Response Paper # 2 – Predicting the Arc of Donald Trump’s Spectacle Prompt:
How will Donald Trump’s presidential spectacle unfold? A longtime celebrity, Trump’s 2016 campaign demonstrated an unusual mastery of public spectacles. Trump rode into the White House exploiting media coverage of his massive campaign rallies and outlandish statements. He belittled rivals during televised debates and promised easy solutions to difficult national problems. Nine months into Trump’s presidency, his tweets and public statements remain the center of the news cycle. Trump is battling the mainstream media, which he derides as fake news. Citizens and pundits around the world remained glued to their TVs and news streams, anxious to hear what Trump will say next.
This prompt has two components. First, unpack Miroff’s concept of a presidential spectacle. What spurred the rise of increased presidential spectacles? In Miroff’s view, do spectacles enhance or undermine American democracy? Second, drawing on your own assessment of Trump’s behavior and political accomplishments, predict how the rest of Trump’s presidential spectacle will unfold. Will he sustain mastery over spectacles like Ronald Reagan? Will he artfully maneuver a “postmodern” spectacle like Bill Clinton? Will Trump’s spectacle “sour” like George W. Bush’s? Or will Trump focus narrowly on policy questions like Barack Obama? Choose among these four subtypes and explain why Trump’s spectacle will parallel one of these presidents’ experience. In your thesis statement, address the prompt’s second component directly (e.g. Based on Trump’s demonstrated mastery of spectacle, this paper argues President Trump will successfully command public attention throughout his presidency like Ronald Reagan).
Feel free to draw evidence from Bruce Miroff’s article, the Ellis text, and the Frontline Documentary: “Trump’s Road to the White House” http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/trumps-road-to-the-white-house/
Instructions:
Completed papers are due uploaded through Canvas before class on 10/16 at 1 pm. On the canvas course page, click on the “Assignments” tab on the left-hand menu and select “Response Paper #2.” Canvas will provide a link to upload your document as either a word document or as a pdf.
Essays should be 4-6 double-spaced pages, use a normal sized font (12 point), and regular margins. Use in-text parenthetical references (Miroff 2014, 17) for assigned works or lectures (Thompson, 8/28/17). If you choose to cite texts not assigned in the course, include a separate works cited page.
Helpful Hints:
– Review the feedback from your first response paper.
– Begin your essay with a thesis statement and stick to it. Preview your argument in the thesis statement.
Response Paper # 2 – Predicting the Arc of Donald Trump’s Spectacle
– Support your argument with evidence. What evidence supports your argument? What evidence supports the opposing view? Why does the body of evidence support your view?
– Avoid run-on sentences. Strong arguments make direct statements supported by evidence.
– Craft each paragraph to develop one component of your argument.
– Save time to edit. Read your paper aloud before submitting. Have a peer review your paper before submission. Go the USF Writing Studio. Collaboration on discussing concepts and arguments is fine. Plagiarism is not.
