For Experiment #1, I plan to compose an open letter to President Joe Biden about our growing national debt, a topic I first examined in a column (my artifact) when I was a freshman. I plan to offer the president constructive criticism on this issue as well as some suggestions for how to mitigate the impacts of this crisis in the future.

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If I decide to fully develop the open letter for my final project, I aim for it to be between 750 and 1,000 words. This length will allow me to go into sufficient detail while still being concise. I worry going much beyond 1,000 words may discourage some members of my audience from reading what I have to say. To continue, if I decide to fully develop my letter, it will be formally addressed to President Biden, the intended recipient. While I researched unaddressed open letters, I believe an addressed open letter will make my final product far more authentic. Addressing it to Biden also raises the chances, in my opinion, that I can actually make a real impact on the situation.

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As with other parts of this open letter, I am open to changes regarding the general structure, although I have broken the letter up into several different parts that I will pay close attention to: introduction; description of the debt crisis; potential solutions to the crisis; counterargument; and conclusion. In the introduction, I plan to introduce myself and give a brief overview of the general problem. In the subsequent section, the description of the debt crisis, I will go into great detail (while still being concise) about the current problem and the future issues it will precipitate if not adequately addressed. Next, I will provide an overview of some solutions that the Biden administration can implement relatively quickly in order to alleviate the problem. Afterward, I will address 1-2 arguments against addressing our growing national debt and refute these claims. Finally, I will conclude my letter by thanking the president for his time and expressing my hope that his administration will take swift action on this issue.

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After the body of the letter ends with my conclusion, I am considering devoting a section to my references. This may be helpful in order to provide my recipient with a list of my sources, which boosts my argument’s credibility. However, I am not sure if letters traditionally have citations, and my research didn’t give me a firm answer about this.