for sochien due Feb,4th, 2021

Public Comment Letter Assignment Information SPEA V181: U.S. Policy & Administration

Shawna Girgis, Instructor

For this assignment, each student in the class will choose a policy issue at the local, state, or federal government level. Students should be familiar with the information provided in Chapter 9 and 10 of Writing Public Policy: A Practical Guide to Communicating in the Policy Making Process as it addresses the process for preparing and writing testimony for a public hearing and written public comment with the intended purpose of influencing government administration and policy outcomes.

This assignment should be written as a letter to an elected official that has influence and decision- making power regarding your chosen policy issue. Students are encouraged to choose a topic you are passionate about that is being addressed at the local, state, or federal government level. Students may visit the Federal Register at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsysinfo/aboutfdsys.htm and go to “Proposed Rules” or “Notices” and look for calls for comments. Students wishing to address a policy issue at the state or local government level should consider visiting the unit of governments website for pertinent policy issues or look at public meeting agendas to identify possible topics. Other sources of information regarding current policy issues can be found by visiting the website of advocacy groups, local newspapers, and government websites, and advertisements for public hearings.

Please keep in mind that the objective of making public comment is to influence law by contributing information. Accordingly, you should present a compelling case in your letter. Below is information regarding the components of a compelling public comment document.

• Write for clarity, correctness, credibility, conciseness • Review requirements for public input and provide information exactly as prescribed • Keep a narrow focus • Support your view with evidence and information • Indicate public support for your view if applicable • Provide alternatives or • Ask for action

To adequately prepare to write policy documents students are encouraged to review Viewpoint 4: General Method of Communicating in a Policy Process (Chapter 2, p. 29 - 31) in the Writing Public Policy textbook. In addition, you are encouraged to review your writing utilizing the Features of Effectiveness and Measures of Excellence checklists provided in the text (Chapter 2, p. 32 – 33). The textbook provides several examples of effective policy communication, including public comment letters, that students are encouraged to review in preparation for this assignment. A few examples of public comment documents can be found in Chapter 10 on pages195 – 206 of the text. Student examples are also available for your review in Canvas Files.

Letters should be one (1) page, single spaced. Supporting documents should be attached as a way of providing evidence regarding your policy stance and request but these documents should not exceed two (2) pages. Margins must not exceed one inch and the font must be 11 or 12-point Times New Roman. The assignment should be submitted via Canvas on the due date listed in the syllabus. As a reminder, you should include your name, title of the assignment, and submission date as a header or a cover sheet. In addition, all sources should be documented in a reference page. Cover sheets and reference pages will not count against page limits.

The guidelines for this assignment are based upon information from Writing Public Policy: A Practical Guide to Communicating in the Policy Making Process, Third Edition by Catherine F. Smith.