International Issue Assignment
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Term Project: Developing and Advocating for a Policy
The term project this year will be divided into four parts. The goal of the project is to allow you to choose a current international policy issue, and become an expert and an advocate for a particular policy solution. This is a project that will cover the entire semester. It is worth 50% of your final grade, so work hard!
Students will have their choice of topics to address. Students should feel free to address any topic, even if it is not covered in the syllabus, provided they can justify its classification as an issue of international policy. Students in the past have addressed various topics ranging from trade policy, national security, human rights, war and peace, and human trafficking, among others. If it is occurring at the international level (meaning you are not allowed to address primarily domestic issues), it is fair game.
Part I: The Research Proposal:
Students will present a research proposal, a written 1-page summary of the policy issue they intend to address, to the instructor by Lecture 3 for comment, feedback and approval. The research proposal is not optional, and will be worth 5% of your final grade.
Part II: The Position Paper
Each student will then draft a position paper of approximately 7-10 pages, typewritten and double-spaced, describing and analyzing the issue they are addressing. Papers should include an analysis of the background and underlying facts of the issue, as well as a discussion of the policy choices available to the decision makers, and recommendations as to the best policy to pursue. YOU MUST INCLUDE A POLICY RECOMMENDATION IN YOUR PAPER.
Policy Position Papers will be due by Lecture 7, and are worth 20% of your final grade. All papers should be properly cited with either footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography. Late papers will be subject to a 5% penalty for every day they are late. If you are looking for additional guidance on how to craft a policy position paper, please see: http://www.valdosta.edu/colleges/arts-sciences/public-administration/documents/polpospa.pdf.
Part III: Oral Advocacy
Students will then record a video where they make an oral presentation of their policy position paper to the Professor. Students should treat this presentation as if they were meeting with the ultimate decision-maker. Explain the facts, the policy options available, and why your recommended policy is the best choice. You will be graded on the substance of your presentation, as well as your presentation style. As I have often imparted to students and colleagues, how you say something is often as important as what you say. Take time to think about how you will most persuasively make your case. Your presentation should last between 5-7 minutes, and will be worth 15% of your final grade, and is due in Week 10.
Oral presentations should employ technology such as webcams and presentation software L(e.g. Powerpoint, Keynote, Screenflow, Camtasia, etc.) As a result, you will need a webcam compatible with your computer to record the presentation – many computers have built in webcams. Alternatively, students may book a machine equipped with a camera at the school. Contact the IT Department or Library to discuss options. You should export your finished presentation product to a file that can be loaded up on the course website (common movie file formats – like the ones that you would use to load up a movie to Youtube – should all be acceptable), or that can be sent to the professor for review. If you need advice or assistance in how to create such a presentation, students should reach out to the Professor and/or the IT department as soon as possible.
Part IV: Petitioning the Government
For this part of the project you are going to exercise your First Amendment right to “petition the Government,” by writing a letter to your congressman or senator outlining and advocating for your position on the issue that you addressed in your research paper. It could be your Congressman or Senator, or it could be the Chairman/Chairwoman of a significant Congressional Committee, or it could be another politician, or it could be someone not in the United States (a foreign policy maker or member of an international organization). I have also had students write to heads of corporations to advocate for a particular policy. The recipient of the letter is up to you – if you need help, feel free to ask. This is a real world skill development exercise. One of the most important skills that you can develop in your professional life is letter writing. Indeed, much of your career in public policy will involve sending position letters to both those that agree or disagree with your perspective.
The letter should be single-spaced, 2-3 pages long (approximately 1000-1500 words). So, it is not just reprinting your paper. You will have to condense your arguments into just a few pages. That means that you will have to identify the most important points, and state your argument succinctly, but persuasively. It should begin with a statement of who you are and the topic you are writing on. Describe the facts and the laws that relate to the issue as you understand them. Finally, advocate that the person adopt a particular position in supporting or opposing either in an upcoming bill vote (if there is one on this issue) or as a general policy position. After I grade the letter, I would encourage you to send it. It is a fantastic way to engage with your government, and a right we should all exercise more often. This part of the project will be worth 10% of your final grade.
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