Bail Reform for Disadvantaged Individuals

PPOL809: Final Policy AnalysisWhen is my assignment due?Written assignment due:The written assignment is due on Friday, 12/11(upload to Canvas by 11:59).Presentation due: Presentations will take place during the final day of class (12/8).Slides should be uploaded to Canvasbefore your scheduled presentation (i.e., before class on 12/8).Presentation sign-ups will be available via canvas pages (under Module 10) following class on October 27. If you have not signed up for a presentation by November30, a slot will be selected for you.What is required for my final assignment?Your final assignment will consist of a written policy analysis and an in-class presentation. Your written analysis should be 15-20 pages long (double spaced;inclusive of references;exclusive of appendices, table of contents, and executive summary). You will have 15 minutes for your presentation. Presentations should be 7minutes long, leaving ~3minutes for peer questions.What should be included in my written analysis?A template specifying the expected contents is provided. You do not need to follow this template identically—you can choose your section and subsection headers, ordering, etc.—but the content should be included.Your analysis should be preceded by an executive summary. An executive summary summarizes the policy analysis you have done. Your executive summary should include•Brief background information related to your context•A description of the policy problem addressed•Methods used for analysis•Results of analysis (mention evaluative criteria)•Policy recommendationYour executive summary should be one page (single spaced) in length. We will have a class period reserved for peer review of executive summaries before your assignment is due.A limited number of figures or tables (max 3) should be used to strengthen your analysis. For example•Table of parameters if you conduct a CBA•Table summarizing comparisons across policy options (for examples see Table I-1 in Bardach; Tables 1.1, 15.1, 15.2 in Weimer and Vining)Other data visualizations and tables arealso acceptable. Tables and figures should be integrated into (and referenced in) the text of your policy analysis.They should also be formatted concisely so as to not take disproportionate space.

I expect you to finddata(from secondary sources)and conductoriginal evidence for this project. Analysis should be done on all of the policy options you explore to facilitate comparisons and provide evidence for your recommendation. You may be limited, however, by the data you can find and the time you have for analysis. Thus, it is acceptable to compare the results of your analysis topublished results, if appropriate. For example, you could compare the results of your original CBA of a potential policy response to two CBAs of alternative policy options that you find in the literature. Any documentation of primarily analysis conducted with statistical software (spreadsheets, R code, State code, etc.) must be submitted along with your written assignment.It is expected that such documentation will exist.As policy analyses do not generally contain extensive data and methods sections—although the data and methods you use should be well specified—you can make use of appendices for supplementary material. There is no page limit for appendices.For any references, please use APA style. You can include references as in-text citations or footnotes. Regardless of your citation style, include a complete reference list following the conclusion.What should be included in my presentation?Your presentation should provide an overview of your entire written assignment: motivation of need for policy analysis, background, status quo, evaluation criteria, potential policy responses, analysis (including data and methods), and policy recommendation. It is up to you how to distribute your 7minutesacross these topics.You should have slides to supplement your presentation. You will share your screen during your presentation,so you have control over the timing of the slides.How will I be evaluated?See the rubric at the end of this document for details.What if I have additional questions?•Email me, come to office hours, schedule a meeting•Earlier is always better; do not request meetings the evening before the assignment is due•Utilizefeedback you get from peers during the in-class review of your executive summaries