Policy Analysis Paper
You will devise a Policy Analysis paper that identifies proposed or current legislation (State or Federal) you would like to explore. The Policy Analysis Paper is comprehensive and acts as a cumulative knowledge assessment for the course. You will choose a topic/question and proposed legislation in Week 4 (Assignment 2).
The Policy Analysis Paper should be 8-10 pages in length, double-spaced, and formatted in APA style. The Paper must include clearly identified sections, and include a title page, abstract, and reference page that includes a minimum of 6 references.
This paper is comprehensive and considered in the grading as the final exam for this class. I will use turnitin.com, a plagiarism detection tool, to scan for similarity. I consider anything over 50% on the similarity index, even if properly cited, to be gross and inappropriate citation. You will not receive more than 50/100 points, for a paper containing a similarity index of 50% or more, and may receive “0” points for this assignment, if not properly cited. If you are uncertain, ask for assistance. See also the APA Manual for formatting requirements.
The Policy Analysis Paper is due at 11:59 pm CT Thursday of Week 7. A rubric will be provided to students for grading expectations. The Policy Analysis Paper will be worth 100 points.
Information to be included in your Policy Analysis Paper
In your own words, describe the proposed or current legislation.
Clearly identify proposed legislation by name and number. Is legislation being proposed at federal or state level? If state level policy, what state?
What is this legislation supposed to do? (What are the explicit and implicit goals?)
What values are expressed by this proposal? Distinguish between those that are clearly stated and those that are implied.
What are the financial effects, if any? Is this realistic? Who will be responsible to pay for this? Who is the sponsor of the bill? What and when was the last action taken on this bill?
Who does this proposal impact? How? Be specific.
Does it affect persons of color, class, and gender differently? In what way(s)? Note: Statistics are a good addition to this section, but any graphs/infographics will not count toward the final page requirement for this paper.
Explain and discuss social conditions surrounding this proposal. (Why is/was such legislation being considered? Why is it an issue? Did something occur to spur interest in this issue?
Economic, political, technological, and social factors
Identify and discuss any possible historical links you see regarding previous public policy in the United States.
Does this legislation have any previous history in this governing body (i.e. has it been introduced before? Is your legislation an amendment to previously enacted law?)
Identify two players who have/would support this proposal.
Who is the sponsor of this bill/proposal?
Who are they? What political party do they represent (Democrat, Republican, etc.)?
Identify their positions on this proposal.
Identify arguments each player would use to support their position.
At least one brief quote is required.
Identify two players who have/would oppose this proposal.
Who are they? Who do they represent?
Identify their positions on this proposal.
Identify arguments each player would use to support their position.
At least one brief quote is required.
Social Justice: Is this a social justice issue?
Is this a fair policy?
What value(s) are supported by this proposal and how do they fit with the conceptions of social justice? Discuss.
Questions for further thought: Include your own impressions in this section. Keep in mind that this is a research paper. Avoid the use of first person narrative throughout the paper. This is the only section of this paper where your personal opinion is appropriate.