Description
Objective
The objective of this assignment is to give students the opportunity to pursue a topic of their interest in relation to the course topic. It further seeks to strengthen student research and writing abilities while deepening their knowledge on a particular issue in relation to private authority in global governance. Instructions Students are expected to write a 12-15 double-spaced (12-point font Times New Roman) research paper on a topic of their choosing in relation to the course (private authority in global governance). The paper is expected to be a theoretically-informed positionbased paper that demonstrates the students’ grasp of the course topic, the particular issue of their choosing, and theory as well as senior-level research, analysis, and writing abilities. The topic must be in relation to private authority in global governance. Private authorities may include multinational corporations, global civil society actors (i.e. NGOs, social movements, religious movements), and/or illicit actors (i.e. terrorist groups or organized crime).
Attention to private authority must be at the international/global level (not at the domestic level). Topics may include, for example, how these actors engage with each other, how one or more of them relate with states, international organizations, and/or international law, the implications these actors have for a specific area of global governance (i.e. development, environmental protection, refugee assistance), or another topic that is approved by the instructor. The theoretical component of the paper can be approached in a number of ways. Students may choose to apply a particular theoretical perspective in order to make sense of the particular topic of their choosing. They may also compare theories to their particular topic and assess which theory does the best job of explaining and/or understanding the issue.
