S. Langlois-Bertrand

Editorial assignment
Instructions
This assignment is worth 10% of your final grade and is due before midnight on October 3rd, through
the link on cuLearn. The policy on late assignments can be found on page 2 of the course syllabus.
You must choose a topic, formulate a question, and provide an answer to it in the form of an editorial.
The topic must be approved by the instructor on (or before) September 26th through the link provided
on cuLearn, unless you take one of the suggestions below in its exact form. The objective is to write a
very short argumentative essay, 500 words maximum, where bibliographical references must be kept
to a minimum. This is thus an exercise in concision: answer in a clear and straightforward fashion,
with supporting arguments, to the question you are asking.
For the choice of topic, think of an interesting theme or question that would fall in the ‘international
relation’s sphere, perhaps a question often discussed in public debates. For instance: Are the United
States dictating Canadian security or defence policy? Is the WTO at the service of rich countries?
Should the United Nations intervene in Syria? Should we abolish the IMF? Will we run out of oil?
Should we create an international organization for the environment? Is the ‘war on terror’ over?
Should governments protect culture? Is China a threat to Canada or other countries?
Format and content requirements
• assignments must be typed, single-spaced, with a 12-point standard font (Times New Roman,
Arial, or Calibri);
• you must include a cover page with relevant information (title, course number, instructor name,
date, and word count for the body of the text);
• word limit is fixed at 500 and is a critical part of this assignment, so every sentence must be
absolutely necessary to your demonstration; going over the limit will be strictly penalized;
• structure and clarity are essential: give attention to the construction of the text, take position, be
clear. Assume that you are writing for non-expert readers in a large newspaper;
• make sure to proof-read your paper before handing it in: multiple grammatical, spelling and
punctuation errors will be penalized.