Policy Report

Imagine you have been hired as a consultant for a client of your choice, and tasked with preparing a strategy report on a current legislative initiative with important ramifications for your client’s interests. Identify a bill that has been introduced in the current session of the U.S. Congress (or your home state legislature), but not yet passed into law, concerning a policy issue about which you would like to learn more. Identify a client—such as a government official, a nonprofit organization, or a business—that you think has a stake in whether or not this bill becomes law. Research the proposed legislation on your client’s behalf. Prepare a report for your client that details how the bill would change current government policy, explains how it would affect your client’s interests, and recommends whether your client should support or oppose its passage. Your report should be 5-7 pages in length, using standard fonts and margins, including any charts or figures, but excluding your bibliography. Your pages may be formatted in whatever manner you think will most effectively convey your findings to your client. No cover page is required, but you should address your report to your client. Include a one-paragraph “executive summary” outlining your findings and recommendations at the beginning of the report. The remainder of the report may be divided into subsections as you deem appropriate. All sources referenced should be carefully cited in the text of your report and with full bibliographic entries in end notes, using a citation style of your choosing. You should include a minimum of (5) outside sources in your bibliography, but use as many sources as are necessary to present your analysis and detail your strategy. In building the case for your recommendations, your report should address the following topics: (A) Provide relevant background on the issue under consideration, including the history and current state of the issue in the United States. Give special attention to the current or potential social and political impacts of this issue. What is the importance of this issue for Americans? Why is policy action needed on this issue? (B) Summarize the main components of the proposed legislation and how, if passed, it will change current law. Be sure to mention the title and number of the bill, the bill’s sponsors, and the current status of the legislation. (C) Make a specific recommendation (or recommendations) with respect to the proposed legislation. Should your client support the bill’s passage, or oppose it? Why or why not? Should the bill be amended before your client supports it? If you are recommending amendments to the bill, be sure to specify precisely how you think the legislation should be changed, and explain why you think the amendments are necessary, and how they will improve the bill. (D) Discuss the significance of this issue for your client—which of your client’s interests may be affected, and how this issue relates to your client’s mission, goals, and/or responsibilities. How does this policy proposal advance or endanger your client’s interests? Discuss at least one action your client can take to impact the bill’s chances of passing. (E) Defend your recommendations with evidence-based reasoning, citing relevant facts from reliable sources. Your analysis of the legislation and its likely consequences should build a thorough and persuasive argument for your recommendations. (F) Evaluate at least one alternative to this legislation. If this bill does not become law, what are some other means of dealing with the underlying problem the bill is intended to address? Who is opposed to the bill’s passage? What are the most serious criticisms of this legislation? What alternative solutions do the bill’s opponents prefer? Compare the advantages and disadvantages of each policy option for the American public, as well as with respect to your client’s interests. (G) Explain how your recommended course of action will strengthen American democracy, and how it is consistent with other core American values. You should reference at least one course reading in your discussion of this subject.