Assignment : Political Context of Social Policy

In this assignment, you will discuss the need to analyze the political environment when lobbying for social change, including identifying stakeholders and resources required in the policy development process. You will also prepare an analysis of the political environment surrounding a policy of your choice.

Tasks:

On the basis of the readings, create a 3- to 4-page paper responding to the following questions:

Why is it important to understand the political context in which a social policy issue is embedded? Similarly, why is it important to identify and involve stakeholders in the policy development process? Identify components of and resources required for the policy development cycle.

Research a social policy that is of interest to you. The policy can be one that has resulted in legislative action (such as the creation of new laws or regulations as a result of advocacy work), or it can be in the development cycle. Describe the political environment and considerations surrounding the issue. What is the objective of the policy? Who is the target audience (primary and secondary)? What impacts will it have, both positive and negative? Who are the stakeholders in the issue, and what are their stances on the policy?

Your final product should utilize a minimum of five resources from professional literature in your research. Professional literature may include the Argosy University online library; relevant textbooks; peer-reviewed journal articles; and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu, .org, or .gov).