Assignment:
For the paper you must follow a recognized, standard reference system, i.e., you cannot make it up as you go. You should consult some recognized manual of style. You may use footnotes, endnotes, or the American Psychology Association (APA) style. Citations and a list of sources consulted are required. Plagiarism is not allowed. Make sure you understand what constitutes plagiarism.
The text of the paper should be approximately 10 pages, double spaced with normal margins and font sizes. Appendices can be added and do not count as part of the 10 pages.
Your rating will depend on how well you have covered the following areas. In addition, you will be graded on adherence to rules of grammar and professional writing style. You MUST follow the following outline for your paper:
-An Executive Summary
In any report, the executive summary is used to give the reader an overview of the entire paper. To that end, all of the major points of your paper should be summarized here in one or two pages. This needs to be so interesting that your legislator (or I) will want to continue on reading the rest of the paper.
-The Problem
What is your chief concern here? What is the problem you are addressing? Is this something that must be legislated or regulated by the Government instead of taken care of by business or private concerns? If not, is it probably not appropriate for this paper.
-Background or Literature Review
Here's where you dig in and find out all you can about this issue. Make sure you use journals, books, new articles, and whatever you think is necessary to thoroughly explain the problem. Gather facts and figures...information you think is important to know and information that will persuade your reader to agree with you. Use the Internet to gather data, but use other sources as well.
-Policy proposal(s) and recommendation(s)
What then are your proposing in this paper? You should already have discussed a variety of alternatives to the problem you outlined; in this section, then, you select the alternative you think is best and defend it. Make sure you include the benefits and costs of this policy to a public official who might sponsor your proposal.
-Macro-Economic factors
Describe possible conditions in terms of macroeconomic factors which would stimulate the need for your policy reform.
Political Process
In this section, you should provide your legislator with a background he or she needs to fight for your argument. This is separate from the information you've already provided. You should detail any previous or similar legislation (or attempted legislation) that deals with this issue. What can be learned from these initiatives? Describe the steps in the process to have your policy enacted. Include strategies for your legislator to generate support at each step.
Also, include who the major stakeholders are for this issue. Who will likely support your argument and who will likely oppose it. How much power and influence do you anticipate they will bring into the agenda? How can your legislator or public official best prepare for this?
-Evaluation
Look at both your outcome objectives and the processes that will be involved in achieving them. How can we evaluate both of these aspects of your proposal? As with all objectives, include some specific goals that should be accomplished and the time frame you feel is appropriate to get there. You need to be able to identify how you will know the problem has been solved. Describe the healthcare system of the future 10 years after your proposed solution is adopted. Include payment systems, hospitals, physicians, clinics, pharmaceuticals, long-term care and any other factors you believe will be present.