So often, influential people make claims about the way things are (or should be) based on their own ideological beliefs and not on actual facts.  This essay is all about finding and interpreting real data to “fact-check” such statements and learn the real truth, not what others want you to believe.  For this exercise, you’ll compare talk and reality around some aspect of work and money in America; then once you know the truth, you’ll apply some sociological theory to go beyond the headlines and really explain what’s happening. 

1. A quote describing the American economy, American workers, or work in America. Your quote must fit all of these guidelines:

• Printed by a legitimate news source (major newspaper, magazine, news website) within the last 5 years or so.
• Spoken by a prominent “opinion leader” (someone many people listen to, like a politician, reporter, religious leader, famous businessperson, etc.).
• Makes a claim about something real that you can fact-check with a statistic (NOT a feeling, dream, thoughts on God or human nature, etc…)

1. A statistic printed by a legitimate source (news, academic articles/books, government report, etc.) or pulled from a database (like the World Bank, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census, etc.) that clearly relates to your quote.
2. Explain whether your statistic either proves or disproves what the quote said. (If neither, you need a new statistic, or quote, or both!)
3. Now that you know the truth, pick at least one major sociological theory (functionalism, conflict theory, interactionism) and use it to explain the meaning of your statistic.
4. An in-text citation following your quote and your statistic, and a separate “references page” detailing the sources of your quote and statistic.

• Use any format you’re comfortable with—APA, MLA, ASA…just be consistent.
• Your references page does not count toward the 2-3 page recommended length for this essay.

Citations and references are important.  Small errors in format make you look unprofessional, and will cost you a few points.  Major errors may make it impossible for me to track down your sources myself, so your quote and/or statistic may not count (how do I know you didn’t make them up?), which will cost you way more points.  And complete lack of quotation marks, citations, and references means you’re plagiarizing, which will get you a zero for the assignment.

Try to give equal attention to explaining the quote, comparing it to the statistic, and your sociological analysis at the end.  Each task should get about the same amount of space in this essay.

some of good source quote:

www.time.com

www.nytimes.com

www.washingtonpost.com

www.foxnews.com

www.cnn.com

www.nbcnews.com

www.baynews9.com

Some quote ideas: