Public Policy Issue Analysis

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Objective: The goal of this assignment is for you to become deeply knowledgeable about a public policy issue in America and apply it throughout the semester to important concepts that you learn in this course. Political Issue: An issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it. Public policy: A choice that government makes in response to a political issue. A policy is a course of action taken by the government in order to address an issue. STEP 1 Select a public policy issue from the list below that you are interested in learning more about. You may select a public policy issue that is not on this list as long as it is approved by Mr. Crandall. It is important that the American government is actively addressing…show more content…
Include the following: · Definition of the issue · Definition of key terms related to the issue · Key players involved (people, organizations, companies, groups, etc. affected) · Timeline of past events related to the issue · Controversies/debates regarding the issue STEP 3 After completing Unit 1: Constitutional Underpinnings (Chapters 1-3), write a one-page analysis of your policy issue in relation to the following questions: · How does the Constitution relate (or not relate) to the issue? o Is this important? · How does the issue relate to federalism? o What is the role of the federal government? o What is the role of state and local governments? o Is there cooperation and/or conflict between the various levels of government? STEP 4 After completing Unit 2: Political Beliefs, Political Behaviors, Mass Media (Chapters 6, 7, 10), write a one-page analysis of your policy issue in relation to the following questions: · Is there consensus on this issue? · How do conservatives feel about this issue? · How do liberals feel about this issue? · What do polls show about public opinion on this issue? · How does the media cover this issue? · How has the media influenced public…show more content…
o Due process connections? o Privacy rights connections? o Etc. · What civil rights are related to this issue? o Are their racial, ethnic, gender, or religious connections? o Are their age, sexual orientation, or disability connections? · What groups/governmental institutions have been involved in this issue and its impact on civil liberties and civil rights? STEP 9 Based on the six pages of analysis you have written, write an introductory and conclusion paragraph to this paper that include the following: · Introduction o Revise your first overview of the issue so that it incorporates the information you discovered throughout your research. The introduction should include: § Definition of the issue § Definition of key terms related to the issue § Key players involved (people, organizations, companies, groups, etc. affected) § Timeline of past events related to the issue § Controversies/debates regarding the issue o Create a thesis statement that makes an argument about how the American government has dealt with this public policy issue. · Conclusion o Summarize all of your findings. o Provide informed commentary about the importance of this issue in relation to other policy issues. o Assess the
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