Note: There are two parts to this written assignment, a background analysis and a formal letter. In order to receive full credit for the assignment, you must submit both parts.
Think of a political issue that is important to you that you would like to discuss with the politicians who represent you and where you would like to influence the policy making process . The issue should be currently debated nationally or in your State and covered by the media.
NOTE: My political issue is to write a letter to House Rep. member in Indiana to introduce legislation to limit the governor of Indiana powers to shutdown and restrict regluous gathering like what is happening now with the COVID-19. If you accept this know that my teacher knows that I am conservative so it would have to be written from that point of view and I will have additional specifics to share of my point of view on this topic.
Prepare a targeted background analysis in order to organize your thoughts and educate yourself about the issue. Use Ivy Tech’s library resources, authoritative reference materials, and news coverage on the issue. Your background analysis must include:
Identification of the people or groups involved in the debate,
Description of conflicting viewpoints surrounding the issue; and
Various policy outcomes that are desired by the different participants in the debate.
Citation of external sources utilized. Students may use either APA format or MLA format, but academic standards require that all sources used must be cited. (Click on the links to learn more about MLA and APA)
Consider what you have learned about this issue and submit answers to the following questions (organized and composed in complete paragraphs, college-level writing/ essay format). Include in your analysis an additional 2-4 well developed paragraph(s), answering the following questions:
In which stage of the policy making process is your issue?
Because the policy making process is cyclical, you may argue that your issue is in several different stages of policy making. Please explain your reasoning.
How can you use your knowledge of the policy making process to write a more persuasive letter? (Hint: Your final request for action may change depending on the policy stage.)
Identify the most appropriate federal, state or local elected or appointed official who can assist in affecting change. (Links to an external site.)
Find the address, or email address, of the official you’ve written to.
Using formal correspondence style, prepare a letter informing the official of your concern and offering a solution or making a request for action. CAUTION: Yours may be an emotional issue, but your argument must be based on reason, not just emotion. Support your position, and refute opposing positions, with factual information and well-reasoned arguments.
Send an email to the selected official and submit your background analysis and letter*.
*NOTE: Your final submission to the Instructor MUST include both parts – the background analysis AND correspondence.
REMINDER: Quality of writing includes correctly formatted, full body content pages*.
College level writing means well developed thoughts laid out in essay style paragraphs that provide relevant analysis. Clarity and detail, as well as making connections to course materials and readings are more important than length; however, responses of less than 3 full pages are unlikely to fully address this writing prompt and will consequently lose points.
*NOTE: Content pages do not include a cover page, Works Cited or References Page(s). Half pages will not count as full pages. Excessive margins and white space will not count as full pages. Instructors may also not include abnormally large font, extra spacing between paragraphs, large images, exceedingly long quotes, or other “filler”.