Battling the Six Evil Geniuses of Essay Writing Author(s): Charles King Source: PS: Political Science and

Politics, Vol. 31, No. 1 (Mar., 1998), pp. 59-63 Published by: American Political Science Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/420435 . Accessed: 29/09/2013 16:08
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Battlingthe Six Evil Geniuses of Essay Writing

East." PS: PoliticalScienceand Politics 29(4): 696-700. and JohnEsposito. 1995. "Islam Voll, John, Has StrongDemocraticTraditions."In Islam: OpposingViewpoints, ed. Paul A. Winters. San Diego: GreenhavenPress. In UnWeiner,Myron.1987a. "Introduction." PoliticalDevelopment, ed. Myderstanding ron Weinerand Samuel P. Huntington. Boston: Little,Brownand Company. . 1987b. "PoliticalChange: Asia, Africa,and the Middle East." In Understanded. Myron ingPoliticalDevelopment, Weinerand Samuel P. Huntington. Boston: Little,Brownand Company. Paul A. ed. 1995. Islam: Opposing Winters, San Diego: GreenhavenPress. Viewpoints. Wolin,Sheldon S. 1968. "Paradigmsand PoliticalTheories." In Politicsand Experiences:EssaysPresented to Michael Oakeed. PrestonKing and B. C. Parekh. shott, Press. Cambridge:CambridgeUniversity . 1969. "PoliticalTheoryas a Vocation."American PoliticalScienceReview 63(4): 1062-82. Yazdi, AyatollahMohammad. 1997. "The Do Not Have the Rightto Non-Clergy 'Interfere' in Politics."Speech Excerpted in Iran Times,July 25, 1. Zubaida, Sami. 1993. Islam, thePeople and the State:PoliticalIdeas and Movements in the MiddleEast. London and New York: I.B. Tauris Publishers.

About the Author

Masoud Kazemzadeh teaches politicalscience at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is the recipient of the WesternPolitical Science Association's"Best Dissertationin PoliticalScience Award" for 1996. He also receivedan Honorable Mentionfromthe FoundationforIranian Studies forthe "Best Dissertation of the Year on a Topic of Iranian Studies" (1996). He is the authorof Why Khomeini?Class and Genderin theRise of Islamic Fundamentalism in Iran (forthcoming).

the Six EvilGeniuses of Essay Writing Battling

Charles King, Georgetown University

E ssay questions,termpapers,"takehome" finals, researchpapers,and are standardcompoprojectreports nentsof mostpoliticalscience courses.Professors mayask students to writean essay as partof a midtermof finalexam,or to hand in extendedpapers completedoutside class thathave requiredsubstantial researchin the university or library elsewhere.These kindsof assignmentsnot onlygiveprofessors a chance to evaluate students' skillsas writers and critical thinkers theyalso a chance to reflect serigive students issues at the ouslyon contentious heartof the study of politics:What is democracy? What makes people vote forPartyA and not forParty B? Do ideas affect the way people behave politically? Whydo revolutionsoccur? How do statesinteract in the international arena? What determines the shape of a state's foreign policy?Whydo countries go to war? But university students are smart, sometimes too smartby half.They have learned severaltricks of the trade and are all too essay-writing to employthem,especially willing when it comes to answering essay are questionson exams.These tricks to be sure-fire thought techniques forwriting essays and gettingpassing grades, for theyhave been tried and tested by generationsof firstyear college students,including
March 1998

manyof the students'professors duringtheirown college days. These tricksare all, however,inspired by one of at least Six Evil Geniuses of Essay Writing.By falling prey to one of the Evil Geniuses, studentsare guaranteed of gettingless than fullpoints for theirwork; more importantly, signs that the Evil Geniuses are at work normallyconvince professorsthat studentsvalue gettinga passing grade over learning. Students, especiallyin introducshouldbe encouraged courses, tory to avoid the companyof the Six Evil Geniuses and to beware theirevil ways.This articleexposes the work of these devilishly cleverfiendsand offers hintsforstudents and professors on how to resisttheirwiles. Most teaching are alprofessionals withthe familiar readyintimately Evil Geniuses,eitherbecause they have graded essaysin whichthese characters have been at workor, more disturbingly, because they themselves have succumbedto their charmsduringperiodsof intellectual weakness.This articlepresentsone framework foraddressing some of the keyconcernsundergraduates have about writing essaysin political science courses,a framework whichI have used to good effect when teaching myown introductory political science sections.

the Six Identifying Evil Geniuses

The Six Evil Geniuses of Essay Writingcome in manydifferent but theirmain avatars are forms, described below. Examples of each of the Genius's "best" work are also provided. Evil GeniusNo. 1: The Sycophant The Sycophant thinks thatif he butters up the reader-by commenton the lecturesor on ing positively the readingassignments-theprofessor will be likelyto ignorethe contentof the essay itself. For example: Question: Whyare politicalscientists concernedwiththe conceptof "politicalculture"? Essay: In theirbrilliant, path-breakingwork,Almond and Verba address the conceptof politicalculture.As Professor Jones demonstrated in her excellentand the conceptof lecture, stimulating politicalcultureis important. By Jonescousingit,as Professor gently argued,politicalscientists can explaina numberof political phenomena.... is, of course,a bad Sycophantism idea. Essays like thisread more like the minutesof a Soviet communist partycongressthan a responseto an exam question.The factthata professorhas assigneda particular read59

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The Teacher ing duringa course is no guarantee thatthe author thathe or she thinks of the readingis "right." Indeed, to engage the student'sability testing withassignedreadings, incritically stead of merely them as accepting factbecause theyare written by professionalacademics,is one of the chiefreasonsforaskingessay questions in the first place. Evil GeniusNo. 2: The Rakish Raconteur The Rakish Raconteuris the first The Raconcousin of the Sycophant. teurfeelsthatwriting in a conversationalstyleand usingthe essay as a withthe profesway of "conversing" sor will allow her innatewitand charmto mask her lack of knowledge. Question: Discuss the contrasting viewsof "modernization theory" and "dependency Which theory." one givesa betteraccountof economicdevelopment? the Essay: Well, as I was thinking othernight, modernization and are reallytwo sides of dependency the same coin. I mean, afterall, who can say who is more modern thansomeone else? But seriously question?),there (is thisa trick are a couple of waysthatone differsfromthe other.Modernizathink thatthe worldis lintionists ear and ordered(theyshould see mydormroom!) .... nothing-not even the essay question itself-willprevent himfrom it all down on paper. getting Question: What did Tocqueville mean when he wroteabout the of "associations"in importance Americanciviclife? Essay: Alexis de Tocquevillewas a young(26 yearsold) Frenchtraveler and writer who visitedAmerica for9 monthsin 1831-1832and wrotea book on his travels, publishedin twovolumesin Frenchin and in its English 1835-1840, translation as Democracyin America. His purpose in comingto the youngUnited States (in whichhe visited17 of the 24 statesat the time),whichhad engaged in a revolutionwithGreat Britainover a halfcentury beforeand had Constituadopted an independent tion,was actuallyto writea report on the Americanprisonsystem. He traveled withan associate, Gustave Beaumont (see map and sketchof Beaumonton next page), .... Of course,it is alwaysa good idea to let the readerknowthatone has fullcommandof the facts, but in a congeriesof irrelevant throwing factoids without the quesaddressing tion at hand is neverhelpful. The Sanitary Engineerhas accumulateda and his greatdeal of information, to recall it all is certainly imability But while his skills pressive. might be usefulin a game of TrivialPursuit,theywill not necessarily help him answerthe essay question. actorscannotbe ing preferences, rationalunless theyhave entruly to rotating gaged in side-payments creditorganizations. This gives Mancur Olson a collectiveaction problemfromwhichhe cannot reasonablyrecover.... The Jargon-Meister appears to make an argument-and a forceful one at that.But once one peels away the terminology, it is clear thatthe essay reallyhas verylittlecontent. Politicalscience,like all academic has its own particular disciplines, language;complexconceptsand ideas are expressedthrough terms and phrasesthatsometimes appear to the uninitiated. impenetrable Learningto wield these termseffecis part of doingpoliticalscitively ence well,but theiruse should not get in the way of makinga clear and accessible argument. Evil GeniusNo. 5: The Bait-andSwitch Artist The Bait-and-Switch Artist is a masterof prestidigitation. She enin which gages in a sleight-of-hand she substitutes a new essay question forthe one thatappears on the page-and poof! the originalessay questionmagically disappears.Her callingcard is the word "while."

Question: Evaluate Theda Skocpol's on the originsof social argument revolutions. This student mayhave a greatcaEssay: While Theda Skocpol makes reer sellingused cars,but her prosand important manyinteresting about the originsof pects in anyjob thatrequiresserious arguments skillsare definitely limited. Evil GeniusNo. 4: TheJargon-Meister social revolutions, the conceptof analytical This styleis guaranteedto turnoff cultureis also extremely political The Jargon-Meister to attempts relevant. Politicalculturecan be any professor. Essay questionsare a the with science. reader blind Using tool professors use to assess a studefinedas the arrayof beliefsand an arrayof politicalscience termsto fordent'sknowledgeand ability normsin a givensocietyabout the most of whichhe probablydoes not mulatea clear argument. They of politicalactorsand legitimacy understand-he hopes to lull the should not be viewedas a chance to institutions political ... reader into a state of social science hang out withthatlecturedude, ecstasy.In such a state,the JargonknowwhatI'm saying? The Bait-and-Switch Artist maygo Meisterthinks, will the professor on to write a brilliant but not essay, Evil GeniusNo. 3: The Sanitary ignorethe factthatthe essay really one that answers the that question at all. says nothing Engineer was originally asked. Of course, one's What do some theorists The Sanitary Question: highlighting knowledgein parEngineer(known correct ticularareas is a usefulstrategy mean when theysay thathumans long ago, in a less politically are "rationalactors"? whenwriting exam essays,but ifthe age, as a "garbageman") is an exat He has is an exogenous Essay: Rationality pert mind-dumping. responseprovidedfailsto address crammeda huge amountof facts, componentof selectiveincentives. the questionasked, even the most As such,and in directcontradicand otherinformaterms, typologies, insightful essaywill not receivemuch tion intohis short-term and tion to the conceptof endogenizattention fromthe professor. memory, 60 PS: Political Science & Politics

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Battlingthe Six Evil Geniuses of Essay Writing

Evil GeniusNo. 6: The Knee-Jerk Nihilist Nihilist is the most The Knee-Jerk most sophisticated, dangerous,and mostevil of the Geniuses. He has takenan introductory probably course in literary theory, quantum but has or postmodernism, physics, mostof what he learned. forgotten The one thing he took away from was a fundathese courses,though, thatthe world mentalconviction aroundus is just too complicated and too contradictory forus to make anysense of it. He also believes that are because all our judgments clouded by our own prejudices, anyone's opinionis just as good as anyNihilist is one else's. The Knee-Jerk oftenseen wearingblack and reading Nietzsche.He is also fondof quotationmarks. Question: What makes a political democratic? system Essay: Democracyis a relativeconcept. In fact,the conceptof "conWords mean cept" is also relative. whatever we wantthemto "mean," and thisis especiallytrue for"democracy." For some, it means "free"elections.For others, it means keepingyourown thugs"in power" and keepingthe enemythugs"out of power."No one can ever give a coherentdefibecause it alwaysdepends nition, And since the on the "context." the "context"is alwaysshifting, also "concept"of "democracy" shifts .... The Knee-Jerk Nihilist is smart. He has read a greatdeal and about issues. He seriously thought has become so disillusioned about of our arriving at any the possibility of the world, real understanding thathe has mortgaged his however, powersof analysisfora modishslaveryto intellectual skepticism. Battling the Six Evil Geniuses How can students exorcisethe Six Evil Geniuses? On theirown,they probablycan't. In the rushto finish exam essaysin the allottedtime,the temptationsof the Geniuses can oftenlead even the most steadfast studentsastray.Fortunately, March 1998

though,there are several practical ways professorscan assist students in theirbattles with these diabolical forces. The Evil Geniuses are most likelyto appear the momentstudents gaze upon a sheet of essay questions and begin to thinkabout the enormity of the task before them. In tacklingessay questions on timed exams, studentsoften face three problems:

paper or take-homefinal), they should ask themselvestwo sets of questions:

Whatdoes theessayquestionreally say? Whatkindsof issuesis it asking me to address?Whatassumptions lie behindthequestionitself? ask essay questionsfor Professors a reason. They use essaysas a way of getting students to go beyondthe materialpresentedin class and in the requiredreadingsforthe course. * First,some students mayfeel that to intendforstudents They normally they just do not knowwhereto reflect on the information critically begin: "How can I answera questheyhave received,assess itsvalidity, tionthat'sso broad? I just don't thinkabout its implications, and use have enoughinformation." it creatively in orderto answerthe * Second, even iftheyfeel they questionthathas been posed. knowsomething about the subject, Spendinga fewminutes thinking students maywonderhow to orgaabout whatthe questionreallyasks in orderto nize the information is therefore crucialto exam success. presenta coherentand convincing In fact,it is the student who failsto "How do I begin to put argument: analyzethe questionwho will be all the variouspieces to together mostsusceptible to the charmsof the puzzle so thatwhat I say Evil Genius No. 3, the Sanitary Enmakes sense?" whose mottois always gineer, * Finally, students maybe unsure wastes time;just start "Thinking about the relationship betweenthe At the same time,though, writing." of factualinformation most presentation are not lookingsimprofessors and the expression of theirown ply foran extendedanalysisof the viewson the issue at hand: "The a strategy oftenfolquestionitself, nevertold me whether professor lowed by Evil Genius No. 6, the he wantedme to repeatwhat he who spends so Knee-Jerk Nihilist, had said in class, or if he was just muchtimepickingapart the queslookingformyopinion." tion thathe nevergetsaround to it. It is oftensaid that answering have theirown Clearly, professors a writing good essay questionis as individual idiosyn(and sometimes difficult as writing a good essay; views on the of cratic) place essays whilemostprofessors would probaand otherwriting in uniassignments find an that addresses the bly essay education.But the ideas preversity of the itself a shortcomings question sentedbelow can help students imuseful and welcome form of feedtheir skills, prove essay-writing back, those essaysthatnevermove theirability to write particularly beyonda critiqueof the questionare clear and convincing essayson timed to receivefullmarks. unlikely exams. In myundergraduate classes, the use of the Evil Geniuses frameWhatare themostuseful sourcesof workhas helped students become on which I can drawin information more aware of the rhetorical techorder to the answer What question? niques thattheyuse in theirown data kinds will best of support myaraddressby self-consciously writing; gument? and of of form style ing questions course, During any semester-long argumentation earlyon in the students encounter a amount huge course,usingthe ideas outlinedbeof information, both factualand conhave been able low, manystudents Influenced ceptual. by Evil Geniuses to fendoffthe Geniuses when they Nos. and 3 the 4, Sanitary Engineer come calling. inevitably and the Jargon-Meister, manystuat theBeginning Start When studentstreatessay questionsas dumpdents first read an essay question that ing groundsforthe information on an exam (or begin to think theyacquired in the days and weeks about an assigned topic for a term precedingthe exam. They pile on 61

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TheTeacher factafterfact,conceptafterconcept, date afterdate, name aftername, withlittlethought about whether all thisinformation helps themanswer in enough the question."If I throw a student stuff," maysay,"at least will knowthatI've the professor been payingattention." Wrong.The will knowthatthe student professor managed to crama greatdeal of irrelevant information intoher shorttermmemory. But whether she has about the issues at reallythought to hand,i.e., used her knowledge reflect on an important critically questionin politicalscience,will remain a mystery. Afterthe studenthas determined the generalkindof responsethatthe to elicit,she essay questionis trying should ask herself whichbitsof inwill be the mostrelevant formation and mosthelpfulin supporting the Afterdoing essay's overallargument. the readingand attending the lechave enough tures,students certainly information to answerthe question The crucialtask,though, effectively. is to organizethe information and to presentit in a way thatbuttresses the essay'smain theme. Is Everything, Almost. Organization Because theyhave not stoppedto ask themselves the questionsabove, students into an many plungeright about how to essaywithout thinking "If I just get organizetheirthoughts. stuff down on enough paper," a student might argue,"thenthe professor will at least knowthatI've tried to answerthe question."Wrong will knowthat again. The professor Evil Geniuses Nos. 2 and 3, the Rakish Raconteurand the Sanitary Engineer,are at work,not thatthe studenthas thought about seriously the question. Once the student has determined what the questionis askingand has on the spenta fewminutes reflecting thatwould be kindsof information usefulin attempting to answerit,he should thenspend some timesketching out the formthatthe essaywill take. Make an Outline.The studentmight be encouragedto sketchout the structure of the essay,perhapsin the exam bookletitself, in the formof a briefoutline,flowchart,diagram, or whatever formshe finds mosthelpful 62 in organizing her thoughts. The importantthingis to have a clear idea of whatshe wantsto say and how she is goingto say it beforeshe beginswriting. There is an additionaladvantage to writing an outlineor essay plan. It mayturnout thatthe studentsimply budgetedher timepoorlyand did not have timeto completethe entire essay as planned. If the professor sees thatthe student had a clear vision of whatshe wantedto argue, she may receive at least some credit for the incompleteessay. On the other hand, if she managed to fillup a dozen pages withoutmaking a coherentargument-a strategy encouraged by several of the Evil Geniuses-chances are that the professorwill remain relatively unimpressed. Keep It Simple. No one reallylearns he needs to knowin kineverything but do oftenfordergarten, students get important writing techniquesthat theylearned in grade school. One of those is what,in bygonedays,used to be called a "three-point enumeration." This formof essay-writing consisted of an opening paragraph, three further substantive paragraphs and a conclusion. The opening paragraph set out the general ideas that would be explored,the three following paragraphsexpanded on each of those ideas, and the finalparagraphwrapped up what the essay said. The same format-withperhaps some modifications-canbe used to writeresponsesto essay questions. The openingparagraphshould state clearlythe main pointthe student wishesto make in the essay.Someone should be able to read the first sentenceand knowexactly how the studentplans to answerthe question. Being too cute is nevera good idea-~the advice of Evil Genius No. 1, the Sycophant, notwithstandingbut a catchyopeningsentencewhich statessimply and clearlythe line of the studentintendsto take argument is alwaysdesirable.Other sentences in the first paragraphshould then sentenceand sketch supportthe first out the waysin whichsubsequent will expand on the theme paragraphs of the essay itself. Next,in the body of the essay,each paragraphshould make a clear and discretepoint,and thatpointshould supportthe overall The concluding argument. paragraph should summarize whatthe student has said in the preceding paragraphs and remindthe reader of the main All Americanswantcloargument. sure,even on exam essays. PoliticalScienceIs Not Just"A Matter of Opinion." Essay questionsare not extended short-answer questions.A professor puts essay questionson exams to solicita student's informed viewson a particular subjectthatshould have been masteredin the course,not to see ifthe studentcan repeatverbatimwhatthe professor said in class. In thissense,essay questionsdo ask forstudents' "opinions,"but theyare afterbeing shaped by that, opinions information presentedin the course, should be intelligent, and informed, well-structured. No conceptualquestionsin politicalscience have onceand-for-all answers.Essay questions ask students to address important issues by usingtheirbrains-cona coherent, structing logical,and informed viewon a giventopic.After in a course of lecturesand sitting the doing requiredreading,any unistudentshouldbe more than versity such a task.A capable of completing student's"opinion" should have evolvedand become more sophisticated, and she should have developed a reasonablelevel of expertise in the main issues addressedduring the course itself. Her "opinions" forthey were what the promatter, fessorwas trying to get her to develop all along. to the mantras of Again,contrary severalof the Evil Geniuses,essays are not simply receptaclesforregurStudents' gitatedfactualinformation. of facts can be assessed knowledge usingmultiple-choice, true/false, shortidentification, definition, answer,and a range of otherexaminationquestionformats, mostof whichtheyencountered in grade school. At the college level,however, students are expectedto think, and thinking requirescreatively usingthe knowledgetheyhave acquired to take a clear positionon a contentious issue. How do theydo all that?First, theyshouldbe encouragedto make PS: Political Science & Politics

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theSix EvilGeniuses ofEssayWriting Battling an argument, take a stance,stake out a position.Simplyreelingoff dates and names,usingpoliticalscias muchas ence jargon,or writing possible in the hope thatsomething will bubble through will intelligent not do the trick. Second, theyshould withrelevant supporttheirargument facts, conceptsand otherinformato the essay tion thatrelatedirectly if it even Irrelevance, question. comes in volume,is stillirrelevance. and ultiIt clouds the argument the convinces that mately professor the student reallyhas no idea what about. Third,how crehe is talking a student makes an argument atively is alwaysimportant. Stylematters. Some professors mayeven prefer and essaysthatare well-structured but not particularly brilwell-written that contain a to those liant, truly cloaked in language originalinsight thatwould make Websterand Fowler turnin theirgraves.Writing a sonnetor a shortone-actplay is not usuallya good idea, but a student should be encouragedto bring to bear on all his skillsas a writer the essay topic.Afterall, thatis why the questionis an essay question, or short-anratherthana true/false swer.Finally,an essay mustanswer the question,a pointwhichis often to as students fallvictim forgotten Evil Geniuses Nos. 3 and 5, the SanitaryEngineerand the Bait-andIf a student writes SwitchArtist. but never page after page of text, reallyaddressesthe issue at hand, willbe likelyto award fewprofessors muchcredit. a estlyand openlythe task of writing responseare the mostimportant the lure of the waysof combating Evil Geniuses. They can sometimes be hard to resistbut,like forUlysses to the mast,the relashinghimself is survival. ward of steadfastness By the wiles of the Evil understanding Geniuses of Essay Writing and takto resist their ing steps temptations, students can improvetheirability to writeclear and powerful essaysthat will help themorganizetheir and deepen theirunderthoughts of keyissues in political standing science. And that,afterall, is why theysignedup forthe course in the first place.

Vigilanceand IntellectualHonesty
The Six Evil Geniuses come in myriad guises,but avoidingthemand theirilk is essentialto writing quality essays.Althoughthe Evil Geniuses are mostlikelyto strikeduring timedexam essays,theycan also sometimes be foundhovering around take-homeexams and term the papers. In any of these instances, chiefantidoteto an Evil Genius is intellectual Reading the honesty. or spending essay questioncritically timethinking hard about a paper one's intopic,and thenmustering tellectualresourcesto approachhon-

About theAuthor
Charles King holds the Ion Ratiu Chair of Romanian Studies at Georgetown University. He is coeditor, withNeil Melvin,of Nations Abroad: Diaspora Politicsand International Relationsin theFormer SovietUnion (forthcoming),and is the authorof numerousarticles and book chapterson nationalism, the Balkans,Romania, and othersubjects.

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