Goals and Formatting

Goals: This assignment is to 1) explore a policy topic related to the material covered in our course and 2) use this information as a foundation for policy development and advocacy. Links to example policy briefs are provided below.

The assignment engages you in learning about an issue and to accurately – and in a non-biased fashion – identify the policy and political issues that are central to that topic.

Formatting: The final page count for the policy brief assignment is 3 full pages minimum, 6 full pages maximum, 11 point Garamond font, 1’’ margins, 1.5 line-spacing, with no spacing prior to or following paragraphs, and page numbers included. Title, references, figures, and tables are NOT counted as part of the page minimum/maximum.

Template for Policy Brief

A policy brief is a document that conveys the Policy Issue, the Background related to the Issue, Information pertinent to the Issue (this may include current law, debate about the issue, data about the issue), Policy Options, Your Recommendation for Policy, and References. Here are the sections you are expected to include in your brief…

Title (if any)

Statement of the Issue/Problem: Brief (2-3 sentence) statement describing the issue. What problem does this policy brief address

Background: An explanation of the problem and its significance. Include support as needed, including references to research literature if relevant.

Information Pertinent to the Issue: This may pertain to current laws needing to be changed, current debate about the issue, and/or data about the issue.

Responses and Policy Options: What has been done (or proposed) about the issue so far? Are there pending legislative or regulatory proposals?

Recommendations: List recommendations about what different actors should do – e.g., Congress, state legislatures, relevant government agencies, etc. (Of course, this will depend on the specific issue.) Can be formatted as a bullet list if appropriate.

1. References (if any)
2. Figures (if any)
3. Tables (if any)