Do the current U.S. laws, policies, and procedures provide the necessary framework to respond to emerging threats facing our nation?

Assignment
Prepare
a policy paper (five to seven pages) based on the question below:
•
Do the
current U.S. laws, policies, and procedures provide the necessary framework to
respond to emerging threats facing our nation?

Although
the policy paper relies on your authority over the research that you have
conducted, you should also pay close attention to audience, the
professional expectations and jargon of your targeted decision makers, and the
structure and flow of your argument. The basic elements of a
policy paper include:
1.
Description
of the context
and importance
of the problem.
a. It is helpful to careful define the
problem and frame it as a specific question to be answered.
2.
Discussion of a range of policy options.
a. These are the choices for addressing the
policy problem.
3. Criteria for judging policy choices.
4. The policy recommendation
File format: Microsoft Word.
•
Page
Margins: 1” on all sides (top, bottom, left, right).
•
Font: 12-pt
Times New Roman.
• Single-spaced throughout.

Policy Paper Rubric
Criteria

Executive
Summary
Stated
recommendation; Then briefly summarized main findings as answers to the
client’s questions. End the summary with a brief statement of what will happen
if the client implements your recommendation.
Background
Provides context and any historical or technical information
the reader may need to understand your findings—and nothing more. Considers
what the reader already knows. Briefly explains where your data comes from and
how they were analyzed.

Rationale
for Key Findings
Answers
the client’s questions directly. Provides evidence (and the context surrounding
the evidence), as well as analysis of the evidence in support of the
descriptive, evaluative, or prescriptive answer. Includes information on any
limitations associated with the findings and rebut alternative options, if
necessary.
Recommendations
Recommendations
should link the root causes of the requestor’s problem, which should have been
identified in the key findings section, with what needs to be done by whom.
Recommendations should be feasible, cost effective, and specific without being
too narrow.
Conclusion
The
conclusion should place key findings in a broader context that reminds the
reader of the issue’s importance. Why is important that action be taken
immediately? A good conclusion will weigh loss aversion against hope for the
future as motivating factors.

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