Apply causal inference to a case study
A topical economic policy debate in many regions centres around the effect that introducing a minimum wage has on employment. Having engaged with the notes in this unit, you are encouraged to expand your thinking around the problem of causal inference and how it influences the design of research on this topic. This exercise provides an opportunity to practically apply the theory that you have learnt.
Step 1: Read the influential article by David Card and Alan Krueger (1994) on the impact of a minimum wage on employment. You are also encouraged to read a critique of the Card and Krueger study, as well as reviews of later developments in research on this topic, such as the article by the Economic Policy Institute on study design in minimum-wage research.
Step 2: Spend some time investigating and reflecting on the following four questions:
Why did the authors choose this research design?
What confounding variables are the authors trying to avoid?
Do you agree with the conclusions they have drawn from the data?
If you were a policymaker, would you feel confident using this research as the foundation for your policy? Why, or why not?
For your own enrichment, discuss your answers to these questions in the class-wide discussion. This provides a good opportunity to engage with your fellow students.
Navigate to the class-wide discussion to join the discussion.
1- a critique of the Card and Krueger study. Link: 2- study design in minimum-wage research. Link
Category: Public policy
Criminal Justice Policy Brief Assignment Instructions
Overview
The purpose of this assignment is to apply the May, Can, Should model through analysis of a specific criminal justice policy. An effective tool for finding this legislation is through www.govtrack.us and the cost of the legislation through the Congressional Budget Office at www.cbo.gov.
Instructions
For the analysis paper, this is best done in the following manner:
May
Application of the Biblical principles – when discussing the topic of the week, make sure to apply the Biblical principles discussed in question 1 of the Synthesis paper to the specific policy that you’re discussing. How does it meet natural law, inalienable rights, federalism, etc.?
Constitutional authority – what is the Constitutional authority for the federal government to get involved? Avoid the use of the General Welfare clause as it becomes a catch-all for anything that a politician wants to get passed.
Can
Political feasibility – what is the likelihood that the policy will become law? What is the political and social support for the policy?
Financial feasibility – what is the policy expected to do to the national debt or spending? For example, the new COVID stimulus just put us another $2 trillion in debt but was widely supported by both politicians and the public.
Practical feasibility – what are the logistical resources needed for implementation (buildings, personnel, new programs, etc.) and what are the steps for implementation (ex; the Affordable Care Act needed functional websites in order to be implemented, the lack of these created severe problems with implementation).
Should
Relate this back to specific Biblical and Constitutional authorities and discuss whether or not the policy should be supported based on this and the feasibility of implementation.
The goal of this is to critically analyze a criminal justice policy to objectively determine if the federal government should be legitimately involved in the policy being discussed and if the policy is right for the country.
You are expected to submit a 1 1/2–2-page paper (not including the title page, abstract, and reference page) in current APA format in which the May-Can-Should model is applied in the context of the policy focus. Be certain to emphasize a focused analysis of a particular federal policy (either already implemented or proposed) chosen from the policy concentration area for the assigned module. You must include citations from:
all of the required reading and presentations from the assigned module/week
all relevant sources from Module 1: Week 1 and Module 2: Week 2 (you MUST use the “Biblical Principles of Government” article), and
3–5 outside sources. NOTE: These sources should be focused on the problem and the piece of legislation, and you may find that you need more than just 3-5 sources to adequately research and discuss these items.
Please feel free to use the link provided in the assignment resources for the purposes of additional research.
Please ensure that you review and follow the provided Policy Brief Template in the assignment resources.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.
Criminal Justice Policy Brief Assignment Instructions
Overview
The purpose of this assignment is to apply the May, Can, Should model through analysis of a specific criminal justice policy. An effective tool for finding this legislation is through www.govtrack.us and the cost of the legislation through the Congressional Budget Office at www.cbo.gov.
Instructions
For the analysis paper, this is best done in the following manner:
May
Application of the Biblical principles – when discussing the topic of the week, make sure to apply the Biblical principles discussed in question 1 of the Synthesis paper to the specific policy that you’re discussing. How does it meet natural law, inalienable rights, federalism, etc.?
Constitutional authority – what is the Constitutional authority for the federal government to get involved? Avoid the use of the General Welfare clause as it becomes a catch-all for anything that a politician wants to get passed.
Can
Political feasibility – what is the likelihood that the policy will become law? What is the political and social support for the policy?
Financial feasibility – what is the policy expected to do to the national debt or spending? For example, the new COVID stimulus just put us another $2 trillion in debt but was widely supported by both politicians and the public.
Practical feasibility – what are the logistical resources needed for implementation (buildings, personnel, new programs, etc.) and what are the steps for implementation (ex; the Affordable Care Act needed functional websites in order to be implemented, the lack of these created severe problems with implementation).
Should
Relate this back to specific Biblical and Constitutional authorities and discuss whether or not the policy should be supported based on this and the feasibility of implementation.
The goal of this is to critically analyze a criminal justice policy to objectively determine if the federal government should be legitimately involved in the policy being discussed and if the policy is right for the country.
You are expected to submit a 1 1/2–2-page paper (not including the title page, abstract, and reference page) in current APA format in which the May-Can-Should model is applied in the context of the policy focus. Be certain to emphasize a focused analysis of a particular federal policy (either already implemented or proposed) chosen from the policy concentration area for the assigned module. You must include citations from:
all of the required reading and presentations from the assigned module/week
all relevant sources from Module 1: Week 1 and Module 2: Week 2 (you MUST use the “Biblical Principles of Government” article), and
3–5 outside sources. NOTE: These sources should be focused on the problem and the piece of legislation, and you may find that you need more than just 3-5 sources to adequately research and discuss these items.
Please feel free to use the link provided in the assignment resources for the purposes of additional research.
Please ensure that you review and follow the provided Policy Brief Template in the assignment resources.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.
Requirements: In the final draft, you should make clear the following:
(1) Your ability to address each part of the writing sample guidelines below,
(2) Your ability to tell a story about a policy issue;
(3) Your ability to articulate three main challenges regarding the policy issue;
(4) Your ability to create a powerful conclusion which moves your audience.
(5) Your ability to write an op-ed that could possibly be published.
Word count, font, & layout: 750 words, exclusive of title and author description; 12-point, Times New Roman font, 1” margins, single-spaced.
Citations: Do not cite or quote readings in text. Simply embed a URL in the text, if and when it is appropriate. Direct quotes should be attributed using standard practices in journalism, e.g., According to the Homeland Security Secretary XYZ, “[The US] cannot secure its southern border without Mexico’s cooperation.”
Tone: Prepare your assignment as if you are sending it to the newspaper company to get published (which should be the goal).
Format/Key Sections: Here are some instructions on the key sections of the Op-Ed. Most successful Op-eds include the following:
NOTE: Your draft should start with a brief publication note (200-400 words) outlining the publication you intend to target, the types of articles they usually publish, and the level of expertise and authority expected from Op-Ed contributors. Also, mention any specific guidelines provided for contributors, like word count. Please explain why you consider this publication the best platform for your Op-Ed and elaborate on how its publication would support your cause.
Lede:
How to draw people in. Here is the link for a video by Prof. Thom Blaylock where he discusses in detail the “Lede,” which is one of the most important sections of the op-ed. (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tvPFzm9hV9sSH19gz_0urpBaAizzPkMK/view?usp=drive_link) THIS VIDEO IS IMPORTANT.
Thesis:
The crux of your argument. What should your reader think, do, know, or understand after they finish reading the op-ed?
Evidence:
Provide evidence to support the argument you are making. It is often useful to break up the paragraphs and provide each piece of evidence as a separate paragraph.
“To Be Sure” paragraph:
Address what the naysayers may argue and refute their arguments. This should ideally be a separate paragraph.
Conclusion:
Wrap up your argument at the end. This part often but not always circles back to the lede. Explain here why your argument is vital. In some cases, it might good to address here how your readers can support your argument or recommendation.
NOTE: Students who follow the basic structure tend to receive the highest grades. Choosing to not follow the format is a risk that is sometimes, but rarely, rewarded.
CHOOSING A PUBLICATION
Begin by considering a specific publication where you could imagine submitting your piece.
● For a list of publications, see here: https://www.theopedproject.org/submissions NO, REALLY, THIS WEBSITE IS VERY HELPFUL! IT TAKES OUT ALL THE LEG WORK.
As a general rule, avoid the New York Times, the Washington Post, the LA Times, etc.
Go for more niche publications – the more specific to your topic or locale, the better! This is where we’ve historically seen the greatest relevancy, but also the greatest likelihood of being published.
You will want to target the right publication for the topic you intend to cover. Most newspapers, magazines, blogs, and journals have some kind of Op-Ed section, though they may call it something else.
Attachments:
One Op-ed example, Op-ed resources form, and rubric for this assignment.
Education Policy Brief Assignment Instructions
Overview
The purpose of this assignment is to apply the May, Can, Should model through analysis of a specific education policy. An effective tool for finding this legislation is through www.govtrack.us and the cost of the legislation through the Congressional Budget Office at www.cbo.gov.
Instructions
For the analysis paper, this is best done in the following manner:
May
Application of the Biblical principles – when discussing the topic of the week, make sure to apply the Biblical principles discussed in question 1 of the Synthesis paper to the specific policy that you’re discussing. How does it meet natural law, inalienable rights, federalism, etc.?
Constitutional authority – what is the Constitutional authority for the federal government to get involved? Avoid the use of the General Welfare clause as it becomes a catch-all for anything that a politician wants to get passed.
Can
Political feasibility – what is the likelihood that the policy will become law? What is the political and social support for the policy?
Financial feasibility – what is the policy expected to do to the national debt or spending? For example, the new COVID stimulus just put us another $2 trillion in debt but was widely supported by both politicians and the public.
Practical feasibility – what are the logistical resources needed for implementation (buildings, personnel, new programs, etc.) and what are the steps for implementation (ex; the Affordable Care Act needed functional websites in order to be implemented, the lack of these created severe problems with implementation).
Should
Relate this back to specific Biblical and Constitutional authorities and discuss whether or not the policy should be supported based on this and the feasibility of implementation.
The goal of this is to critically analyze an education policy to objectively determine if the federal government should be legitimately involved in the policy being discussed and if the policy is right for the country.
You are expected to submit a 1 1/2–2-page paper (not including the title page, abstract, and reference page) in current APA format in which the May-Can-Should model is applied in the context of the policy focus. Be certain to emphasize a focused analysis of a particular federal policy (either already implemented or proposed) chosen from the policy concentration area for the assigned module. You must include citations from:
all of the required reading and presentations from the assigned module/week
all relevant sources from Module 1: Week 1 and Module 2: Week 2 (you MUST use the “Biblical Principles of Government” article), and
3–5 outside sources. NOTE: These sources should be focused on the problem and the piece of legislation, and you may find that you need more than just 3-5 sources to adequately research and discuss these items.
Please feel free to use the link provided in the assignment resources for the purposes of additional research.
Please ensure that you review and follow the provided Policy Brief Template found in the assignment resources.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.
Formulate an investigative essay on the role of government
in the U.S. economy by using the following instructions:
*Introduce the specific public policy of welfare.
*Compare and contrast the goals of welfare and its ties to
the economy.
*Provide a chronological lifecycle of welfare.
*Integrate applicable social and legal frameworks.
*Draw connections between advantages and disadvantages of any
entitlements.
Summarize including a critical analysis of past performance
and recommended
improvements to consider the best balance of government
involvement to promote
economic stability.
The essay must be at least 4 pages in length, not including
the title and reference pages.
Use a minimum of 3 sources. The essay should be double-spaced with one-inch margins.