. Part of the exam is assessing how appropriate the documents you chose to use are to your topic. Please be careful in your choices.
2. Terms will not be considered correct unless you engage how Judt approaches them. This does not mean you simply need to cite from Judt once, but if you disagree with his approach you must take into consideration his argument. You are free to use additional sources (online, library, etc) but no term will count unless you also include Judt’s treatment of it.
3) Essays should keep track of temporal issues – you can make an argument about causes, but you should have a clear idea about timeline, and influence.
Assignment
You must write an essay of no less than 1250 words and no more than 2,000 words, based on a clear thesis. That thesis must construct an original argument that links no less than seven terms from each of the groups. The purpose is not simply to compare and contrast, but to make an argument about larger processes, trends or concepts that encompass those terms.
Make sure you cite your sources appropriatey.
There are multiple possible arguments that you can make; there is no single “correct” answer. There are, however, many possible wrong answers. See “tips” below.
TERMS FOR ESSAY 1
Three documents of your choice from course reading packet.
Four of the following:
1) NATO
2) OECD
3) ECSC
4) EDC (European Defense Community)
5) Bretton Woods
6) “Treaty of Rome”
7) Welfare state
8) Western European Economic Miracle
Hints and Tips
• Look to make a relatively sophisticated argument. Don’t go for low-hanging fruit or facile comparisons.
• You must cite your evidence — variously from Judt, lecture or the texts.
The temptation will be to write an “8-paragraph” essay — an intro, a paragraph on each term, and a conclusion. Avoid this. Think about what’s your argument; then think about how you could break that argument down into 3 or 4 major points; and think about how each term, text or source relates to those sub-points.