April 15, 2002

Let me first reprint the instructions already given:

** The final writing assignment will be a short paper (about 5 pages, double-spaced, not to exceed 1700 words) that relates the issue and the decision process thereon to at least one theoretical proposition drawn from course readings.

"The issue" is, of course, the policy episode you have already chosen for our memos. You now change your role from that of participant/advocate to that of analyst, exploring the substantive decision taken and/or the process by which it was reached. You must draw seriously on at least one of the theoretical readings from Part One. How precisely you do it is up to you, but the essay is expected to relate theory to practice, and vice versa. Possibilities include:

Using a theoretical framework (bureaucratic politics, two-level games, etc.) to shed light on why a particular policy was chosen, why an official took a particular stand, etc.

Using your policy episode to test a theory (did where X stood depend on where he sat? did Congresswoman Y play the sort of role that Hersman's analysis would have predicted? was public opinion consistent with the decision taken and did it play a role in the debate and the decision? etc.)

Was the process employed for your decision consistent with the model for that administration set forth by George and Stern?

The paper is due on May 3rd.