12/4/08 BR-What is a policy? Give an example Today: Understanding How Public Policy Affects Your Life -Who’s going to the Federal Court on December 12? Trip cards and permission slips on Monday. -Who’s going to the Northwestern Mock Trial This Saturday – Get there by 8:00. Dress nice. Bring Your Student ID. No Restricted Items. Go to Daley Center and look for the signs telling you where to go.

What is Public Policy? A plan of action, adopted by government to solve a problem or reach a goal. A plan of action, adopted by government to solve a problem or reach a goal.Example- Problem: Many students are coming late to their classes. Goal: Reduce the number of students coming late to class. Policy: Any student in the hall after the bell will be rounded up by security and taken to the gym and made to do exercises until the bell rings, ending that class period.

Examples of Problems

Examples of Policy Goals: (do you remember these 7 things?) Protect basic human rights Protect basic human rights Promote fairness Promote fairness Help resolve conflicts Help resolve conflicts Promote order and stability Promote order and stability Promote desirable social behaviors Promote desirable social behaviors Represent the will of the majority Represent the will of the majority Protect the rights of minorities Protect the rights of minorities

What is Public Policy? “Good” Public Policy is: - Clearly Stated - Enforceable - Fair - Reasonable

Clearly Stated Any student in the hall after the bell will be rounded up by security and taken to the gym and made to do exercises until the bell rings, ending that class period. Any student in the hall after the bell will be rounded up by security and taken to the gym and made to do exercises until the bell rings, ending that class period.Vs. Any student who is late will be disciplined Any student who is late will be disciplined

Enforceable Any person who thinks a bad thought about the new president will be set to jail.

Fair Only people who make more than $100,000 a year will be eligible to vote.

Reasonable All children in the United States must learn to speak Spanish or French by their 2 nd birthday.

If.. The Supreme Court decided that the District of Columbia’s Gun law (policy) was unconstitutional then the District would need to adopt a new policy We will get back to that later..

Evaluating Policy Using GRADE Goal Rivals Advantages Disadvantages Evaluate Alternatives

GRADE the following policy.. All Roosevelt High School students will be required to the following dress code TOP CLOTHING :Polo Shirt or Dress Shirt All shirts must have a collar, sleeves and be a solid color in the following colors only: All shirts must have a collar, sleeves and be a solid color in the following colors only: BLUE (Navy Blue, Lt. Blue, etc.),YELLOW (GOLD), WHITE. NO T-shirts (only RHS shirts); NO sleeveless shirts; short sleeves are okay BOTTOM CLOTHING : Pants, Skirt, Shorts Two color choices only: KHAKI or NAVY BLUE Two color choices only: KHAKI or NAVY BLUE NO jeans, black pants, sweat pants, track/warm-up pants, pajama pants, rubber flip-flops, or house slippers NO jeans, black pants, sweat pants, track/warm-up pants, pajama pants, rubber flip-flops, or house slippers Gym shoes are okay, but shoelaces must be either all white or all black Gym shoes are okay, but shoelaces must be either all white or all black

Homework: Using your understanding of public policy, design (or find one) a public policy that addresses a problem in your world. Use the following format: Using your understanding of public policy, design (or find one) a public policy that addresses a problem in your world. Use the following format: Problem: Problem: Goal: Goal: Policy: Make sure that it is: Policy: Make sure that it is: Clearly stated Clearly stated Enforceable Enforceable Fair Fair Reasonable Reasonable We will GRADE your policies tomorrow We will GRADE your policies tomorrow