Composing the Proposal Argument  

Composing the Proposal Argument                     

For the last assignment of the semester, you will write a Proposal Argument to address a specific problem you have identified in your research on public goods. You’ll add new research as appropriate, citing the sources in the paragraphs and composing a Works Cited list. In this argument, you will write 3 sections, in addition to planting at least one “naysayer” in the argument. See WA, p. 320 for a productive organization plan.

1. Describe the problem as grave enough to require a solution (may require more than 1 paragraph)
2. Propose the solution and explain how the solution will work (may require more than 1 paragraph)
3. Justify the proposed solution from 3 angles (must be 3 separate paragraphs)

Consider this example for the Proposal Argument:

Should the Texas Education Agencyenrich the current inadequate science curriculum for grades 4 and 5 by including mandatory field trips to the closest wilderness, trail, or park?

This question identifies the TEA as my audience. You will need to identify a specific audience as an agency, board, or entity that has the power to enact your proposed solution.

Here is a potential sentence outline:

1. The problem with an inadequate science curriculum is so bad it requires a solution. Here is all about the problem and this is how bad it is: _____.
2. I propose that the Texas Education Agency require field trips to the closest wilderness, trail, or park, using these guidelines: ________.
3. Here are 3 reasons why my proposal is the best one to solve the problem:
4. The ethical justification of field trips outdoors________________
5. The scientific benefits of field trips _________________________
6. The social benefits of field trips____________________________

The background sectionof the Proposal Argument on this question will include definitions of relevant terms, the demographics of the problem, and a brief history of previous attempts to solve the problem. You may already have written this information into other arguments, possibly the Causes and Consequences or the Match Argument. Now your work involves selecting which sentences from which paragraphs you can now use in a clear description of a problem for your Proposal Argument. Identify your audience in this section: Who has the power to enact your solution?

The second section of the Proposal Argument will present the details of your solution: Give a timeline for enactment, as well as an estimate of dollar costs, personnel requirements, and their related action items.

The third section of the Proposal Argument will be your defense of your proposal as the best available solution. You will need to defend the proposal from three different angles, such as the following:

• a justification on the basis of environmental improvements or on the basis of other kinds of science
• a religious defense (if not included in ethics)
• a sociological defense of the public good (how will a society be improved by your solution)
• a defense based on economics
• a defense based on political considerations.
• a defense on the basis of ethics (See Writing Arguments, pp. 286-289 and the ethics readings on D2L).

Read carefully these pages from chapter 14, “Proposal Arguments” in Writing Arguments: pp. 308-315.