Short paper 1
I live in Denver
easy to understandinggood grammar
Short Paper #1: Letter to a Representative
This assignment involves two parts:
1. Locating contact information for your representatives
2. Selecting one of these representatives and writing a letter requesting him/her to take a specific action
Locate Contact Information
1. Register to vote and/or figure out where you are registered to vote, if eligible. Note: If you are not eligible to vote in the United States (i.e. you’re not 18, you’re not a citizen, etc.), you are still allowed to contact the representatives for the area where you reside, and so you should locate this information for your current U.S. address. Just make sure to note that you’re a resident instead of a voter in your letter.
2. Research three individuals who represent you from three levels of government:
a. A local representative (such as a mayor or a member of the city council)
b. A state representative (such as a governor, state Senator, or state representative)
c. A national representative (such as a U.S. Senator, representative, or President)
3. For each of these representatives, locate and record the following information:
a. Full name
b. Website address
c. Phone number
d. Mailing address
Write a Letter to Your Representative
Identify an issue you personally care about, and determine who would be best positioned to take action on this issue – a local representative, a state representative, or a national representative. Do some research, and identify a specific action you would like one of your representatives to take. For example, rather than saying “please support (or oppose) gun control,” you might identify a specific bill the representative could vote for or against. Think about how you could persuade your representative to take this action, considering his/her party, issue positions, past actions, electoral incentives, etc. Write a letter to the representative asking him/her to take the action and explaining your reasoning. Your letter should be about 1 single-spaced page, including contact information, salutation, etc.
When I’m grading this assignment, here’s what I’ll be looking for:
1. A clear statement of the specific action you want your representative to take (introduce a bill, vote for/against a bill, veto/sign a bill, etc.)
2. A brief explanation of why this issue/action is important to you (about 1 paragraph).
3. A brief argument for why the representative should take the action you are recommending, tailored to information you have researched about the representative and the issue/action (about 1-2 paragraphs).
4. Clear, concise, and error-free writing and a polite, professional tone.
To submit this assignment: Combine both your list of contact information and your letter into one Word document, and post to Canvas before the due date.