Students will create a 500 word policy memo applying the ideas and vocabulary of the policy memo unit to a real life problem. The problem may be local, national, or global in scale, and it may be a social problem or a work/business related problem. Students are encouraged to identify a problem that is connected in some way, shape, or form to their field, but this is NOT a requirement. Although not required, students are encouraged to use concepts from disaster management theory, in particular imagining what role their profession might play in a real life disaster. Alternatively, if a student chooses to write about an AI-related issue (which has been very popular in recent semesters), they must use at least one of the peer reviewed sources included on the Canvas files page).
Over the course of the memo, students will a) identify the problem, b) provide background for understanding the problem, including relevant history and a summary of all stakeholders and their competing interests, c) explain previous approaches to solving the problem, and d) make specific recommendations for solving the problem that are tailored to a specific government. Students should explain their reasoning behind their strategy. Students should also consider how policy-makers often need to balance competing interests in the pursuit of their goals.
This essay requires citations and quotes from at least two peer reviewed articles about their topic, one trade publication (an article written by professionals for professionals), and one public-facing source written for a general audience. Students should identify the specific methodological approach or conceptual frame that the peer reviewed articles use. Students must make their own point-of-view or philosophy clear. In-text citations must be used every time someone else’s work is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized. Students are responsible for verifying the credibility of their sources.
The recommendations made in the policy memo should be realistic and practical. This does not mean that students cannot let their ideals influence their recommendations. It does mean, however, that the recommendations should be plausible given the economic and political constraints of the country or territory that is being analyzed.