Discussions 1: The "Underwear Bomber"
Please respond to the following:
• In the textbook, Birkland argues that the "underwear bomber" case tipped the balance in favor of using screening machines that showed a clearer image of a screened passenger's body under his or her own clothes. Take a position on the following question and provide support for your position: Do you agree that public sentiment supports the use of such machines?
• Take a position on the following question and provide support for your position: Does the failed attempt to bomb Northwest Airlines flight 253 in 2009 ("underwear bomber") reflect policy failure or policy success?
Discussions 2: "Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up"
Based on the lecture, address the following:
• Evaluate and then suggest the most important problem with top-down models of policy implementation by citing at least two problems associated with this model.
• Evaluate and then discuss whether bottom-up approaches address these problems.
• Analyze the bottom-up shortcomings.
• On balance, evaluate which model you think would best aid someone who is attempting to design a policy and support your reasons.
Assignment: PowerPoint Presentation
Using Assignments 1, 2 and 3, create a 6-8 slide PowerPoint presentation in which you:
1. Provide a historical perspective of the policy from Assignment 1.
2. Describe the official and unofficial actors of the policy from Assignment 2.
3. Present both of the positions of the policy from Assignment 3.
4. Persuade the audience that the position you have chosen is worthy of the policy being implemented.
5. Include at least four peer-reviewed references (no more than five years old) from material outside the textbook. Note: Appropriate peer-reviewed references include scholarly articles and governmental Websites. Wikipedia, other wikis, and any other Websites ending in anything other than ".gov" do not qualify as peer-reviewed.
Your assignment must:
• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the tile of the assignment, the student's name, the professor's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.
• Be narrated, using the slide notes section in PowerPoint. This is what your grade will be based on.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
• Explain how environmental factors (structural, political, economic, demographic) influence the development of public policy.
• Understand how relationships between participants in the policy process (including official and nonofficial actors) influence the policy process.
• Understand the different policy types, and how policy type influences policy design, policy tool choice, and implementation.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues and in politics, policy, and ethics in the public sector.
• Write clearly and concisely about policy for issues in politics, policy, and ethics in the public sector using proper writing mechanics.