Pol Sci 942:173g Public Policy Process

Paper assignment 2

Select a current policy issue in the United States that interests you. You are free to choose any topic, including one already covered in class. After a brief background of the general issue or problem, discuss an existing specific policy (or a specific policy proposal if there is no policy yet) designed to address the issue/problem. What is the policy supposed to do, and do you think it will be successful? Why? How was the policy placed on the institutional and decision agendas (and who put it there)? Which theory (group, elite, institutional, or rational-choice) best explains the process that was used to create the policy? Explain your reasoning, and describe how that process took place.

The paper should be about 7-8 pages long, and is due November 22 in class. Graduate students are advised to rely on their research for their final paper to inform their discussions in this assignment.