week 1 discussion 1
"The Process of Analysis ? Diagrams and Trees"
Please respond to the following:
· From the
case study, Case 1.3, compare and contrast the benefits of the influence
diagram and decision tree displayed in Figure C1.3. Explain why these two
problem representations are good examples of descriptive and normative decision
theory.
· Refer to
your first discussion’s answer and analyze the differences between monitoring
and evaluation in policy analysis. Provide at least one example to support your
response.
week 1 disscussion 2
"The Process of Analysis ? Critical Thinking"
Please respond to the following:
· From the
case studies, Case 1.1 and Case 1.2, discuss the strengths and limitations of
using multiple triangulation, also called critical multiplism. Provide at least
one example to support your answer.
· Propose two
reasons argumentation mapping can help a policy maker become a critical
thinker. Provide at least two examples to support your response.
week 2 disscussion 1
Developing Policy Arguments and Debate" Please respond
to the following:
· Develop a
policy argument or claim that is definitive, designative, evaluative, and
advocative, using one of these terms: (a) crime, (b) pollution, (c) terrorism,
(d) quality of life, (e) global warming, (f) fiscal crisis, (g) human rights,
and (h) unemployment.
· Convert the argument in the first discussion
into a policy debate by providing an objection and a rebuttal. Explain if and
why the qualifier changed after introducing an objection and rebuttal. If the
qualifier did not change, explain why it did not change.
week 2 disscussion 2
"Policy Arguments" Please respond to the
following:
· From the
case study, Case 8.1, use the argument mapping procedures presented in the
chapter and provide two pros and two cons (or strengths and weaknesses) of the
recommendation that the United States should NOT intervene in the Balkans.
· From the
e-Activity, discuss two different modes of argument and examples of formal and
informal fallacies. Provide the source(s) of the modes of arguments and
fallacies you identified.
week 3
"Policy-Making Process" Please respond to the
following:
· Take a
position in support of one of the two statements:
·
· (a) Policy
analysts should research the issues and determine the fundamental causes of
social problems such as crime, poverty, or homelessness and then recommend
solutions.
· (b) Policy
analysts should develop implementable policies to address social problems such
as crime, poverty, or homelessness without research to determine the cause(s).
Support your position with examples or evidence.
· From the
case study, Case 2.1, debate two pros and two cons of evidence-based policy
making, by considering the concepts of “ technocratic guidance” and
“technocratic counsel.”
week 3 disscussion 2
Analysis in Practice" Please respond to the following:
· From the
e-Activity, provide two reasons and / or examples of what makes the paper or report
you selected of high technical quality. Provide the source(s) of the article
you selected.
· From the
e-Activity, provide two examples from the same article that illustrate how the
analysis changes the status quo.
WEEK 4 DISSCUSSION 1
"Structuring the Problem" Please respond to the
following:
· Examine Box
3.0 – Conducting a Stakeholder Analysis. Choose one (1) policy issue in the
U.S. and generate a list of at least five (5) stakeholders who affect or are
affected by problems in the issue area. Next, apply the procedures for a
stakeholder analysis. Note: Refer to page 111 in the text for a step-by-step
process.
· From the
e-Activity, provide at least two examples from the article and from your own
experience of ways that worldviews, ideologies, and popular myths may have
shaped the formulation of a specific problem or issue. Provide the source(s) of
the paper or report you selected.
WEEK 4 DISSCUSSION 2
"Models and Structuring" Please respond to the
following:
· Review
Question 6 and select one of the ill-structured problems taken from the journal
Policy Analysis (now the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management Under the
title “Department of Unintended Consequences”. Analyze the problem; then,
provide an example on how classification analysis, hierarchy analysis, and
synectics might be used to structure the problem you selected. Identify the
problem you selected in your discussion with one of the following key phrases:
(a) Egyptian agriculture, (b) ecologists and field mice, (c) San Francisco’s
North Beach parking.
· From the
case study, Case 3.1, analyze the problem; then, provide two key differences in
data collection represented by the process of group interviewing and content
analysis. Take a position on which data collection method is better. Provide at
least two reasons for your position.
WEEK 5 DISSCUSSION 1
"Approaches to Forecasting Policy Outcomes" Please
respond to the following:
· Explain at
least two ways institutional, temporal, and historical contexts of forecasts
affect their accuracy.
· Describe a
real or hypothetical situation that requires someone to make a policy decision.
Then, select one of the three approaches to forecasting to apply:
extrapolative, theoretical, or judgmental. Provide at least two reasons for
your selection of the forecasting approach.
WEEK 5 DISSCUSSION 2
"Types of Forecasting" Please respond to the
following:
· Debate It:
Take a position for or against this statement: It is better to be approximately
right than exactly wrong. Provide at least two reasons and one hypothetical
example to support your position.
· From the
case study, Case 4.2, and Box 4.1, analyze the history of MARTA and data
receipts. Then, recommend an equitable policy for the generation of sufficient
revenue to maintain and expand the system. Provide at least two reasons to
support your proposal. Hypothesize at least two objections to the policy.
WEEK 6 DISSCUSSION 1
"Prescribing Preferred Policies" Please respond to
the following:
· Explain two
of the six criteria for policy prescription, (a) effectiveness, (b) efficiency,
(c) adequacy, (d) equity, (e) responsiveness, and (f) appropriateness. Then,
describe a real or hypothetical public policy issue and select which of the two
criteria you believe would be the most beneficial to use in deciding a policy.
Provide at least two reasons for your selection.
· Debate It:
Take a position for or against the following statement: Rational choice is not
possible. Discuss how different types of rationality are related to different
criteria for prescription. Provide at least two reasons and two examples to
support your response.
WEEK 6 DISSCUSSION 2
"Saving Lives by Prescribing Policies" Please
respond to the following:
· From the
case studies, Case 1.1 and Case 5.1, explain two of the major issues. Then,
analyze the assumptions that govern safe driving and discuss whether some
assumptions are more reasonable than others. Support your position with at
least two reasons and one example.
· From the
case studies, Case 1.1 and Case 5.1, recommend the best ways to estimate the
value of time and the cost of a gallon of gasoline. Support your position with
at least two reasons and one example.
WEEK 7 DISSCUSSION 1
"Monitoring Observed Policy Outcomes" Please
respond to the following:
· Discuss the
relationship between ill-structured problems and approaches to monitoring.
Then, describe a real or hypothetical problem and recommend at least one
effective way to monitor the policy outcomes. Support your position.
· Use at least
two threats to validity and develop a rebuttal to two of the following
statements: (a) The greater the cost of an alternative, the less likely it is
that the alternative will be pursued. (b) The enforcement of the maximum speed
limit of 55 mph increases the costs of exceeding the speed limit. (c) The
mileage death rate fell from 4.3 to 3.6 deaths per 100 million miles after the
implementation of the 55-mph speed limit. (Refer to Figure 6.13 before
responding.)
WEEK 7 DISSCUSSION 2
"Monitoring through Experimentation" Please
respond to the following:
· Assume you
are the program chair of an employment program for students who did not
graduate high school but earned a GED (Government Equivalency Degree). You have
limited resources and want to determine the factors that ensure students
succeed in their jobs. Explain to the program director how the “tiebreaking”
experiment might allow the program to uncover that information.
· Develop a
hypothetical example, not described in the textbook, that illustrates how and
why to apply regression-discontinuity analysis. Discuss how the analysis helps
to answer pertinent questions about the example.
WEEK 8 DISSCUSSION 1
"Evaluating Policy Performance" Please respond to
the following:
· Compare and
contrast methods of evaluation and prescription in terms of time and the types
of claims produced by each. Provide examples to support your response.
· Assume you
are a program director who must propose an effective evaluation of your
program’s performance. Compare and contrast formative and summative evaluation,
and determine which one will provide performance information that would be most
useful to policy makers. Provide reasons and at least one example to support
your response.
WEEK 8 DISSCUSSION 2
"Moral Judgment and Living Wage" Please respond to
the following:
· From the
e-Activity, select two different states and locations (city or county) to
compare the living wage estimates and poverty wage for a family with one adult
and one child designated for the two states and selected locations. Make sure
to find two states that have more than $2.00 difference in living wage
estimates. Suggest at least two reasons for the differences.
· From the
case study, Case 7.1., explain at least two reasons many consider the adoption
of a living wage a moral and ethical issue. Discuss the implications that
morality and ethics have to analyzing and developing public policy.
WEEK 9 DISSCUSSION 1
"Communicating Policy Analysis" Please respond to
the following:
· Assume you
are a candidate for a director of communications for a major metropolitan
county. The job will require you to communicate to the public about public
policy regarding transportation, environmental issues, education, taxes, as
well as economic development. Explain at least three reasons and ways written
and oral communication are important, and should be used to ensure public
policy analyses are promoted and accepted by the general public.
· Use the same
scenario to explain at least two ways you would ensure public policy analyses
are read and accepted by key stakeholders. Provide two reasons and an example
to support your response.
WEEK 9 DISSCUSSION 2
"Translating Policy Arguments" Please respond to
the following:
· Explain at
least two key factors policy makers use when evaluating and using information
provided to them in policy reports. Explain why it is important for an analyst
to know how policy makers evaluate and use information.
· From the
case study, Case 9:1, highlight two key components a structured written
narrative for a policy issue paper or policy memo. Then propose at least two
benefits of developing a policy argument in this way. Provide an example to
support your response.
WEEK 11 DISSCUSSION 1
"Process of Analysis and Structuring Arguments"
Please respond to the following:
· Discuss at
least two benefits to structuring arguments before and while developing written
documents.
· Highlight at
least two concepts or skills of public policy analysis you learned in this
class and that you believe you can apply in your current or future career.
WEEK 11 DISSCUSSION 2
"Challenges" Please respond to the following:
· Discuss at
least two major challenges you believe public policy analysts face in today’s
political environment and propose at least one way to deal with each challenge.
· Discuss at
least two major challenges you believe public policy analysts will face in the
next 10 to 20 years and propose at least one way to deal with each challenge.
WEEK 10 DISSCUSSION 1
"Planning Oral Briefings" Please respond to the
following:
· Assume the
governor has asked you to present an oral briefing on a controversial
environmental program to a board of commissioners of a major county in the
state. Three of the nine commissioners oppose the program and have experts on
their staff who generally accompany them to meetings. Recommend three actions
to take before the briefing and two key actions as you present the
recommendation. Provide reasons to support your response.
· Discuss at
least two possible advantages and two possible disadvantages to using graphics
and charts in oral briefings. Discuss the implications of these advantages and
disadvantages to the one responsible for communicating public policy. Provide
an example to support your response.
WEEK 10 DISSCUSSION 2
"White House Briefings" Please respond to the
following:
· From the
e-Activity, summarize your first briefing. Based on your response to Discussion
1, discuss whether your recommendations were notable. Provide two to three
examples to support your response.
· From the
e-Activity, compare and contrast the issues discussed in two briefings you
selected. Take a position on which oral briefing closely matches your preferred
style of communicating policy. Provide reasons to support your response.
Click the link above to submit your assignment.
Students, please view the "Submit a Clickable Rubric
Assignment" in the Student Center.
Instructors, training on how to grade is within the
Instructor Center.
Assignment 1: Argument Mapping
Due Week 3 and worth 150 points
Write a four to five (4-5) page paper in which you:
(Note: Refer to Demonstration Exercise 3 located at the end
of Chapter 1 for criteria 1-3.)
1. Create an argument
map based on the influence diagram presented in Case 1.3 and complete all the
criteria provided in the exercise, beginning with this claim: “The U.S. should
return to the 55- mph speed limit in order to conserve fuel and save lives.”
2. Include in the map
as many warrants, backings, objections, and rebuttals as possible.
3. Assume that the
original qualifier was certainly; indicate whether the qualifier changes as we
move from a simple, static, uncontested argument to a complex, dynamic and
contested argument.
(Note: Refer to Demonstration Exercise 3 located at the end
of Chapter 8 for criterion 4.)
1. Apply the argument
mapping procedures presented in Chapter 8 to analyze the pros and cons (or
strengths and weaknesses) of the recommendations that the United States should
not intervene in the Balkans.
(Note: Refer to Demonstration Exercise 4 located at the end
of Chapter 8 for criteria 5-7.)
1. Write a one (1)
page analysis that uses critical thinking to assess the overall plausibility of
the claim: “The conflict in Bosnia is somebody else’s trouble. The U.S. should
not intervene militarily.”
2. Complete an
argument map to illustrate your analysis.
3. Include at least
two (2) peer-reviewed references (no more than five [5] years old) from
material outside the textbook to support your views regarding the proposed U.S.
response to the conflict in Bosnia. Note: Appropriate peer-reviewed references
include scholarly articles and governmental Websites. Do not use open source
Websites such as Wikipedia, Sparknotes.com, Ask.com, and similar Websites are
not acceptable resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
· Be typed,
double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on
all sides; citations and references must follow APA. Check with your professor
for any additional instructions.
· Include a
cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the
professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the
reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
· Use
Microsoft Word, Microsoft Draw, PowerPoint, or other graphics program to create
the arguments maps for the assignment. Whichever program you use, the graphical
maps must be integrated into the Word Document and labeled as a Figure with a
number and title. The argument maps are part of the page length.
Assignment 2: Stakeholder Analysis
Due Week 5 and worth 150 points
Write a five to six (5-6) page paper in which you:
(Note: Refer to Review Question 8 located at the end of
Chapter 3 for criteria 1-3. Select two (2) editorials / essays / columns (by
staff or freelance writers) on a current issue of public policy from two (2)
different publications (large metropolitan or national newspaper such
asWashington Post or the New York Times or national magazines such as Newsweek,
Time, and The New Republic.)
1. Apply the
procedures for argumentation analysis (located in Chapter 8) to display
contending positions and underlying assumptions for the content of Review
Question 8.
2. Rate the
assumptions and plot them according to their plausibility and importance.
(Refer to Figure 3.16, “Distribution of warrant by plausibility and
importance.”)
3. Determine which
arguments are the most plausible. Provide a rationale for your views.
(Note: Refer to Demonstration Exercise 1 located at the end
of Chapter 3 for criteria 4-6. Examine Box 3.0 – Conducting a Stakeholder
Analysis. Choose one of the following policy issues in the U.S. gun control,
illegal drugs, medical insurance fraud, and environmental protection of
waterways, job creation, affordable health care, or Medicare.)
1. Apply the
procedures for stakeholder analysis presented in Box 3.0 “Conducting a
Stakeholder Analysis” to generate a list of at least five to ten (5-10)
stakeholders who affect or are affected by problems in the issue area chosen
for analysis. (Note: Refer to page 111 of the textbook for a step-by-step
process on stakeholder analysis.)
2. After creating a
cumulative frequency distribution from the list, discuss new ideas generated by
each stakeholder. (Note: The ideas may be objectives, alternatives, outcomes
causes, etc.; ideas should not be duplicates.)
3. Write an analysis
of the results of the frequency distribution that answers the following
questions: (a) Does the line graph flatten out? (b) If so, after how many
stakeholders? (c) What conclusions can be drawn about the policy problems in
the issue area? (Note: Compare your work with Case Study 3.1 at the end of the
chapter.)
4. Include at least
two (2) peer-reviewed references (no more than five [5] years old) from
material outside the textbook to support your views regarding the proposed U.S.
response to the conflict in Bosnia. Note: Appropriate peer-reviewed references
include scholarly articles and governmental Websites. Do not use open source
Websites such as Wikipedia, Sparknotes.com, Ask.com, and similar Websites are
not acceptable resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
· Be typed,
double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on
all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format.
Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
· Include a
cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s
name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are
not included in the required assignment page length.
Assignment 3: Prescribing Policies
Due Week 7 and worth 170 points
Write five to six (5-6) page paper in which you:
(Note: Refer to Review Question 8 located at the end of
Chapter 5 for criteria 1-3.)
1. Determine the
following before deciding a prescription: (a) maximize effectiveness at the
least cost; (b) maximize effectiveness at a fixed cost of $10,000; (c) achieve
a fixed-effectiveness level of 6,000 units of service at a fixed cost of
$20,000; (d) maximize net benefits, assuming that each unit of service has a
market price of $10; (e) maximize the ration of benefits to costs, assuming
that each unit of service has a market price of $10.
2. Determine which of
the two main programs (Program I and Program II) should be selected under each
of these criteria. Justify your position.
3. Describe the
conditions under which each criterion may be an adequate measure of the
achievement of objectives.
(Note: Refer to the Demonstration Exercise at the end of
Chapter 5 for criteria 4-9.)
1. Determine the
assumptions that govern estimates of the value of time lost driving, indicating
which assumptions (if any) are more tenable than others. Justify your position.
2. Determine the best
way to estimate the value of time. Justify your position.
3. Determine the best
way to estimate the cost of a gallon of gasoline. Justify your position.
4. Determine the more
reliable method to estimate driving speeds and miles per gallon by using (a)
official statistics on highway traffic from the Environmental Protection Agency
or by using (b) engineering studies of the efficiency of gasoline engines by
the Department of Energy. Discuss any consequences of using one source rather
than another. Justify your position.
5. Estimate the value
of a life saved. Justify your position.
6. Determine which
policy is preferable, (a) the 55-mph speed limit or (b) the 65-mph limit.
Justify your position.
7. Include at least
two (2) peer-reviewed references (no more than five [5] years old) from
material outside the textbook to support your views regarding the proposed U.S.
response to the conflict in Bosnia. Note: Appropriate peer-reviewed references
include scholarly articles and governmental Websites. Do not use open source
Websites such as Wikipedia, Sparknotes.com, Ask.com, and similar Websites are
not acceptable resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
Assignment 4: Policy Outcomes
Due Week 8 and worth 110 points
Write a five to six (5-6) page paper in which you:
(Note: Refer to Chapter 6 Review Question 4 for criterion
1.)
1. Construct
constitutive and operational definitions for any three (3) of the actions and
outcome variables listed in the shaded box under Review Question 1 at the end
of Chapter 6. (Note: The box includes Program expenditure, Equality of
educational opportunity, Energy consumption, etc.)
(Note: Refer to Chapter 6 Review Question 5 for criterion
2.)
1. Identify three (3)
policy problems listed in the shaded box under Review Question 5 and determine
an appropriate indicator or index that would help determine whether each of the
identified problems are being solved through government action. Justify your
position on each. (Note: The box includes Work alienation, School dropouts,
Poverty, etc.)
(Note: Refer to Chapter 6 Review Question 13 for criterion
3.)
1. Construct valid
rebuttals to the following argument using at least four (4) threats to
validity: (B) The greater the cost of an alternative, the less likely it is
that the alternative will be pursued. (W) The enforcement of the maximum speed
limit of 55 mph increases the costs of exceeding the speed limit.(I) The
mileage death rate fell from 4.3 to 3.6 deaths per 100 million miles after the
implementation of the 55-mph speed limit. (C) The 55-mph speed limit (National
Speed Law of 1973) has been definitely successful in saving lives.
2. Include at least
two (2) peer-reviewed references (no more than five [5] years old) from
material outside the textbook to support your views regarding the proposed U.S.
response to the conflict in Bosnia. Note: Appropriate peer-reviewed references
include scholarly articles and governmental Websites. Do not use open source
Websites such as Wikipedia, Sparknotes.com, Ask.com, and similar Websites are
not acceptable resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
· Be typed,
double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on
all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format.
Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
· Include a
cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the
professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the
reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
Assignment 5: The Executive Summary
Due Week 10 and worth 200 points
Preparation
· Research any
of following Websites as you prepare this assignment: Governmental Accounting
Office, located at www.gao.gov,www.publicagenda.org: RAND Corporation, located
at http://www.rand.org/; Policy Library, located at http://www.policylibrary.com/;
American Enterprise Institute, located athttp://www.aei.org; Cato Institute,
located athttp://www.cato.org; Economic Policy Institute, located at
http://www.epi.org/; The Heritage Foundation, located at
http://www.heritage.org; or other.
Scenario
Use the policy you selected from Assignment 2 (Demonstration
Exercise 1 located at the end of Chapter 3) to research a published study
related to your chosen area of focus. Then, prepare an Executive Summary with
the criteria listed for this assignment.
Write a five to six (5-6) page paper in which you:
(Note: Refer to Appendix 2: The Executive Summary for all
criterions)
· Establish
the purpose(s) of the executive summary.
· Provide the
background to the issue.
· Discuss the
results of the research, identifying the models used to obtain the results.
· Provide
available federal data.
· Discuss
appropriate economic predictors.
· Propose at
least three (3) reliable, implementable recommendations.
· Include at least two (2) peer-reviewed
references (no more than five [5] years old) from material outside the textbook
to support your views regarding the proposed U.S. response to the conflict in
Bosnia. Note: Appropriate peer-reviewed references include scholarly articles
and governmental Websites. Do not use open source Websites such as Wikipedia,
Sparknotes.com, Ask.com, and similar Websites are not acceptable resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
· Be typed,
double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on
all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format.
Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
· Include a
cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the
professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the
reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
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