PS 310: Final Project Checklist and Report Format

This page will, I hope, clarify my expectations for the group project.  This is in three parts: a checklist, an outline for your final report (which you can modify as needed), and a set of criteria I will use for grading reports and the project overall.

Check off each item when you believe it is complete enough to go to the next phase of the project. Of course, you will want to revisit these issues for the final report.

Task Class date due Complete?
Develop a problem definition that really is a problem definition; not a topic statement or an opinion statement. Sept 13  
How many different ways are there to think about or attack the problem you laid out? Sept 27  
Which groups (that is, interest groups, professional groups, political parties, or any organized groups) want policies to change? Which groups are more or less powerful in this policy community? Oct 16  

What ideas for solving the problem actually exist?

  • Were the ideas ever introduced in legislation at the appropriate level of government? [Look at all levels of government--federal, state, and local. Different levels of government will often pass overlapping legislation and regulations]
  • Are these ideas in the form of laws or regulations? Or are there no laws and regulations?
  • Are these ideas sufficient for addressing the problem you have laid out?
 Nov 1  
Have existing policy ideas been implemented? Are any of the new ideas out there more likely to be successful than the old, already-implemented ideas? What reasons do you have to believe that the new ideas would be easier to implement or would work better? Nov 14  
What recommendations for new policy do you have? Prepare a presentation to persuade policy makers. The 10 minute presentation will largely be piece of persuasive policy analysis. You may use PowerPoint or similar tools. The presentations will be on the last two days of class Dec 4, 6  
Final report due. NEW DUE DATE: Dec 14  

 

Final report suggested outline

I. Introduction: What is the problem?

A. Clear problem statement

B. Who does the problem affect?

C. Why should anything be done about this problem?

II. Ways of thinking about the problem

A. What ways are there to think about the problem?

B. What are the traditional ways to think about the problem?

C. What are new or better ways to think about the problem? (For both B and C, consider what interest groups and others are sayng)

1. Which of these ways of thinking about the problem are more scientifically accurate?

2. Which of these ways of thinking about the problem are the most politically or socially acceptable?

4. Which of these ways of thinking about the problem suggest better policy tools for addressing the problem?

III. What interest groups are pressing for change?

A. Pro-change groups

1. What are typical pro-change groups?

2. Who do these groups claim to represent? Who do they represent in "reality"?

3. Why do they want change?

a. In the "public interest"?

b. In pursuit of group interests, but not necessarily the public interest?

B. Pro-status quo groups

1. What are typical pro-status quo groups?

2. Who do these groups claim to represent? Who do they represent in "reality"?

3. Why do they want to maintain the status quo?

a. In the "public interest"?

b. In pursuit of group interests, but not necessarily the public interest?

IV. What ideas for change exist?

A. What are the ideas?

B. Are these ideas discussed at the federal, state, or local levels? Or all of these?

1. Were the ideas ever introduced in legislation at the appropriate level of government? [Look at all levels of government--federal, state, and local. Different levels of government will often pass overlapping legislation and regulations]

2. Are these ideas in the form of laws or regulations? Or are there no laws and regulations?

3. Are these ideas sufficient for addressing the problem you have laid out?

V. Implementation?

A. Have existing policy ideas been implemented?

B. Are any of the new ideas out there more likely to be successful than the old, already-implemented ideas?

C. What reasons do you have to believe that the new ideas would be easier to implement or would work better?

VI. Recommendations

A. What policy change do you recommend?

B. What type of policy tool or tools do you plan to use?

C. Why do you believe that your idea would work better than what has come before?

D. What potential side effects (positive or negative) are there to your proposal?

E. How would you mitigate the negative side effects?

 

Evaluation Criteria

Better reports will:

  • Contain excellent documentation of sources
  • Cite high quality data from academic, government, nonprofit, and quality journalistic sources, with a careful eye toward evaluating the biases of the sources
  • Demonstrate excellent college level writing.
  • Will be printed in a clear and professional manner, with a minimum of graphic gimmickry.
  • Demonstrate group efforts toward the goal
  • Will demonstrate a sound grasp of the concepts discussed in the class

Weaker reports will

  • List few sources, and will improperly cite them
  • Contain poor evidence from highly biased sources, low quality journalism, or opinion disconnected from fact.
  • Be poorly written, with many grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors
  • Will attempt to cover up thin data and analysis with flashy (but poorly executed) graphics, layout, and typography.
  • Read like several separate papers, rather than a group project
  • Will fail to reflect the ideas discussed in the books and lectures.