The assignment is designed for students to produce an original public policy research project. You will actively engage in the process of analyzing a public policy issue or social problem. Goals:
This guide will help you with finding resources for your assignment. In particular, it will be useful for Part 1's annotated sources section.
The assignment is due by Sunday March 13. Submit the first 3–5-page with the topic of your public policy issue/area, thesis statement, and introduction.
Like an annotated bibliography, your goal is to locate at least 3 reputable sources. Written using proper APA style citations and annotated descriptions of each source. Annotations are often one to two paragraphs long. It should include:
Due Dates:
Part 1 Topic and Outline (100): due by Sunday March 13
Part 2 Public Policy Analysis (100): due by Sunday, April 10
Part 3 Conclusion and Final Submission (100): due by Sunday, May 8
Concept mapping is one way to get your thoughts in order to begin the process. Who are the players involved? What issues do you need to be aware of?
Note that this resource only covers 1973-present. For legislation older than 1973 you will need to search Google and find a reputable source (probably still governmental) that has the text of the legislation. You may not have all the other pieces of information present in Congress.gov as readily available. It will require more searching on your end.
For this assignment, I would recommend the following trajectory:
Things may be available for you in multiple places. Don't only look in one place! But broadly, the areas below may help you narrow where to begin.
Congress, Office of the Federal Register, Supreme Court
US Government sources like Bureau of Labor Statistics; Census Bureau; websites dedicated to federal agencies, bureaus and departments, e.g. Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Reserve Board, etc.
Think tanks, across the ideological spectrum - Brookings Institution; The Urban Institute; Institute for Policy Studies; American Enterprise Institute; Heritage Foundation
Databases like JSTOR and Academic Search Ultimate
National newspapers like the New York Times or the Washington Post
Broader books with chapters pertaining to your topic