Discuss how unofficial actors learn about policy issues and become politically mobilized.

Paper Three

So! At this point, in past assignments, you’ve researched, identified, and described your choice of policy issues. You’ve explained the processes through which official government actors approach an issue. And you’ve considered how unofficial actors learn about policy issues and become politically mobilized, filtered through the wide variety of ways mass media can frame an issue for the public.

Now it’s time for your final assigned Memo, which is due on Friday, June 5, at 3:00 pm. This one adds a final set of analytical skills that, in combination with what you’ve done before, The basics remain the same:

Pick a recent policy issue of interest to you that you think would also be of interest to the class.

Find one or more published items of news or commentary on that issue. As before, format doesn’t matter, so long as the sources are credible.

Write a short paper, according to the instructions below, of not less than 1000 words (four pages double-spaced).

Use proper English grammar, spelling, punctuation, and syntax. Pay attention to your software’s spell-check and grammar-check features. Proofread your work, or get help from someone else to do so. Remember, this is worth up to 20 points of your total score on the paper.

Do not paraphrase your source(s), or quote without attribution, in any way that might be considered plagiarism.

Feel free to quote (with attribution) as necessary, but don’t treat this as just a way to pad your paper’s length. What’s important here is to convey in your own words that you understand the analytical concepts involved.

Submit your paper (but not the news)

The substantive details are once again a little different from last time, and may be a little more challenging. To elaborate on the instructions in the syllabus…

Compare and contrast two of the policy theories we have discussed (as covered in Birkland Ch. 10), describing why and how each theory makes policy change likely (or unlikely) on the issue.

Identify and explain at least one policy tool (as covered in Birkland Ch. 8) that one or more stakeholders (or groups thereof) might advocate as a means of achieving change on the issue, consistent with their interest(s), making clear whether the tool is already being used or would represent a new approach.

Finally, make a persuasive logical argument for a course of action plausibly likely to achieve constructive change on the issue. It is not important that you agree with any particular perspective on the issue; the goal is to understand how the status quo might be shifted.