Techniques to Help You Bridge the CP and AP:

Six Argument Strategies for Developing Your AP

In order to develop a strong advocacy argument you will need to describe and evaluate solutions— explain the strengths of each solution (what it does well; why it works) and also why it will not work or is not enough. You will also have to advocate for what you think needs to happen, explain the reasons why you think/know your “solution” is the right way to go, build a case for why the solution you propose in your THESIS is the right one. In order to do this well you will need to use your sources and see which of the AP argumentative frameworks below are relevant to explain your reasons why you think this solution will work/NOT WORK

Causation: What root causes of the problem must my solutions analyze and address? Does this solution really address the root causes of the problem?

Research Direction: To support this analysis you need further evidence for root causes, perhaps socioeconomic, historical.

Coverage: Do the potential solutions addressed by scholars and experts satisfactorily address the problem for a significant number of the most affected people?

Research Direction: To support coverage analysis you will need to show how many people or what groups of people have been most affected

Cost/Benefit: Do the solutions debated by experts exceed the costs? Are the benefits worth the costs?

Research Direction: To support a cost/benefit analysis you will need to details how much it will cost and weight this against the potential benefits that will result and how long it will take for benefits to be seen.

Feasibility: Are the solutions, or is the solution feasible? Is one or another easy enough to implement or not likely to happen give the current economic, social, climate? Does a solution have enough support from different parties to make it happen? is there too much opposition from powerful parties that could shut it down?

Research Direction: To support a feasibility analysis you will need to present evidence to show that implementation of a particular solution is feasible in terms of money, time, and support. You may also need to show that there is enough political and popular support

Comparison: Comparison is usually a type of feasibility argument. To make a comparative argument, you ask, Have similar solutions been tried before? Did they work well, not so well, or fail in another comparable contexts?

Research Direction: To support a comparative analysis, you present evidence to show, for example, that another similar solution has worked in a similar context (in another state, school, or in the past). In addition, you must show that the other context is similar enough to the current situation you exposed in your CP.

Social Justice/Doing Right: You can also develop your analysis of a solution by arguing that it is the right thing to do from a social justice standpoint. Given our current social and political context, it is ethically or morally the right thing to do. Does this solution address an ongoing social justice issue? Is it just? Does it seem fair? Would I do the same in that position? Does this solution align with the values of our society, country, state? Does the solution align with what the people want in the various movements for social justice that have emerged recently?

Personal Experience: You can use your own personal experience, or the experiences of someone you know to develop your arguments--the only caveat is that you use your personal experience along with one of your sources--use the source as a lens to view your experience