For this assignment, you are conducting a succinct Policy Analysis.
● Remember, social policy is a response to a social problem (or a perceived social problem – not everyone will agree that something is a “problem). As such, to develop an understanding of social welfare policy, you must first develop an understanding of the problem(s) the policy is trying to address. This paper allows you to explore the problem and the policy response.
● An example to help with this clarification: in 2022 and 2023 we saw a huge uptick in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation across the United States. This included local and state level policies that ban drag shows, books, gender affirming treatment for trans youth, and more. As such, a “problem” has been defined by those who have pushed for these bills. So, if you were exploring Tennesses’s most recent anti-trans policy, you would have to look at/understand the “problem” that the legislation is trying to address as well as looking at/understanding how people are harmed/marginalized by the way that the “problem” has been defined.
● In your policy analysis assignment you will need to critically explore how problems are discussed/defined.
● Ensure that you are connecting the social problem you discuss to policy – we are defining policy as a specific piece of legislation at the federal, state, or local level. This paper requires you to assess an actual policy. so you're looking for the legislation that has been enacted as a response to the social problem. Programs are created by legislation but you're not doing an evaluation of the program, rather you're looking at the legislation itself.
● It is also important to remember that you must look at policy that has been enacted for this assignment. You will not be able to complete this assignment with something that was introduced but not enacted. In some cases, you may be looking at one part of a larger policy – e.g. one component of the Affordable Care Act, the Personal Responsibility And Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, etc. Work with your instructor to ensure you’ve selected an appropriate and “doable” topic for this paper.
YOUR 5-7 PAGE PAPER WILL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
● Title Page: Follow the guidelines for student papers
● Introduction : Summarize the overall focus of your paper and provide your reader with a roadmap/outlineof your discussion. In your introduction you should clearly identify both the problem and the policy response.
● Body
● The content (i.e., body of the paper) should address the following areas.
1. History and Context of the Social Problem
■ What is the problem/how is it defined/who defines it as such? Is there disagreement about whether or not there is a problem? How is it defined? Explain.
■ Provide facts and data that describe the problem.
■ What, if any, conflicting social values and beliefs are at play in how the problem is viewed/understood? Are some values minimized while others figure prominently in the way the problem is described to the public/to policy makers?
■ Who is affected by the problem? Are any groups disproportionately affected? Explore/Explain.
2. Power Imbalance and Struggle
■ Who loses from this social problem?
■ Who gains from this social problem?
■ Who opposes/supports this alleviation of the problem?
■ As related to the problem, what is the balance of power?
3. Public Reaction
■ Explore how voters react to this problem – are there differences based on age, income, gender, religious preference, political affiliation, etc.
■ Explore how the media covers and portrays the issue?
4. Public Policy
■ What is the public policy that responds to this social issue?
I. Describe the policy – when implemented, by whom, at what level, etc.
II. Has the policy changed since it was implemented? How? Legislative? Judicial? Administrative?
■ What are the objectives of the policy and how are those reflective of values/beliefs?
■ Are there hidden agendas?
■ Who is in support of/opposition to the policy? (What groups have spoken out to support and/or protest the policy?)
5. Policy Implementation and Impact
■ What programs have been implemented as a result of the policy? Who has oversight over these programs? If there are multiple programs, choose one to discuss.
■ How does this program address the identified problem?
■ Who is served by the program? Is any group disproportionally involved in the program?
■ Are the programs effective? How is this effectiveness measured? What is the cost/benefit of the program?
■ Discuss the impact of the policy and program – both intended and unintended.
6. Future of Program and Policy
■ Is there current legislative, judicial, and/or administrative action related to the program?
■ Is the problem a "hot topic" in politics today?
■ What changes are on the horizon for this policy? Why?
■ From a social work point of view, summarize what needs to be done to better support marginalized and oppressed groups as related to the future of this policy area.
● The body of your paper should include headers to aid in the organization and flow of your paper.
● Conclusion
○ Summarize the main points of your discussion
● This assignment is expected to have a minimum of 11 references, a minimum of 5 are recent academic sources.
● The assignment should be completed in a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 7 pages. Please remember that one of the goals of this assignment is to build on your ability to use clear, concise language. In our profession it is critical that we are able to discuss complex ideas and topics in short and clear written documents. Papers that go over the page length will not be accepted.
● Do not use quotes excessively; when appropriate you may want to use a short direct quote but you should focus on your own ability to succinctly convey what you’ve learned.
Areas for Improvement
● APA formatting. Check italics, spacing, and capitalization of journal titles and ensure consistent hanging indents throughout.
● Conceptual section expansion. Briefly add more on implementation barriers (funding, reporting inconsistency) and measurable policy outcomes to strengthen the analysis.