It’s always important to match the requirements of your assignment to the topic. The research part of a 3-page paper is going to be a lot different than a 10-page one.

The shorter the paper, the more specific your topic should be.

At first you might think it would be easier to write about a larger topic because there will be plenty of information. However there’s a good chance you will drown in it. A specific topic with a manageable amount of information will be easier usually.

 

And there’s a good chance your topic will evolve after you start doing the research.
You might see an angle you hadn’t thought of before and want to go with that.