Public Policy Issue Analysis

This assignment is designed to enable you to (1) explore and analyze a public policy issue (Part A below) and (2) identify the public policy concerns and tactics of a specific company (Part B below). Your paper must be posted at Canvas no later than 11:00 p.m. on September 12. You should try to complete most of the assignment early in the summer, especially if you have a demanding internship. This is an individual, not a team, assignment. You should complete the assignment independently, without assistance from others, using the exact format noted below.

Part A: Public Policy Issue Analysis

Select a national public policy issue in which you have a personal interest (such as an issue relating to an environmental concern, foreign policy, biotechnology, sports, or education) or an issue that is important to your career plans (for example, an issue relating to investment banking, marketing, consulting, or entrepreneurship). You can select a public policy issue affecting another country (for example, Chinese policies on internet censorship). The issue that you select does not have to relate to your company public policy concerns (Part B below).

Do not select: (1) the issue that was selected for your team project; (2) an issue that relates to legislation or regulations that have already been adopted (unless there is current debate over whether these laws should be changed); or (3) a purely legal issue, such as “Are the No Child Left Behind Act proposals constitutional?” Also, do not select an issue that you have researched for another course. Resubmission of coursework from previous classes, partially or in its entirety, is not allowed.

Your analysis should include the following elements using the format and length requirements on pages 8-10:

1. State the issue in question form. Select an issue that is not too broad in scope. For example, rather than a broad question about genetically modified food, try to develop a narrow question, such as: “Should the government require mandatory labels on genetically modified food?” How should policymakers answer your question—yes or no?

2. Explain the issue. Include in your explanation a discussion of bills and regulations that are currently pending (if any), the legislative history, and alternative approaches for addressing the issue, including how they will be funded (if funding is a concern). This site should be useful in tracking current bills: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/ Also list three or more companies and/or non-governmental associations (no explanation necessary) that would support and oppose your recommendation at #1 above. Do not discuss the reasons for your recommendation until #3 below.

3. What are the reasons in support of your recommendation at #1 and the best counter-arguments? In explaining your reasons and counter-arguments, cite references from your Works Cited list, especially fact-based studies and data. End this section with a short closing argument summarizing the reasons for your recommendation at #1.

Part B: Company Public Policy Concerns and Tactics

4. Select a publicly-traded company (one that files 10-K reports) that interests you—such as the company that you will work for this summer or a company that you admire. See, for example, http://fortune.com/worlds-most-admired-companies/ Read the company’s 10-K, which can be located through the company website or through EDGAR. http://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html

List in order of priority the top three national public policy issues that, in your opinion, the company faces, as described in the 10-K. These issues might include, for example, pending legislation affecting the company (which will be especially useful in selecting an issue for your Team Project—see page 3). List specific issues, not general concerns about government regulation. No explanation is necessary but, after each issue, cite the specific page(s) on which the issue is discussed in the 10-K. If the 10-K does not describe any public policy issues, list in order of priority the top three public policy issues that, in your opinion, affect the company (following a review of the company website, a Google search, and OpenSecrets—see #6 below). Cite your source(s).

5. Based on information in the 10-K, who within the company is responsible for public policy strategy and tactics? Focus on the function that is responsible for influencing public policy and not on the functions that handle corporate citizenship or compliance with existing laws and regulations—unless these functions are also responsible for influencing public policy. Do not discuss lobbyists or political action committees. If you cannot find information about public policy responsibilities in the 10-K, review the company website and other sources, which you should cite in your paper. If you cannot find any information, note this and describe the sources you investigated in your search.

6. Go to http://opensecrets.org/. Select “Lobbying” from the “Influence and Lobbying” pull-down menu. The first three questions below relate to lobbying in general; the last two questions relate to your company. In answering the last two questions, type the name of your company in the search box under “Client.” If you can’t find information about your company, select another company from the same industry.

a. What were the top two spenders in 2015?

b. What were the top two issues that were subject to lobbying efforts, based on the number of clients in 2015?

c. What were the top two agencies that were subject to lobbying efforts in 2015, based on the number of reports?

d. What was the top bill in 2015—in terms of lobbying reports filed on behalf of your company? How many reports were filed relating to this bill? (If there is a tie for top bill, select one of the bills.)

e. After reviewing all categories of your company’s lobbying activities (the links immediately under the company name), what aspect of that activity do you find most interesting?

7. Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Under Advanced Search, select “Public Submissions” as the “Document Type,” enter your company’s name as the keyword, and select “Search.” Select one of the public submissions that is not related to the issue you selected for Part A. If there are none for your company, select another company in the same industry. Summarize briefly (2-3 sentences each): (a) the regulation that the company is commenting on and (b) the company’s public submission. Also note, (c), why you think the company is interested in this regulation. While you are at this site, please feel free to participate in the public policy process by submitting a comment on a proposed regulation!

8. Do you think that your company would agree with the recommendation you have made at
A-1? Why? (Answer this question even though the issue you selected might have little or nothing to do with your company’s activities.)

Research Tips

Google and Amazon are especially useful research tools in completing your public policy issue analysis. After the week in Washington, select a topic for your Public Policy Issue Analysis and enter your topic as a search query at Google Alerts. You will then receive email updates on your topic throughout the summer (making Google Alerts your personal research assistant!). Other Google features are also useful, such as (a) Advanced Search; (b) Books, which searches the full text of books for your topic; and (c) Google Scholar, which searches scholarly papers.

Use Amazon, http://www.amazon.com, to search for books. After you select a book, you can easily locate the pages that are most relevant to your research by selecting “Look inside” and then typing your search term in the “Search Inside This Book” box.

Other useful resources are listed at this Kresge Library Wiki:

http://kresgeguides.bus.umich.edu/bus-pub-policy

Grading Standards

Grades on the public policy issue analysis are based primarily on timely submission and

1. Overall quality of your analysis and writing,

2. Use of the correct format (using the template and Works Cited information below), and

3. Quality of the Works Cited.

With regard to #3, generally the highest-quality resources are original materials (like the 10-K report) and scholarly journals (which use an outside review process in selecting articles for publication). Google Scholar, noted above, should be helpful in locating articles in these journals. If your paper discusses proposed legislation, you should read and cite the Senate or HR bill. Other resources, listed in order of quality, are:

1. Books

2. Respected periodicals like The NY Times and The Washington Post. But focus on articles that provide in-depth analysis rather than those that are simply reporting news.

3. Interviews and websites. There is great variation in the quality of websites. Please be especially cautious in relying on press releases and blogs. Also be cautious in using information from company websites, which tend to be self-serving.

Format

In preparing your public policy issue analysis, use the template below. Do not exceed the specified length requirements. Your paper must be double-spaced. Number your pages and do not change the margins, font, or font size. Cite sources from your “Works Cited” list to back up all quoted or paraphrased facts. Delete the italicized instructions in brackets—but do not delete anything else. See above the above section on ‘Public Policy Issue Analysis” for details on content.
______________________________________________________________________________
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Name: ________________________________

Part A: Public Policy Issue Analysis

1. The public policy issue is: [State the issue as a question.] Policy makers should answer the question: [select one and delete the other] Yes or No

2. Explanation of the issue: [Use this format:

a. An explanation of the issue:

b. Bills and regulations that are currently pending (if any) and the legislative history:

c. Alternative approaches for addressing the issue, including how they will be funded (if funding is an concern):

d. Three or more companies or non-government associations that would support your recommendation:

e. Three or more companies or non-government associations that would oppose your recommendation:

No explanation is necessary for (d) and (e). Devote at least 2 pages to #2.There is no maximum page limit.]

3. The reasons for my recommendation at #1 are as follows: [List your reasons using small letters (a, b, c, etc.) for each reason. State each reason in one boldfaced sentence, followed by an explanation in regular typeface. Immediately following each explanation, start a new paragraph and state in a boldfaced sentence (beginning with Counter argument:) the best counter argument to each reason, followed by an explanation in regular typeface. (Do not present arguments countering the counter-argument.) In explaining your reasons and counter-arguments, cite references from your Works Cited, especially fact-based studies and data. End Part 3 with a paragraph (marked Conclusion in boldface) summarizing the reasons for your recommendation. Devote at least 8 pages to #3. There is no maximum page limit.]

Part B: Company Public Policy Concerns and Tactics

4. The three top national public policy issues that [state the company name] faces are: [List in bullet format the 3 issues in order of priority. No explanation is necessary. After each issue, cite the specific page(s) on which the issue is discussed in the 10-K—or cite your other sources if the issue is not discussed in the 10-K. This is identical to the assignment you posted in May, which you can cut and paste here.]

5. Responsibility for public policy strategy and tactics within the company lies with: [Describe in one page or less the company function that is responsible for influencing public policy. If you cannot find this information, describe the sources that you investigated in your search.]

6. a. The top two spenders in 2015 were: [Name them.]

b. Based on the number of reports filed in 2015, the top two issues that were subject to lobbying efforts were: [Name them.]

c. Based on the number of reports filed in 2015, the top two agencies that were subject to lobbying efforts were: [Name them.]

d. The top bill in 2015 in terms of lobbying reports filed on behalf of my company is: [State number and name of the bill.] The number of reports relating to this bill is:

e. The aspect of my company’s lobbying activity that I found most interesting is: [Describe briefly.]

7. a. The regulation that my company is commenting on is

[Summarize briefly—2-3 sentences.]
b. In its public submission, my company argues that

[Summarize briefly—2-3 sentences.]

c. I think that the company is interested in this regulation because

8. I think that my company [select would or would not] agree with the position I have taken at A-3 because: [List your reasons in bullet form. One page maximum.]

Works Cited [List entries in alphabetical order—numbered and single-spaced (but double-spaced between entries). All of these works must be cited in the body of your paper. For format requirements, see the explanation below. Following each entry, note in parentheses and boldface the page(s) in your paper where the work is cited. There is no page limit.]

Other Works Consulted [Include this section only if the Works Cited list has less than 15 references. The total Works Cited and Other Works Consulted should exceed 14 references. List entries in alphabetical order—single-spaced, but double spaced between entries. There is no page limit.]
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Works Cited Explanation

Your references should be cited in MLA (Modern Language Association) style, which eliminates the need for footnotes. To create an MLA-style list of Works Cited go to http://easybib.com/. Save your easybib entries in a separate file as a safety precaution. For details and examples regarding the alphabetization of entries in the Works Cited, see:

http://guides.lib.umich.edu/content.php?pid=80367&sid=596129

If you have questions about format Works Cited, use this guideline: Can readers locate the original sources using the information that you have provided?

Number each item in Works Cited and use the numbers (boldface and in parentheses) for in-text citations.

To avoid plagiarism you must cite all paraphrased material and quotations in the text. For further information about plagiarism, please see this resource at the Ross Community Values webpage:

http://www.bus.umich.edu/pdf/facres/plagiarismcitationsguide-sept2012.pdf