When given an assignment, make sure that you understand exactly what the professor is looking for, so that you meet her expectations.
Select a topic. Choose of topic of interest that relates to the course and the assignment's criteria. The topic should be something you are interested in and can easily find research about. An example would be global monetary systems.
Select a branch of that topic and make an assertion or claim about that it. For example, "The removal of the gold standard created instability in world financial markets". The assertion should be something that can be proved through evidence gained in research.
Check to make sure the argument is not one-sided. The assertion or claim must have two arguable sides for it to be valid. For example, a thesis statement that says "nuclear war is a bad thing" is not very debatable. A thesis is one of many ways of thinking about an issue. The paper will then go on to prove why this is the most viable argument.
Ensure that the thesis statement can be supported with evidence. In an academic setting, academic journals, books published by industry experts and government research data are considered strong sources. You should be able to find a wealth of supporting documentation for your thesis statement.
Organize the thesis statement. The thesis statement should be part of a larger introduction to the paper. The introduction should define the current situation, give necessary background information, discuss a proposed perspective (thesis) and give an overview of evidence that supports the perspective.