Summary: Find the definition and instructions for the first assignment in ENST20750 below.
The first essay in ENST20750 asks you to display your learning of the introductory material of the course through and including agenda setting. Refer to the course material in the Schedule in your essays. Since this is "open book" and straightforward, you must demonstrate a thorough understanding that indicates to the instructor that you have fully grasped the course material. Be thoughtful and provide content.
The overall response to both questions should encompass about four double-spaced pages at 12 point font with one inch margins. The Ramapo College standard word processor is Microsoft Word: please use it and submit your document in .doc or .docx format.
The essay is due by the end of the day on Tuesday June 3 and counts 20% of the course grade, reflecting that the first of the five weeks of the summer semester has past. Send your responses in a single MS Word document attachment to my Ramapo College email account: whayes@ramapo.edu. Two points will be deducted for each day late. (Your submissions are date stamped.)
Two essay questions are posed here:
1. Define and explain the concept of public policy. Connect your definition to the public policy cycle. I have provided an extensive explanation of each in the online material for the class, and you should use it. Break down the definition into its constituent parts and explain each part, trying to relate the parts to the whole. Try to show how the definition relates to the public policy cycle. Your goal is to demonstrate as full and refined an understanding of this important concept as you can.
In your response, explain what public policy means to you. Provide examples from current events, such as recorded in the New York Times. Please demonstrate to me that you grasp the meaning of public policy, have studied the introductory material, and that you can cite examples.
2. Provide a full explanation of the agenda as a stage in the public policy cycle. Explain why the agenda is significant. Specify some of the types of agenda, like front burner and back burner, that are illustrated in the online text. Examine some of the basic concepts introduced in agenda setting such as gatekeeping, bias, power, and so forth. Provide examples from current events, such as recorded in the New York Times.
Each essay will be graded on two criteria: depth and content. Each of the two responses counts ten points: five for depth and five for content. Be clear and thorough. Do not ramble or speak in vague generalities. I look for depth and explicit content that demonstrates your knowledge of the course material and your ability to apply your learning.
Refer to the title of the page from the web site or, if citing an external source (perhaps for news) indicate the citation in either MLA or APA, as you wish.
The essay is due by the end of the day on Tuesday, June 2, and counts 20% of the course grade. Send your responses in a MS Word document attachment to my Ramapo College email account: whayes@ramapo.edu. Two points will be deducted for each day late.
This essay permits me to assess your work early and, when warranted, to spot problems in time to find solutions. Once I grade your paper and respond with my comments, I will set up a telephone chat with you to review your work and progress in ENST20750 later in the second week of our online course.
© Wayne Hayes, Ph.D. | ™ ProfWork | wkhayes@gmail.com
Initialized:
5/14/2014 | Last Update:
06/01/2014 | Build #10, V. 1.3