Public Policy Research Paper



Table of Contents

• General Website Requirements…………………………………………………………………………...…1

• Calendar of Due Dates……………………………………………………………………………………….2

• Potential Topics………………………………………………………………………………………………2

• Tech Instructions…………………………….……………………………………………………………….3

• Research Question……………………………………………………………………………………………4

• Thesis Instructions…………………………………………………………………………………………...4

• Selecting Quality Sources……………………………………………………………………………….....4-5

• What is an Annotated Bibliography……………………………………………………………………....6-7

• How to Write a CEA Paragraph………………………………………………………………………….....8

• Service Learning………………………..………………………………………………………………….....8

• Rubric………………………..…………………………...……………………………………………......9-10

You will spend second semester creating a website that evaluates a public policy issue and proposes policy for the future. Public policy is a GOVERNMENT solution to a societal problem.

General Website Requirements:

• Your project must include the following tabs. Each tab must contain 3-4 relevant charts/graphs:

1. Introduction- This tab includes the following

▪ Title: Your clear and focused research question

▪ Introduction: Provide a clear justification for why your research question is relevant & provide a brief introduction to the policy you are investigating/proposing

▪ Thesis

2. Interactions Between Branches (Unit 2)- This tab must evaluate the stance that each branch of government has taken regarding this policy over the past 5-10 years.

▪ Legislative Branch

▪ Executive- President and Bureaucracy

▪ Judicial Branch

3. Public Opinion and Interest Groups (Unit 3)- Gather data from public polling sites like Pew & Gallop and evaluate the likely public reaction to the discussed policy

4. Policy Proposal Argument- Your research backed policy proposal and explanation for why this is the best solution to the issue

OR

Policy Evaluation Argument- Your evaluation of the current policy and its future implications

5. Service Learning- You must include evidence and a reflection about of one of the following options:

▪ Photo and/or written documentary evidence that you have participated in campaigning regarding this policy. You could create a social media campaign to influence peers, you could write a letter to a politician, or you could volunteer for a related non-profit interest group and document your participation.

▪ You must include a reflection about your group’s experience

6. Conclusion- Should not only restate the thesis but also provide a call to action demonstrating why this issue is important and what should be done in the future?

7. Annotated Bibliography- You must upload your annotated bibliography in MLA format with a minimum of 10 reliable sources to this page.

Due Dates:

• Friday, February 7- Project Groups and Topic Selection (Create Google Doc)

• Friday, February 14 - Create and format website (Share log in info with teacher and group)

• *Friday, February 21- Minimum of 6 annotated citations for Branches of Government (2 for Legislative, 2-3 for Executive/Bureaucracy, 1-2 for Judicial) AND Draft of research question

• *Monday, February 28- Identify the service-learning activity in which your group will engage

• *Friday, March 6 – Minimum of 4 annotated citations for relevant public opinion polling and interest groups AND Draft of thesis for policy argument

• *Friday, March 13 - Branches Google Doc (3-4 CEA paragraphs)

• *Friday, March 20 - Public Polling Google Doc (2-3 CEA paragraphs)

• *Friday, March 27 -Policy Argument (3 CEA paragraphs)

• *Friday, April 3 - Final Website Due (Minus Service Learning Portion)

• *Monday, April 13 - Service Learning documentation and 1 paragraph reflection by each group member

Potential Topics:

1. Social security reform

2. Debt ceiling

3. Budget process/government shutdown

4. Funding for any specific government agency or program (National Parks, NASA, .)

5. Off shore drilling (or drilling in ANWR)- Keystone XL Pipeline

6. Affirmative Action (be specific—i.e. college admissions, workplace)

7. Militarization of local police

8. Drones

9. Welfare reform

10. Campaign finance reform

11. Gun control—be specific (like D.C.’s gun ban or Brady Bill)

12. No child left behind (national standards/testing)

13. Gay marriage

14. Transgender Rights

15. Mandatory National Service

16. Funding for higher education

17. Health Care reform

18. Obesity- Nutrition

19. Environmental policy (be specific—increasing fuel efficiency of cars)

20. Climate Change

21. Immigration (border security, amnesty, etc.)

22. US policy towards a chosen country

23. Terrorist detainees at Guantanamo Bay (closing of military prison there)

24. U.S. presence in Afghanistan

25. Torture policy

26. Electoral Reform (electoral college or party nomination process)

27. Patriot Act (specific provisions)

28. Labor unions/collective bargaining

29. Women’s Issues (such as ERA, equal pay, family leave)

30. Internet Neutrality

31. Cable mergers

32. Campus Assault

33. Human trafficking

U.S. Foreign Policy Regarding:

34. Iran

35. Russia

36. Ukraine

37. Saudi Arabia

38. China

39. North Korea

40. Cuba

41. Venezuela

42. Nigeria

Tech Instructions

1) Create a google folder for recording all research as you work. Name it: “Public Policy Project: Last Name of Group Members” and create the following docs in the folder:

a. Introduction

b. Interactions Between Branches

c. Public Opinion and Interest Groups

d. Policy Proposal OR Policy Evaluation

e. Service Learning

f. Conclusion

g. Annotated Bibliography

2) To create your web page:

a. Go to

b. Click the “Sign Up” button and one student in group will create a weebly account by providing:

i. Email Address:_________________________________________

ii. Password: ____________________________________________

iii. URL: ________________________________________________

a. Indicate that you will not use this website for Sales Purposes

b. Choose any template. It doesn’t matter which you choose. We will delete the original template anyway.

i. Delete the “Pages” provided already and create your own.

ii. To subdivide your page into multiple pages, click on the button at the top of the screen that says “Pages”. Make sure all group member names appear on your Home page. You should have the following pages “Introduction,” “Interactions Between Branches,” “Public Opinion Polling,” “Policy Proposal OR Policy Evaluation,” “Service Learning,” “Conclusion,” and an “Annotated Bibliography”

iii. To add pictures, titles, or paragraphs, click the tab at the top left of the screen that says “Build.” You must drag the little squares onto the page to add each item.

3) To save your changes:

a. Always click the PUBLISH button in the top right corner of the screen before you log off. The first time you click publish the website will ask you to create the URL. Your URL should be the topic # and title and period (For example, #1SocialSecurityPeriod4) Use the option with weebly in the URL, it will be free. Make sure you record the URL you select in the space above.

4) To make your MLA bibliography:

a. Go to

b. Click “Create Citation.” Enter the URL for the website you selected and follow the steps to enter relevant information

c. When you have finished citing all sources click “Download Works Cited”

d. You should save your bibliography on your Google Doc

5) To access our class’s information please go to our CLASS WEBSITE:

a. Go to apgov19-20.

A. TITLE: The title of your website must be your clear and focused research question. You must be prepared to justify why this question is relevant

B. THESIS: The thesis of your paper must lay out 3-4 map points that answer the question. Map Points must identify public policy, it must take a position.

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TITLE OPTION 1: SHOULD the policy be implemented? (or if it is implemented, should it continue?)

EX: Should smoking be banned in Illinois?

THESIS OPTION 1: Support the policy and give three reasons why it should be passed.

EX: Smoking should be banned in restaurants in Illinois because of X, Y, and Z.

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TITLE OPTION 2: What is the policy now and what are future implications?

EX: How have bans on smoking been implemented throughout the United States and the world and what are the implications for Illinois?

THESIS OPTION 2: Identify the implications of the passage of legislation.

Since the 1980s 30 states and 10 countries have banned smoking in restaurants, this led the state legislatures of Illinois to recently pass a ban on smoking in restaurants. This ban has several implications for the future of restaurant owners in Illinois: x, y, and z.

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Selecting Quality Sources

You are being given two months to complete research on this project because you are expected to complete research that is consistent with expectations of a college course.

A few things to keep in mind when selecting and using sources:

1. Be sure to include a balance of primary and secondary sources.

2. Many sources will be written with some bias. Be sure to recognize the bias (liberal? conservative?) and seek out sources that represent different perspectives. For example, your paper should not rest solely on interest groups and think tanks.

3. Wikipedia (and similar sites) are not scholarly sources (and you should not cite them in your paper). However, they are not without value. Reading Wikipedia can be valuable to help obtain general information about your topic. If you find something specific on Wikipedia that you’d like to use, look for the citation and verify the source. If the source is reputable, then use that source.

4. Sometimes one source can lead you to another good source. You may read a news article that mentions a study that was conducted. Look up the study and use that as a source. Check out the reference page or bibliographies of your sources.

Primary Sources:

Executive Branch:

Statements/press releases by the President/White House/cabinet departments:

The President and various cabinet agencies release official statements and press releases regarding various policies. Look at >>issues. Determine the relevant cabinet agency and look at their website.

Legislative Branch:

GAO reports:

The Government Accountability Office conducts researches and publishes reports on a wide variety of issues (often at the request of Congress). You can read the reports online ( >>reports and testimonies).

Statements/press releases by members of Congress, testimony before congressional committees:

Websites of congressional committees and members of Congress will have official statements, press releases, and other information about various policies. Begin by determining the House and Senate committees that relate to your issue ( and ) and looking at their websites. Then go to CSPAN to search for committee meetings.

Judicial Branch:

Federal or State court decisions:

Judicial decisions determine how the law should be interpreted, each topic should have a decision that can be referenced in your research. One good place to start your search is , to learn more about specific cases. If you then go to and type in the case to find links to others.

Other:

White papers:

Many interest groups/think tanks have published research on various issues. One good place to begin searching for these is at (resources>>white papers). You can also visit the websites of interest groups and think tanks directly and search for white papers there. Keep in mind that these groups (and there are research) are not without bias, and try to include research from liberal and conservative groups.

Interviews:

Conducting an interview with someone who works researching your issue for a member of Congress or a congressional committee, someone who works for a relevant interest group, or someone who otherwise has an expertise on your issue is a great way to obtain information.

Secondary Sources:

Magazines, Newspapers, Books, Online articles, etc. —often times secondary sources can point you to good primary sources (because the articles will reference specific reports, statements, etc.)

• CQ Researcher/ InfoTrac are a required resource..

• Suggested online news sources: cnn, washingtonpost, wsj, washingtontimes, nytimes, thehill, politico, bbc, aljazeera, theeconomist, foreignpolicy, leesburgtoday, lcmirror

What is an Annotated Bibliography?

The word “annotated” is the past tense of the verb “to annotate” which means to summarize. An annotation is simply a summary of a book, article, or some other written source. A “bibliography” is a list of sources on a particular topic. Together, an annotated bibliography is a list of sources on a topic that offers a summary for each source.

What does an Annotated Bibliography look like?

An annotated bibliography has two parts. The first part is the bibliography line, which should be written according to the MLA Style format. The second part is the summary paragraph. Together, both parts are known as an “entry”. The entries should be separated into two groups: primary and secondary sources. Within each group, entries are organized in alphabetical order according to bibliography information, specifically the last name of an author or the title of a book.

How to write an MLA citations?

Use , , and enter all relevant information (website, author’s name, publication date) in order to create your MLA citations.

How is a Summary Paragraph written?

Your summary should include the following elements:

1. Origin- 1-2 sentences that explain the reliability of the source by listing the creator’s credentials.

2. Purpose- 1-2 sentences that summarizes what the source is and a concise overview of its contents.

3. Value- 1-2 sentences that explains the value of the source; what it contributes to the project

Remember to write each of these parts in the form of a paragraph.

Annotated Bibliography Checklist

π Is my bibliography line a properly formatted MLA citation? Use the Style Guide!

π Are my sources in alphabetical order? No bullet points or numbering!

π Are primary and secondary sources separated into two categories?

Summary Paragraphs:

π Have I explained why the creator(s) of this source is credible?

π Have I included one sentence that summarizes the content of the sources?

π Have I provided a sentence for why this source was valuable to my project?

[pic]CEA Format- Structure for EACH paragraph

• Claim: Every single paragraph should have a clear evidence-based claim or argument. This is especially true of the paragraphs written in the Policy Proposal or Policy Evaluation tab, which should directly correspond to and support your thesis

• Context 1: Before you use a quote, you must provide the context of the quote. This may include providing the author, the article title or source, and/or a bit of background about the article topic. There are few things more confusing than the quote that has been dropped into a paragraph without any background.

• Evidence 1- May use a quote or paraphrase

▪ Start evidence with transition phrases like “For example” or “For instance”

▪ End evidence with a parenthetical citation (Last Name) OR (“Article Title”)

• Analysis 1- What does evidence 1 mean? How does it directly prove your claim?

▪ Start analysis with analysis phrases like: This demonstrates, shows, proves, suggests, implies, confirms, illustrates…

• Context 2: Before you use a quote you must provide the context of the quote.

• Evidence 2- May use a quote or paraphrase

• Analysis 2- What does evidence 2 mean? How does it directly prove your claim?

• Context 3: Before you use a quote you must provide the context of the quote.

• Evidence 3- May use a quote or paraphrase

• Analysis 3- What does evidence 3 mean? How does it directly prove your claim?

Service-Learning Reflection- Each student must write their own

1. How did the information you gathered in your research help you better understand your topic? What new understanding do you have about your topic after completing this project? What aspects of the research process did you find most successful? What aspects did you find most challenging? Why?

2. What service-learning activity did you and your group decide to engage in? Why did you choose this service-learning option? What did you learn by participating in this service-learning option? What aspect of this service-learning activity was success? What aspect was challenging? Why?

Description:

|B: Investigating |

|0 |The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below. |

|1-2 |formulates a research question that is clear or focused and describes|Title: formulates a clear or focused research question and describes its |

| |its relevance 
 |relevance to your group’s policy proposal OR policy evaluation |

| |formulates a limited action plan to investigate a research question |Limited plan to complete the graded steps on time |

| |or does not follow a plan 
 |Uses limited information from under 9 primary and secondary sources |

| |collects and records limited information, not always consistent with |limited evaluation of the investigation and service learning process and |

| |the research question 
 |results |

| |makes a limited evaluation of the process and results of the | |

| |investigation. 
 | |

|3-4 |formulates a research question that is clear and focused and |Title: formulates a clear and focused research question and describes its |

| |describes its relevance in detail |relevance to your group’s policy proposal OR policy evaluation |

| |formulates and somewhat follows a partial action plan to investigate |Somewhat follows the plan by completing 4-5 of the graded steps on time |

| |a research question 
 |Uses mostly relevant information from 9-11 primary and secondary sources |

| |uses a research method(s) to collect and record mostly relevant |Some evaluation of the investigation and service learning process and |

| |information 
 |results |

| |evaluates some aspects of the process and results of the | |

| |investigation. 
 | |

|5-6 |formulates a clear and focused research question and explains its |Title: formulates a clear and focused research question and explains its |

| |relevance 
 |relevance to your group’s policy proposal OR policy evaluation |

| |formulates and follows a substantial action plan to investigate a |Mostly follows the plan by completing 6-8 of the graded steps on time |

| |research question 
 |Uses appropriate and relevant information from 12-15 primary and secondary|

| |uses research method(s) to collect and record appropriate, relevant |sources |

| |information |Evaluates the investigation and service learning process and results |

| |evaluates the process and results of the investigation. 
 | |

|7-8 |formulates a clear and focused research question and justifies its |Title: formulates a clear and focused research question and justifies its |

| |relevance 
 |relevance to your group’s policy proposal OR policy evaluation |

| |formulates and effectively follows a comprehensive action plan to |Effectively follows the comprehensive plan by completing 9-10 of the |

| |investigate a research question 
 |graded steps on time |

| |uses research methods to collect and record appropriate, varied and |Uses appropriate, varied and relevant information from 12-15 primary and |

| |relevant information 
 |secondary sources |

| |thoroughly evaluates the investigation process and results. 
 |Thoroughly evaluates investigation and service learning process and |

| | |results |

Description:

|C: Communicating |

|0 |The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below. |

|1-2 |communicates information and ideas in a limited way, using a|Website communicates information and ideas in a limited or unclear way |

| |style that is limited in its appropriateness to the audience|Structure information in a limited CEA format with an unclear claim, context, |

| |and purpose 
 |evidence, and analysis |

| |structures information and ideas according to the specified |Limited documentation of all sources using MLA citation, annotated bibliography |

| |format in a 
limited way 
 |evaluating OPVL and in text citations |

| |documents sources of information in a limited way. 
 | |

|3-4 |communicates information and ideas satisfactorily by using a|Website communicates information and ideas in an satisfactory way that is somewhat |

| |style that is 
somewhat appropriate to the audience and |appropriate to the audience and purpose |

| |purpose 
 |Most paragraph structures information in a somewhat appropriate CEA format with a |

| |structures information and ideas in a way that is somewhat |clear claim, context, evidence, and analysis |

| |appropriate to 
the specified format 
 |Sometimes documented all sources using MLA citation, annotated bibliography |

| |sometimes documents sources of information using a |evaluating OPVL and in text citations |

| |recognized convention. 
 | |

|5-6 |communicates information and ideas accurately by using a |Website communicates information and ideas in an accurate style mostly appropriate |

| |style that is 
mostly appropriate to the audience and |to the audience and purpose |

| |purpose 
 |Every paragraph structures information in a mostly appropriate CEA format with a |

| |structures information and ideas in a way that is mostly |clear claim, context, evidence, and analysis |

| |appropriate to the 
specified format 
 |Often documented all sources using MLA citation, annotated bibliography evaluating |

| |often documents sources of information using a recognized |OPVL and in text citations |

| |convention. 
 | |

|7-8 |communicates information and ideas effectively and |Website communicates information and ideas in an effective and accurate style |

| |accurately by using 
a style that is completely appropriate |completely appropriate to the audience and purpose |

| |to the audience and purpose 
 |Every paragraph structures information in a completely appropriate CEA format with |

| |structures information and ideas in a way that is completely|a clear claim, context, evidence, and analysis |

| |appropriate to 
the specified format 
 |Consistently documented all sources using MLA citation, annotated bibliography |

| |consistently documents sources of information using a |evaluating OPVL and in text citations |

| |recognized convention. 
 | |

MYP Criterion B _____ + MYP Criterion C _______ = total MYP score_____ /16 Conversion score: ________/100

16 |100 |14 |92 |12 |86 |10 |80 |8 |76 |6 |70 |4 |60 |2 |50 | |15 |95 |13 |88 |11 |83 |9 |78 |7 |73 |5 |65 |3 |55 |1 |45 | |

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AP Gov 2019-20

AP Gov 2019-20

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