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Short Essay – Policy-making in the Federal System

The U.S. government’s expansive role in public policy is
caught in a swirl of conflicting cross-currents. On the one hand,
popular expectations about government’s responsibility to solve problems
often exceed the capacity of state and local authorities to respond
effectively. On the other hand, policies developed at the national level
may not sufficiently reflect the great diversity of interests across
the US to be effective at the local level. Moreover, the search for
effective policy is further complicated by theoretical debates about the
constitutional framework of federalism (e.g., what limits on national
power can be derived from the 10th Amendment?).

Select a policy issue that is in the middle of these cross-currents
between national, state, and local authority. It must be a policy area
other than education (the focus of Discussion One in Week Two). Some
examples include: federal health care policy (e.g., Obamacare,
Medicaid–not Medicare); federal transportation policy (e.g., federal
transportation subsidies); federal highway policy (e.g., federal rules
about the minimum drinking age, speed limits, or safety); federal urban
planning and renewal policy; federal poverty, welfare and unemployment
policies; national security policies that intersect/conflict with local
police power; and federal disaster planning and relief. These are only
examples. The policy area that you select must have a significant
federalism component that requires national, state, and local
interaction. It should also involve issues with a strong potential for
tension or conflict among different levels of government.

Research and write an essay on a specific policy in the area that you
select. (Note: The word “policy” is used interchangeably with the word
“program.”) Your essay must:

1. Clearly identify a specific federal policy (the
   policy must raise issues of federalism because it requires national,
   state, and local interaction and invites tension across different levels
   of government), and summarize the elements of the policy, including the
   problem it is supposed to solve or improve.
2. Summarize the history of the policy. In your summary, explain how the policy raises issues of federalism.
3. Analyze the main pros and cons in debates about the policy.
4. Evaluate the pros and cons from two perspectives:
   • The policy’s effectiveness. In your
     evaluation, clearly explain your definition of effectiveness and how it
     should be measured or determined.
   • The policy’s consistency with the
     constitutional framework of federalism. In your evaluation, clearly
     explain your interpretation of American federalism’s constitutional
     framework and why the federal policy is or is not consistent with it.

Follow these requirements when writing the short essay:

1. The body of the essay (excluding the title page and reference page) must be at least 750 words long.
2. The essay must start with a short introductory
   paragraph which includes a clear thesis statement. The thesis statement
   must tell readers what the essay will demonstrate.
3. The essay must end with a short paragraph which includes a conclusion. The conclusion and thesis must be consistent.
4. The essay must logically develop the thesis in a
   way that leads to the conclusion, and must be supported by facts, fully
   explained concepts or assertions, and persuasive reasoning.
5. The essay must address all subtopics outlined
   above. At least 20% of the essay must focus on subtopic six, listed
   above (your evaluation of the various pros and cons about the policy).
6. Your essay must cite at least one academic
   article found in the Ashford Online Library and at least three other
   kinds of sources (e.g., Supreme Court opinions, magazine or newspaper
   articles, the course textbook, and reliable websites).
7. Use your own words. While brief quotes from
   sources may be used, altogether the total amount of quoted text must be
   less than five percent of the body of your essay.
8. When you use someone else’s words, they must be
   enclosed in quotation marks followed by an APA in-text short citation
   (author, year, and page) to your source. The in-text citation must
   correspond to a full APA citation for the source on the reference page
   at the end of the essay.
9. When you express someone else’s ideas, arguments,
   or facts in your own words, your statement must be followed by an APA
   in-text short citation (author, year, and page) to your source. The
   in-text citation must correspond to a full APA citation for the source
   in the reference page.
10. The form of the title page, the body pages, and
    the reference page must comply with APA style. Additionally, the title
    page must include the course number and name, the instructor’s name, and
    the date submitted.
11. The essay must use logical paragraph and sentence
    transitions, complete and clear sentences, and correct grammar,
    spelling, and punctuation.

For information regarding APA, including samples and
tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center within the Learning
Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar in your online course.