Part 1: Introduction and background of the public problem (3 double-spaced pages).
a) Provide a description, brief overview, and background of the specific public problem. [The problem should be one that is related to the student’s vocation, employment, or area of professional interest. Policy problems must be directed to a state or local policy problem area. National and international issues (e.g. combating the threat of radical Islamic terrorism, such as promoted by ISIS; or confronting world climate change), although interesting and certainly important, are simply too large and complex to deal with in the limited space and time available.]
b) Explain why the problem is imminently important that it requires government attention and cannot be left solely to civil society, including private and non-profit organizations, to address.
c) Briefly review the literature, explaining relevant theoretical, historical, and conceptual ideas.
Part 2: Significance of the public problem ( 3 double-spaced pages)
a) Describe the major stakeholders associated with the public problem and the roles they play in contributing to a policy solution.
c) Evaluate past policy performance for the problem (i.e., how well has the problem been addressed in the past, whether through legislation, court cases, elected executive action, administrative and management attention, and even for-profit and non-profit involvement )
d) Assess the scope and severity of the problem (i.e., how wide and deep is the problem; how many people does it affect; how is it affecting governance structures, etc.?)
e) Determine the need for systematic policy analysis of the public problem (is there political, cultural, public, etc. backing for attention and analysis of the problem? Is it costly? Or can the problem wait for a better opportunity to be addressed by the government?)
For both parts reference approximately 10-12 outside academic or intellectual references, including books, peer-reviewed journal articles, intellectual essays and articles, surveys, government documents, court cases, laws, bureaucratic rules and regulations, expert testimonies, etc. No more than four legitimate non-academic websites may be referenced (avoid Wikipedia, random blogs, and non-reputable media sources). Use APA format for citations and references.
