-Your paper will contain four sections. The paper must be typed, double-spaced, using a 12-point font, and must not exceed 12 pages typed. (page length does not include references or title page). The

-Your paper will contain four sections. The paper must be typed, double-spaced, using a 12-point font, and must not exceed 12 pages typed. (page length does not include references or title page). The final paper must be placed in the appropriate link on Canvas.

-You are writing this paper in the context of public administration/policy, so make sure that you stay within this area. Remember, regardless of the topic you have selected, you should approach it from the perspective of public administration or policy. Select a general policy area as the focus of your research paper. Any area which fits within the scope of the course is acceptable.  Examples would include, but not limited to, how government can address the immigration issue, homelessness, the opioid crisis, protecting our children at school, race issues, promoting environmental sustainability, insuring adequate healthcare, etc.

Title page: The title page must contain a descriptive title of your paper, the course number, the semester and year, and your name. 

Introduction: In this section you will identify the research issue(s) your paper is going to address, what makes it an important topic, what you are going to do in the paper, and what you will generally conclude. This section should be no longer than 1 page.

Body Section: The body of the paper should be approximately 7 to 9 pages and include, at minimum, the following:

• Define the issue/problem – and what the literature states about the issue/problem. Pay particular attention to any theories espoused in the literature or discussed in the class readings.
• Identify who are the key actor(s), what they are trying to achieve, why, and how they are going about trying to achieve their objectives, and what conflicts and negotiated strategies are being pursued.
• Identify potential remedies to the issue/problem.
• Discuss the potential strengths and weaknesses of alternatives to your issue/problem.

Conclusion: In this section you are asked to speculate on what the materials covered in the body of the text, as well as other materials from class, lead you to conclude about your topic in general. What are the internal and external forces shaping your topic, what are the present trends, which characterize it, what do you imagine will happen in the future – 1-2 pages.

References: All citations must be in APA format. 

-A minimum of 6 academic sources must be included in the body of your paper, though you are encouraged to do more (it seems the more academic references the better the grade). You can use a host of sources, including newspapers and government documents, but they will not substitute for the 6 academic sources required for this paper. To find these academic sources go on google scholar and research your topic. 

All papers will be submitted through Turnitin prior to being graded. This software will detect all forms of plagiarism, so please make sure that you have not plagiarized. Refer to course syllabus to determine what is considered plagiarism, as well as the consequences for plagiarizing – not good!