Policy Memo
This is your third and final milestone assignment. In this milestone assignment, you will draft a policy memo that you will eventually revise and submit as part of the final project for this course.
Directions:
Begin by selecting a current political issue. We recommend that you focus on the same issue that you focused on in Milestone 2.
For this assignment, consider narrowing the scope of your issue. For example, “gun control” would not be appropriate for this assignment, but “should we allow school teachers to have firearms in their classrooms” would be an excellent policy question. Similarly, “immigration” would be much too broad, but “should we separate families of asylum-seekers as a deterrent to mass migration” would be appropriate.
Thoroughly research the issue you selected. Optionally, use the Policy Memo Graphic Organizer to organize your research findings, arguments, and recommendations.
On a new document, write your policy memo.
Your policy memo should include the following components:
Executive Summary: Give a brief overview of the problem or issue, why the reader should care about it, and the key recommendations your memo will propose. (1-2 paragraphs)
Situation Brief: Go into more detail on the history of the problem, describing how it grew into an issue that now needs to be addressed. What laws or court decisions have impacted the issue? Provide statistical evidence (charts, graphs, figures) to show the stakes involved in addressing it. (4-5 paragraphs/2 pages)
Policy Recommendations: Layout three (3) potential policy options and identify which one you most recommend. Justify your position by describing the costs and benefits of adopting your recommendation and using as much evidence as you can marshal to strengthen your claim and persuade your audience. Also describe which groups may benefit most from your policy recommendation and which groups might be impacted negatively. (3-4 paragraphs/1-2 pages)
Sources: Provide a References page of sources used. (minimum 4 sources)
Complete this assignment in APA formatting.
