A 1525 page research paper will afford an opportunity for students to complete an in-depth investigation of policy formation in an area of your choice, such as health, environmental, or housing policy. Using materials in the public record, students will prepare a “legislative history” of one national policy statute which analyzes how a public problem was identified, defined, and represented to Congress; how and what response was formulated to address this problem; how the response was reformulated and legitimated, and what the resulting policy was intended to accomplish. This might include a critical analysis of some implementation experience with a previous policy, which evaluates recommendations for amending it. See the recommended Jones text above for chapters on each of the underlined terms above. Limit yourself to one major statute or you wont get it finished this year. Major statute, not a minor statute of a few pages and little interest.

To earn a passing grade, the paper must be professional in appearance, about 1525 typewritten pages (double spaced lines, 14 pt Times Roman font) and must utilize at least TEN references not in the assigned readings, in correct citation form at the end of the paper (not at foot of page). This means you must cite at least ten different sources, at least once each in the text of your paper, using parenthetical reference form:  (Hamilton 2008, 43). These sources must also appear at the end of the paper in an alphabetized Reference List. See APSA Style Manual for guidance.