Position Essay Examples to Help You Grasp The Idea

If you are a student, then the phrase “position paper” makes total sense to you. You probably received this assignment at school after a short explanation of the concept. And all you need now are several good position paper examples that will help you understand how your own composition should really look like.

Writing a position paper sample is a serious job. You cannot just make a statement with no supporting evidence for your position and hope that such an essay will do the trick. You have to take your time and do your homework.

In this article, we will walk you step by step through three position paper samples showing you what makes each one of them outstanding.

What is a position essay?

A position essay is a composition in which a person presents an arguable statement about something and demonstrates why he or she believes it is valid and worth listening to.

Its main goal is to present an idea. However, it is somewhat close to a persuasive or an argumentative essay, so one must be very careful when creating it.

Here is our first position essay sample. Read and learn from our authors!

Position essay sample #1: Helping those in need: how can we really help the poor across the oceans?

DoSomething reports that around 3 billion people worldwide live on $2.5 a day while 1.3 billion have even less – about $1.25 a day. Poverty leads to malnutrition which kills over 22.000 children every day.

750 million do not have clean drinking water, and as a result, around 2.300 people die of diarrhea or poor sanitation every single day.

As you read these statements, real people with real lives died after struggling with horrible living conditions.They could not win this fight on their own; they just don’t have the power for it.

People like me and you born in a country where provisions of light are seen as a lawful right, and not a blessing have only a slight idea of what poverty really is. No wonder we don’t rush to help the developing countries.

The problem, as I see it, lies in our understanding of what this concept truly means.

Poverty is not just about having a less comfortable life than what you are used to. It is definitely not about having fewer luxuries in our lives. And I want to make it clear that the poor in the developing countries do not have the privilege of having a roof over their head, clean water, and plain food.

Poverty those 3 billion people are facing daily is about having little to no access to clean water, food supplies, or medicine to keep them up and running. They do not have discounts and privileges. They are striving to survive!

So, it’s high time we saw the reality and stood up to help those needing our help!

The question is how exactly we as students can help people living in poverty?

I have gathered several good options which you can consider with me to make a difference.

How to help the poor when you are a student

1. Volunteer at an international organization.
   You can make a difference in someone’s life by joining a program that makes lives people living in poverty better.
   For instance, an organization called Global Crossroad can be a good choice for you. They are organizing trips for young people from all over the world to the corners of the globe where their help is most needed. Thus, you can help kids living on the streets in Peru, feed the poor at a food stand in Uganda, teach English to underprivileged kids in Argentina, or work at an orphanage in India. Your impact there will be truly priceless.
   There are tons of other organization doing the same good thing all over the world. Join them, and you won’t regret it! This experience will indeed change your life and make you into a brand-new person!
2. Support a volunteer.
   If you do not have an opportunity to go somewhere, support someone financially. If you have the heart for the poor or want to help your heart grow, donate money to a volunteer who is willing to go to a different part of the world to help the poor.
   Your investment is valuable, so don’t hesitate!
3. Donate money.
   As a student, you might have a pretty busy schedule, so going places can be a tough call. But you can always donate money to trustworthy organizations for them to take care of those who are now struggling with all sorts of hardships in life.
   Even a few dollars can make a huge difference, and we all know that we can give more than that!
4. Help the locals.
   Even though the word “poverty” is quite stretched, there are still people that need help around you. So, look for organizations taking care of such people and join them in their effort to make a world a better place.
   For instance, DoSomething has recently run a campaign called “Teens for Jeans.” They collected gently-worn jeans for teens that could not afford to get a pair of new ones. There are dozens of other opportunities to help the poor in your community, so maybe start there and then consider going overseas to help!

We cannot stay indifferent to the problem of poverty: sympathy is what makes us humans. So, I hope the facts mentioned above will persuade you that the problem is real and much more significant than we thought while the suggestions of how to help and solve this problem will give you a right direction and push you toward the goal.

We find this position essay rather powerful. The author not only presents his ideas clearly but also leaves the readers with a clear call-to-action.

Another good point is that the author used statistical data from reliable sources to demonstrate that his position is supported by facts and not just emotions. Besides, the paper is well-structured and organized in an easy to scan manner making it easy for the audience to familiarize themselves with the arguments.

However, it might be hard to grasp the idea of a position essay from just one essay. So, here is another example of position paper for your consideration.

Position paper sample #2: Do anti-smoking ad campaigns really help?

Yes, we have all seen those scary ads that warn people about horrible consequences smoking can bring. However, according to the official sources, more than fifteen of every 100 people in the United States aged 18 and older smoke today.

They, too, see those ads. But they simply do not stop them from this dreadful habit. Or do they?

Many politicians and public activists state that anti-smoking ads are effective. And I believe so too. And here is why.

First of all, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, the number of smokers dropped significantly in the recent years. “Current smoking has declined from 20.9% (nearly 21 of every 100 adults) in 2005 to 15.5% (more than 15 of every 100 adults) in 2016,” they report. And these figures are vivid enough for us to believe that antismoking campaigns really work. Active work in this area has helped many people quit this habit and go back to life with no smoking-related diseases.

A lot of smokers oppose such claims and state that ad campaigns against smoking are inefficient. All they do, in their opinion, is scare both smokers and non-smokers and persuade only a small percentage of people with this habit to quit. Is it really worth all the money and time invested in them?

I believe so. If even a small number of people can be cured of this habit by trivial ads showing the real consequences of this choice), then it is worth every penny.

Another reason why I believe that antismoking ads are effective is that a lot of people did not start smoking despite the peer pressure, stress (which allegedly is relieved by smoking) or any other aspects.

When we look at the numbers dropping, we only think of people that quit, and we often forget to take into account those who never started smoking. Seeing ads showing the reality of smoking with the all the negative effect it can have on the body of the one smoking is a powerful tool that can motivate a lot of people to think twice before taking their first puff.

Finally, parents that see such ads get to quit to realizing how dangerous passive smoking is for their kids. And this is a real victory, I believe. Growing up in families with smokers not only gives you the idea that smoking is totally normal but also exposes you to the hazardous effects of smoking at a very young age.

To save younger generations from that, antismoking activists create a special sort of campaigns to target this layer of society. And it does work given the dropping numbers of smokers out there.

As you see such ads indeed are effective. And even though there still are people who oppose the ideas described in them willing to keep their dangerous habit, I hope that the meaning and hazards of smoking will one day become more obvious to them too.

Another great example of a position paper that presents an idea that one can either agree with or oppose to. The writer did a very good job in presenting a thesis in the very beginning of his essay and then supporting this thesis with several points further on in the text. The text sounds logical, and the writer uses arguments to persuade the readers in his point.

The downside of this essay is that it is missing Works Cited page. Probably it was not required, but it’s always better to have it in place. The same refers to the previous essay.

In other words, he is using all the essential techniques to make his essay stand out.

Last but not least, meet a short position sample essay #3.

Position paper #3: Should homework be mandatory?

I can almost see many students nodding along with me as I ask this question. Younger generations overloaded with home tasks and numerous assignments have already raised this issue many times.

Yet, homework remains mandatory.

Is it fair or should it be canceled?

I believe that homework should not be viewed as a mandatory part of education for several reasons.

First, children spend seven hours every single work day at school. That is a huge chunk of life, and with homework added on top of these hours, a child is left with no time to live his life to the fullest, socialize, or grow in other areas.

Second, sitting at your desk solving problems does no good to your health. Kids need time to get outside and have some fun, join a football league, or ride their bikes with friends around the block. Otherwise, children will be very smart but surprisingly weak physically.

Another argument against this position is that homework is not always the best way to obtain knowledge quality-wise. Students tend to ask their parents or siblings for help whenever facing difficulties. Busy parents not always willing to spend extra time explaining school material to their little one solve the problems themselves aiming to have more time for family, not lessons. As a result, the child will have the homework done. But that’s really not his work. So, the whole idea of dedicating time to self-education is lost here.

Finally, knowing that after classes you would still have to work at home makes a kid less concentrated at school. This results in short attention spans and difficulty to concentrate on something for too long.

All in all, homework should rather be an option. Students understanding that they are left behind at some subjects will take their time to go over the material at home. However, in other cases, they should have time after school for other activities.

The third essay has no links to trustworthy sources, yet it describes all the main points quite clearly. Some statistical data to support the ideas would be good, but not necessarily vital.

The thesis is clearly supported by four different arguments making the position of an author quite bright and clear. We would recommend you paying attention to this position paper example too when looking for ideas to inspire you.

Do you feel ready to try writing it on your own now? We hope so!

If you have any other insights on what makes a good position paper or you know a bunch of excellent samples to take a look at, do not hesitate to share with us in the comments. We would love to hear from you!