Policy Selection and Background

Assignment Overview

Government policy impacts social justice problems. Some policies may create social justice problems just as others attempt to correct them. In order to successfully address social justice problems, social workers must have the knowledge and skills to locate, access, analyze, and interpret public policy.

By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following EPAs and practice behaviors:

EPA 2.1.4: Engage diversity and difference in practice.

PB 2.1.4.A: Recognize the extent to which culture's structures and values may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create/enhance privilege/power.

Related Assignment Criteria:

1. Identify a form of oppression and discrimination.
EPA 2.1.5: Advance human rights and social and economic justice.
PB 2.1.5.A: Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination.

1. Identify a form of oppression and discrimination.
2. Describe a federal policy that addresses the social justice problem for a targeted population, using scholarly, peer-reviewed literature to support the description.
3. Describe the historical issues and context that led to the creation of the social problem and policy development.

EPA 2.1.5: Advance human rights and social and economic justice.
PB 2.1.5.B: Advocate for human rights and social and economic justice.

Related Assignment Criteria:

2. Describe a federal policy that addresses the social justice problem for a targeted population, using scholarly, peer-reviewed literature to support the description.
EPA 2.1.8: Engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being and to deliver effective social work services.
PB 2.1.8.A: Analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance social well-being.
Related Assignment Criteria:

3. Describe the historical issues and context that led to the creation of the social problem and policy development.

Assignment Description

Based on your analysis of the social justice problem in the assignment from Unit 2, select a current federal policy to analyze using the Library of Congress. This policy must currently be in law. It must also address problem that affects a diverse cultural group (for example, based on race, religion, disabilities, gender orientation, socioeconomic status, or access to services). This will be the policy you analyze for the entire the course project. Be sure to incorporate ideas that have been discussed in this course into your analysis. You will compile all parts of the course project in Unit 10, so as you receive feedback for each assignment, revise your work as necessary.

To ensure that this is a viable scholarly topic, explore the literature in your area of interest by doing article and book searches through Capella University Library databases and other electronic resources, including government, educational, and organizational Web sites. Exploring scholarly, respected literature will be the preliminary work for this project. The Library of Congress and other governmental Web sites will be an invaluable resource for your research during this project.

Assignment Instructions

To complete this assignment:

Select a federal policy from the Library of Congress that discusses the form of oppression and discrimination you described in Unit 2 (for example, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Veterans Millennium Healthcare Act, Affordable Healthcare Act, Adoption and Safe Families Act, Medicare, Medicaid, Temporary Aid to Needy Families Act, Social Security Act).

Describe the policy you have chosen. This policy must be enacted, passed legislation.

Include a description of the programs and services that are provided through the policy. What is the purpose of this policy? What problem does it seek to remedy?

Connect the policy to the social justice problem you selected by giving a brief description of the problem. Is it a new problem, something that has recently arisen or is it an old problem that never got resolved?

Use scholarly, peer-reviewed literature to support your description.

Describe the historical issues and context that lead to the creation of the social problem and policy development.

Include information about the voting outcomes for the policy and the legislative leaders who influenced the policy historically and in the present.

Include the impact of these historical features have had on the policy's implementation.

Use scholarly, peer-reviewed literature to support your description.

Submit your completed assignment by the end of the week.

Remember that your instructor will be providing feedback on your assignments. Use that feedback to improve the content of your Federal Policy Analysis course project.

Additional Requirements

The assignment you submit is expected to meet the following requirements:

Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.

APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style and formatting standards.

Cited resources: Minimum of five scholarly sources. All literature cited should be current, with publication dates within the past five years.
Length of paper: Four to six double-spaced, typed pages.
Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

APA Style and Format.