This assignment asks you to create and propose a policy to address your focus social problem. First, go back to your proposal, your diagnostic essay, and your quantitative evidence project. Look to see if you mentioned any policies already in place. If you didn’t, now is the time to research policy solutions that have already been tried. Again, sources to look for are white papers, academic journals, and research projects described in the news. To really understand what a policy should look like, take a peek at actual laws or policies found in government, workplaces, businesses, or organizations. You should aim for the same level of detail (but I know you’ll only be able scratch the surface given the amount of time we have and your experience). This site, The Hill (Links to an external site.), is a good place to start. The website of the US Senate (Links to an external site.) is another. You could also look at your local government to see what your community is doing directly. Here’s a link to Quincy’s City Council (Links to an external site.), which may give you some ideas about what is going on closer to home. Here’s one example of a bill to raise the minimum wage. (Links to an external site.)
In the introduction to your proposal, describe the social problem again, making clear what part of the problem your policy will address. In other words, focus our attention on a corner of the problem (not on the problem as a whole). This section should be labeled “Defining a social problem: __________” where the blank is filled in with a few key words about your topic. For example: Defining a social problem: Minimum wages preventing family savings for emergencies.
Second, describe the other solutions that have been tried and explain how they succeeded or failed and why you think so. What worked? What didn’t? What backfired and created an even bigger problem? Demonstrate the continuing need for a solution that will address this problem. Call this section “Previous solutions for ______” (again the blank refers to the few key words that describe your topic. For example: “Previous solutions for the emergency savings gap”. In the last portion of this paper, explain the policy that you would have us adopt. Be as specific as possible. In the heading for this section of the paper, state the main idea of your policy and why it is needed. For example: “Raising the minimum wage: A crucial linchpin to economic security”