**Writing Effective Topic Sentences: A Guide for Students**Below, you will see three short paragraphs. For each paragraph, you will have to write one really good topic sentence. The topic sentence should fit at the beginning of the paragraph (but if it is easier to summarize the paragraph in one sentence, that would work too).**Tips:**- A good topic sentence should be a succinct and clear summary of what is in the paragraph and a logical transition from the previous paragraph. - Write in a clear and straightforward way, with the subject at the beginning followed by the verb and the object. - Avoid passive voice, "there is," undefined "it," throat-clearing, legalisms, buried verbs ("in violation of" instead of "violates"), and wordy phrases ("when it comes to"). - Do not start paragraphs with quotations. - Avoid sentence fragments and run-ons! - For this assignment, avoid cutting and pasting entire sentences - the assignment is to create a topic sentence for each paragraph, which is missing in each case. ### Educational Website Transcription### The Evolution of Voting Rights and Judicial Practices#### Washington D.C. Voting and Governance1. **The Twenty-Third Amendment and Further Developments**: - **1961**: The Twenty-Third Amendment granted Washington D.C. residents the right to vote for the President of the United States. - **1967**: Under President Johnson's persuasion, Congress abolished the Board of Commissioners of Washington, D.C., through Reorganization Plan #3. This action allowed for the appointment of a mayor-commissioner and a nine-member city council. - **1970**: Congress passed a law creating a nonvoting delegate for D.C. in the U.S. House of Representatives. - **1973**: The Congressional Home Rule Act was enacted, allowing D.C. to have a locally elected government comprising a mayor and a thirteen-member city council. Limitations included: - Congress retained a line-item veto over D.C.’s budget. - D.C. could not tax commuters. - D.C. judges had to be appointed by the President and confirmed by Congress. - A 30-day review period for Congress to review and veto D.C. laws was mandatory.#### Historical Judicial Practices in England2. **18th Century Judicial Reforms**: - Juries in 18th century England often avoided convicting offenders to escape enforcing mandatory penalties or capital punishment. - Courts adapted narrower interpretations of procedural and evidentiary regulations, leading to cases being dismissed on technical grounds more frequently. - Post-1706, literate laypersons who were first-time offenders could benefit from the "benefit of clergy" doctrine, initially reserved for clergymen in secular courts. - Over time, from 1756 to 1808, the proportion of death sentences declined significantly as the King granted more pardons. By 1808, only one-third of death sentences were executed; the rest were commuted to imprisonment or penal transportation.#### Theories of Punishment and Deterrence3. **Cesare Beccaria’s Principles on Punishment**: - Beccaria proposed that the effectiveness of deterrence relies on three main factors: - **Swiftness**: Punishment must follow promptly after the crime to be just and useful. - **Certainty**: The surety of punishment deters crime as individuals are instinct

Washington DC is a federal district and the capital city of the United States. DC has been governed…

Here are the five short paragraphs. 1. The Twenty-Third Amendment granted DC the right to vote for president in 1961. Then, in 1967, President Johnson persuaded Congress, under Reorganization Plan #3, to abolish the Board of Commissioners of Washington, DC, and grant him the authority to appoint a mayor- commissioner and nine-member city council. Additionally, in 1970, Congress enacted a law establishing a city-elected nonvoting delegate in the US House of Representatives. The 1973 Congresssional Home Rule Act was a breakthrough, establishing a locally elected DC government, composed of a mayor and a thirteen-member city council. The Home Rule Act had several limitations: Congress maintains a line-item veto of DC's budget; DC cannot tax commuters; DC judges must be apponted by the President and approved by Congress; and Congress has a 30-day review period to review and veto DC laws. 2. In 18th century England, juries often refused to convict offenders to avoid mandatory penalties or convicted of lesser charges. As more capital offenses were created, courts adopted narrow interpretations of procedural and evidentiary rules, which caused cases to fail on technical grounds. After 1706, literate laypersons who were first-time offenders were eligible for the "benefit of clergy" doctrine, which originally stated that clergymen could not be executed in secular courts. Finally, the proportion of death sentences actually carried out declined as the King granted more pardons. In 1756, about two-thirds of death sentences were carried out; by 1808, no more than one- eighth. Those who were not executed either had their sentences commuted to imprisonment or were transported to a penal colony. 3. First, Beccaria believed that deterrence required swiftness of punishment. "The more promptly and the more closely punishment follows upon conviction of a crime, the more just and useful it will be," he wrote. Second, Beccaria advocated certainty of punishment, writing that [e]ven the least of evils, when they are certain, always terrify men's minds." Finally, Beccaria explained that deterrence required severity of punishment. For a punishment to be effective, the possible penalty must outweigh the potential benefits of a crime.

Here are the five short paragraphs. 1. The Twenty-Third Amendment granted DC the right to vote for president in 1961. Then, in 1967, President Johnson persuaded Congress, under Reorganization Plan #3, to abolish the Board of Commissioners of Washington, DC, and grant him the authority to appoint a mayor- commissioner and nine-member city council. Additionally, in 1970, Congress enacted a law establishing a city-elected nonvoting delegate in the US House of Representatives. The 1973 Congresssional Home Rule Act was a breakthrough, establishing a locally elected DC government, composed of a mayor and a thirteen-member city council. The Home Rule Act had several limitations: Congress maintains a line-item veto of DC's budget; DC cannot tax commuters; DC judges must be apponted by the President and approved by Congress; and Congress has a 30-day review period to review and veto DC laws. 2. In 18th century England, juries often refused to convict offenders to avoid mandatory penalties or convicted of lesser charges. As more capital offenses were created, courts adopted narrow interpretations of procedural and evidentiary rules, which caused cases to fail on technical grounds. After 1706, literate laypersons who were first-time offenders were eligible for the "benefit of clergy" doctrine, which originally stated that clergymen could not be executed in secular courts. Finally, the proportion of death sentences actually carried out declined as the King granted more pardons. In 1756, about two-thirds of death sentences were carried out; by 1808, no more than one- eighth. Those who were not executed either had their sentences commuted to imprisonment or were transported to a penal colony. 3. First, Beccaria believed that deterrence required swiftness of punishment. "The more promptly and the more closely punishment follows upon conviction of a crime, the more just and useful it will be," he wrote. Second, Beccaria advocated certainty of punishment, writing that [e]ven the least of evils, when they are certain, always terrify men's minds." Finally, Beccaria explained that deterrence required severity of punishment. For a punishment to be effective, the possible penalty must outweigh the potential benefits of a crime.