a much lengthier research paper intended for publication. Since this citation will be from an online news source the first line of the first paragraph citation should begin at the left-hand margin with the author’s surname or authors’ surnames (if no author then the title of the source publication).
Summary – the CEA’s second paragraph Summary where you should have in-discussion citations only to the subject article should include citations to the selected online news article as the Summary is supposed to only be a summary, in the student’s own words, of the selected online news article.
Critical Analysis -the CEA third paragraph the Critical Analysis discussion among other things may require a citation or citations to have a modified APA format if a book, and particularly the textbook is being cited, which then should in addition end the citation with the page number of the book where the material that is being referenced is from. For example, if you are citing let’s say the textbook the citation is enclosed in parentheses beginning with just author’s last name or authors’ last names followed by a comma the the year of publication, and then the page number where the referenced material is located.
SafeAssignment Submission – submit during but on or before the end Module 3’s second week by Saturday, September 26 as a SafeAssignment by: (1) preparing and saving your CEA offline on a Word Doc, (2) clicking on “Module 3 CEA” at the top of these instructions, (3) Scrolling down just past “Assignment Submission” to “Attach File” and (4) click on “Browse My Computer” button right of “Attach File” and then attach your CEA, and (5) click on “Submit” on the lower right-hand side of the page.
Grading – Each CEA is worth up to 100 points taking into account: (1) quality of the substantive discussion regarding significance, relevance and relationship to the course, (2) form, (3) length and (4) grammar/spelling, all as outlined in the CEA Score Matrix, which is listed and can be accessed from the menu on the left-hand side of the course homepage under “Course Information and Syllabus.”
Wishing success!
Dr. Boyer
Module 3 Current Even Analysis (CEA) – Score Matrix & Example
CEA Score Matrix
| CEA Score Matrix | Pts. | ||
| 1. Relevant & Current (within past 12 months) | 5 | ||
| 2. Correct title in subject box | 3 | ||
| 3. Format – 3 paragraphs (Citation, Summary, & Critical Analysis Discussion); Times New Roman 12 pt. font; between 1000 to 3000 words | 4 | ||
| 4. Citations | 5 | ||
| 5. Summary – In student’s own words, with supporting in-discussion citations to the selected article | 15 | ||
| 6. Critical Analytical –Substantive and analytical narrative discussion | 60 | ||
| 500 words or more (25 pts.) | |||
| Significance, relevance & relationship to course | |||
| At least four in-discussion citations to support discussion, to include at least one of which is to the course text | |||
| 7. References in APA Format | 6 | ||
| 8. Article attached | 2 | ||
| 9. Grammar/Spelling – – ½ point for every 1 to 2 errors | |||
| 10. Submitted on time – Late CEAs only with professor’s permission(One grade-level deduction; i.e., A > B > C > D, etc.) | |||
| Total | 100 | ||
| Points | Quality | Percentage | Letter Grade |
| 100 no mistakes | Excellent | 100% | A |
| 90 and above | Outstanding | 90% | A |
| 80 and above | Very good | 80% | B |
| 70 and above | Good | 70% | C |
| 60 and above | Fair | 60% | D |
| Below 60 | Whoops | % | Yikes |
An example of a Module CEA [1]
Citation
Shear, M. D., Fink, S. and Weiland, N. (2020, March 7). Inside Trump Administration, Debate Raged Over What to Tell Public. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/07/us/politics/trump-coronavirus.html.
Summary
The current Corona Virus pandemic has been on everyone’s radar since the beginning. Countries have shut down and reopened in hopes to slow or stop the spread. News outlets, doctors, and even the American government have given conflicting information and decisions regarding the virus. When the breakout started it was expressed that very little was known about the virus making it even scarier to the world’s population. All American’s sat in anticipation to gain guidance from the Trump administration in February after weeks of conflicting information. (Shear, Fink, & Weiland, 2020). President Trump’s advisors were pushing for him to be blunter about the dangers of the outbreak. Before the President had time to address the people Dr. Nancy Messonnier, the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made a public statement saying “The disruption to everyday life might be severe. Schools might have to close, conferences could be canceled, businesses might make employees work from home. She had told her children, she said, to prepare for significant disruption to our lives.” (Shear, Fink, & Weiland, 2020). Early on government scientists and leading health experts pushed for aggressive action raising alarms about the information coming from China about the virus. Resistance from the White House raised red flags and confusion for the public. Why do we have government scientists concerned but the President doesn’t seem to be? Where are the lines of transparency being drawn? President Trump was quoted as saying “Everybody has to be calm. It’s going to work out.” (Shear, Fink, & Weiland, 2020). Unclear and contradicting guidance and information from the Trump Administration left American’s unprepared for the public health crisis that was to ensue. The time came when people were evacuated from Chine to the United States. This created more panic for those living in the United States. People wanted answers as to how this was going to be handle so those coming from China that could be infected were not allowed out in communities to spread the virus. When the reality of how serious the outbreak was the White House was a conflict at how to manage the situation. Should they enact a federal mandate that all passengers entering America from China be quarantined in a controlled area to ensure no one was able to leave? During the pandemic that is continuing to the present day, there have been mixed messages, mandates, and attitudes from governments of all levels. President Trump left most of the decision making up to individual states as to how they would proceed with precautions against the virus. Up until today if most people were asked there is still much controversy over the Corona virus and how things continue to be handled by our public administrators.
Critical Analysis
As an American citizen we look to the government for guidance and transparency during times such as a pandemic. The average person has no idea how a new virus works or what measured should be taken during a pandemic. These answers should be coming from our nation’s administration. The article portrays a lack of transparency, trust, and conflicting information from public administrators. This lack of communication can sometimes lead to mass hysteria and create a far worse situation than is at hand. America saw this when people began to protest during statewide quarantine orders. During the Corona virus pandemic we have really seen a lack in what public administration stands for. The text defines public administration as “all processes, organizations, and individuals acting in official positions associated with carrying out laws and other rules adopted or issued by legislatures, executives, and courts (many activities are also concerned with the formulation of these rules); a field of academic study and professional training leading to public-service careers at all levels of government.” (Milakovich & Gordon, 2013, P.11) Essentially public servants are hired to make decisions, manage, operate, and keep the average citizen informed on critical events and projects. In some capacity, public administration touches everyone’s lives in America daily. Every time someone steps foot out of their house onto a public sidewalk or road there is public administration involved. Public administration covers a variety of positions starting from local communities up to President of the United States. One of the most important aspects of public administration is building trust and transparency with the people being served. Any type of ethical discrepancy or corruption can destroy that relationship between public servants and citizens in a heartbeat. Once this relationship diminishes the fall out can be catastrophic. The following event is an example of losing trust in a public administrator. If we can’t rely on the people put in these positions of authority it breaks down everything our country stands for. To understand the expectations of public administrators it’s important to know how the American government is structured. Our country relives heavily of public servants and administrators. government in the United States is described as politically a liberal democracy and economically as a capitalist system. (Milakovich & Gordon, 2013, P.50). Scholars and the general public waver on their opinion of public administration. There are two main political views of how democracy should be running in America; Liberal politics seek a minimum “safety-net” for those that are least able to fend for themselves, ensuring quality public education, affordable health care, diversity in the workforce, equal employment opportunity, reallocating resources, and increasing citizen participation. (Milakovich & Gordon, 2013, P.506). The other view is conservative politics that seek smaller government, increased private-sector alternatives, larger consumer choice, and decreased taxes. (Milakovich & Gordon, 2013, P.505-506). There are no proof that either perspective of opinion is better or more correct than the other. The one thing that both views share is that no matter the size of the government or the assistant impact from the government public servants and administration is necessary. “Our government agencies are riddled with examples of incompetence, negligence, inflexibility, and many other flaws. So, too, our government bureaucrats include men and women who should not be in their positions for reasons of sloth, bad manners, poor judgment, and other faults. My point, however, is that the flaws and the faults are far fewer on a proportional basis than is generally thought. And they are more than outweighed in frequency and importance by instances of dedicated service on behalf of public missions important to all citizens. Most governments of the world would be pleased to possess a public bureaucracy of the quality of our own” (Milakovich & Gordon, 2013, P.10). This statement is important to remember. No system is perfect but as long we do our best to keep communication lines open the field of public administration will flourish. Hard work and dedication to the people that are served will always shine through the dark clouds that can be cast.
[1]An example of another student’s CEA in another course that had more than 1000 words, and had points deducted, but nonetheless earned an A.
