Example Of A Policy Paper
Policy Paper Guidelines
What is a Policy Paper?
The issue addressed should be a legitimate contemporary policy issue within which the current policy is clearly discernible. There should be clear alternatives to the current policy. There must be sufficient data present to provide the target audience (i.e. the decision-maker) with information to make a decision on the policy proposal.
Examples of Policy Issues
The following are some examples of general policy issues that can be explored in a policy paper. Students are in no way limited to or restricted by the following examples.
Economics: Initiation of trade agreements; support for or opposition to protectionist legislation; restrictions on or relaxation of technical …show more content…
What is Not a Policy Paper?
An historical analysis is never an appropriate topic for a policy paper. A policy paper must focus on a current policy issue. For example, an analysis of what George W. Bush should or should not have done in 2001 would work well as a research paper, but it would not be acceptable as a policy paper. Comparative or case studies normally fit better as research papers than policy papers. For example, a comparative study of conflict resolution in South Africa and Northern Ireland, although certainly providing an analysis with contemporary relevance, would work far better as a research than a policy paper. An analysis of how something works should be a research paper. For example, a study of the political economy of the Ivory Coast would not work as a policy paper. Similarly, an analysis of development efforts in Guatemala would not in itself be a policy paper, although one could make a policy paper on a similar topic by analyzing U.S. development policy toward Guatemala.
Format for the Policy
What is a Policy Paper?
The issue addressed should be a legitimate contemporary policy issue within which the current policy is clearly discernible. There should be clear alternatives to the current policy. There must be sufficient data present to provide the target audience (i.e. the decision-maker) with information to make a decision on the policy proposal.
Examples of Policy Issues
The following are some examples of general policy issues that can be explored in a policy paper. Students are in no way limited to or restricted by the following examples.
Economics: Initiation of trade agreements; support for or opposition to protectionist legislation; restrictions on or relaxation of technical …show more content…
What is Not a Policy Paper?
An historical analysis is never an appropriate topic for a policy paper. A policy paper must focus on a current policy issue. For example, an analysis of what George W. Bush should or should not have done in 2001 would work well as a research paper, but it would not be acceptable as a policy paper. Comparative or case studies normally fit better as research papers than policy papers. For example, a comparative study of conflict resolution in South Africa and Northern Ireland, although certainly providing an analysis with contemporary relevance, would work far better as a research than a policy paper. An analysis of how something works should be a research paper. For example, a study of the political economy of the Ivory Coast would not work as a policy paper. Similarly, an analysis of development efforts in Guatemala would not in itself be a policy paper, although one could make a policy paper on a similar topic by analyzing U.S. development policy toward Guatemala.
Format for the Policy