RESEARCH PAPER: COMPARE AND CONTRAST MAJOR LEGISLATION ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS OVERVIEW

RESEARCH PAPER: COMPARE AND CONTRAST MAJOR LEGISLATION
ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
OVERVIEW
The purpose of this paper is to analyze, compare, and contrast various pieces of major legislation
that relate to the global war on terror (i.e. the U.S.A. Patriot Act (USAPA), the National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA), etc.).  Students will also discuss the advantages and disadvantages
of each piece of legislation discussed.  Finally, students will select a major piece of legislation
and take a stance either in support or opposition of that legislation.  Students will provide a
cogent and academic argument to support their stance based upon sound, scholarly research. 

INSTRUCTIONS

All papers must be completed through the lens of a Biblical Worldview where students will
incorporate appropriate biblical passages and/or resources. The paper must be completed in APA
formatting and consist of 20-25 pages (excluding all title, abstract and reference pages). In
addition to the course text, all papers must utilize at least 15 outside scholarly sources to support
evaluation an analysis.
At a minimum, the following sections are required:
 Introduction
o Provide a brief introduction about the key elements in the paper.
 Background and Problem Statement
o Preliminary research must be conducted using practitioners, government sources,
articles, etc., to identify and discuss the major pieces of legislation such as those
listed above (The USA Patriot Act, The NDAA, etc.).
o The thesis statement will discuss and describe the concepts cited and the
significance of each as they relate to one another. The thesis statement must be
clear and concise (approximately 250 words).
 Literature Review
o The literature review is a critical component of a proposal. This section highlights
what has been achieved related to your topic. Answer the following questions:
 What is the USA Patriot Act?
 What is the NDAA?
 What other pieces of legislation play a key role in prosecuting the global
war on terror?
 What role does the FISA court and process play?
 What role has the NSA played within this process?

CJUS 820
Page 2 of 3
 What technologies have been employed to further this legislation?
 What role does indefinite detention play?
 What is unlawful enemy combatant?
 What aspects of the legislation is viewed as Constitutional?
 What aspects of the legislation are brought into question with regards to
the U.S. Constitution?
 How has the legislation impacted American civil liberties?
 What are the supporting arguments for the legislation?
 What are the opposing arguments against the legislation?
 How should the legislation be changed or amended?
 What are the central themes and arguments in current literature?
 What is missing from current literature?
o Scholarly articles are required. Although some information from government
sources may be used sparingly, approximately 80% of the review should
incorporate recent scholarly articles (published within the last 10 years).  
o Do not state your opinion in this section. All information provided must be
properly cited and must be from quality academic sources. To achieve this, use
direct quotations, paraphrases, and synthesized information from multiple
sources. For example, this statement synthesizes the opinions of 4 scholars:
“Researchers have argued that disaster planning is critical to minimizing the
negative effects for emergency responders (Brown, 2010; Caldwell, 2009; Moore,
2011; Stanley, 2008).”
 Conclusion
o Summarize your findings. What are the key points in the literature with regards to
the selected piece of legislation and how it impacts both the U.S. efforts in the
global war on terror?
o Since passage, how has the legislation impacted the average American citizen’s
civil liberties?
o What steps should be taken to further improve the legislation?
o What steps might be taken to reduce any potential encroachment on American
civil liberties?