Policy Analysis Paper Instructions
(The topic of the final paper MUST be the same as your proposal)
The papers should be 6 pages in length (not counting a title page and bibliography).
Adhere to APA guidelines and this assignment will be graded not only on content, but also on grammar, structure, and for plagiarism. Paper needs to be typed, double-spaced, and use a 12 pt. Times New Roman font.
Focus on one policy solution to the problem at hand that has been put into practice and to then to evaluate that approach according to the metrics we have discussed throughout the semester. This means first that I’d like you to tell me about what the possible or confirmed theoretical underpinnings of the policy are. For example, if I were going to discuss the policy of mandatory minimum sentencing, I would probably talk about deterrence theory as a theoretical justification for it.
After telling about the problem, policy, and theoretical justifications for the policy, I would like you to explore whether the policy in question is evidence-based, which is where our understanding of both methods and policymaking comes in. Does your research indicate that the policy works? Is it cost-effective?
What criteria for success does the policy succeed or fail at? Does the evidence you’ve used to answer these questions have methodological problems, or is it sound? In order to answer these kinds of questions, I ask that you incorporate at least 2 academic, peer-reviewed research articles and tell me what you learn from them.
Then to discuss the political environment in which the policy was put into effect. Was it sold to the public somehow, or was it enacted with an element of secrecy? For example, if I wanted to look at a policy of reduced sentences for first-time drug offenders, I might suggest that the efforts were passed by emphasizing the money-saving nature of it or a reliance on rehabilitation advocacy.
Finally, I would like you to conclude with a recommendation based on what you have learned.
Should the policy in question be continued as is? Should it be changed?
Perhaps you think it should be abandoned entirely in favor of something new. Whatever your recommendation is, tell me about it and justify it in the context of what has come before.
A checklist of preliminary tasks is provided below:
1. Sex Offenders’ Registration
2. Select a specific policy that attempts to address it
3. Find at least two scholarly, peer-reviewed articles talking about that policy (in other words, not websites or magazine/newspaper articles).
Note:
You are not LIMITED to two peer-reviewed articles. You can use more. Also, you are not forbidden from using newspaper/magazine/online sources, but they must be in addition to your scholarly sources rather than instead of them.
4. Begin crafting your paper such that it answers the questions I asked in an organized and understandable fashion.
