One essay of around 5 pages on a question I provide

ASSIGNMENTS—70 percent of your course grade
One essay of around 5 pages on a question I provide—approximately 20 percent of your grade
One longer research paper, 20-25 pages—approximately 35 percent of your grade
This paper will test a theoretically-derived proposition through some form of comparison. The paper may focus on particular countries or groups of countries; it can rely on a small number of cases or a large-N dataset, either the same countries on which we focus in class or different ones. In any case, this paper will require a significant amount of outside research. More information on this paper will be provided later in the semester, but it is never too early to start thinking about what you want to do.
Final exam—15 percent. The final exam will be a single question of the sort that students might encounter in a field exam. Students may use well-organized notes during the exam but will not have time to rely on them heavily.