Policy Brief – A policy brief is a short paper that examines a policy for its strengths and weaknesses. For this assignment, you are required to identify and analyze a social welfare policy/law that is related to a contemporary social problem of your choice. This brief should be 7 double-spaced pages long and should be typed in Times New Roman 12pt font. The page margins must be one inch all around. The brief also should have a title and reference page. The page requirement does not include the title and reference pages. Students should rely on varied sources to support their analysis.
The following outline:
1. An introduction should include a succinct purpose statement, history of the policy (if applicable), and a description of the policy’s primary goals and provisions.
2. The social problem that necessitated the policy.
3. The values and ethics that inform the policy.
4. A discussion of the political and economic realities that shaped the policy’s development.
5. A critique and evaluation of the policy with a discussion of alternative policy recommendations; and
6. A conclusion of no more than a paragraph
To provide greater specificity about the manner through which your policy brief will be evaluated, it is important to know that four criteria will be primarily employed: 1) the degree to which you correctly address and respond to the content of the outline above; 2) organization of thought, 3) quality of analysis, and 4) correct use of grammar, punctuation, and the American Psychological Association (APA) citation style. 6pages
