Policy Guide: Policy Analysis
Anna Leon-Guerrero, Pacific Lutheran University

Return to Policy Guide Menu

Instructions

1. Select a social problem that you would like to investigate. [It could be the same social problem you identified in Policy Guide Exercise : Critical Reports on Contemporary Social Problems .] Consider the following questions from Exercise 1 in selecting your social problem:

• Why is this issue considered a social problem?

• When, how, and where did the problem originate?

• What other social problems are related to this problem?

• What groups are affected by the problem?

• Who is hurt by it?

2. Identify the policy area that addresses this particular problem. For example, if you are interested in charter schools, the appropriate policy area would be education. If you are interested in racism, civil rights would be the policy area. If you need assistance in identifying the policy area, consult your instructor.

3. Written Assignment – Part I, 3-4 pages. Begin first with an analysis of federal policy. Answer the following questions:

• What was the first social policy legislated to address this problem?

• What was the social and historical context of this policy?

• How effective was the policy?

• Does the policy still exist? Has it been modified, if yes, explain how?

• Can you identify a recent policy which attempts to address the problem? How is it different from the earlier social policy?

• How effective is the current policy?

4. Written Assignment – Part II, 3-4 pages. Does your state have any specific policies addressing the problem? Select recent social policy, at least in the past seven years, to answer the following:

• What state level legislation or policy has been implemented to address the social problem?

• How is it related to federal legislation or policy?

• What was the social and historical context of this policy?

• How effective was/is the policy?

Return to Policy Guide Menu