Write a policy brief making a recommendation on an environmental issue of your choosing. Your brief can be written from the perspective of someone who works for a government agency at any level (i.e., national, state, local) or from the perspective of a stakeholder representing an interest group (e.g., Sierra Club, American Petroleum Institute) or a particular interest (e.g., oil or coal company, local antigrowth citizen group). Your brief must consist of the following information:The Issue: A clear definition of the policy problem and how you plan to solve it using the law (your recommendation)
The Legal Authority: Identification of the area of law that the problem falls under
The Responsible Agency: Identify the government agency (i.e., national, state, local) or combination of agencies that is responsible for implementing the area of law identified above
The Science: Identify the supporting science for the issue and any weaknesses in the supporting science
The Political: The classic definition of politics is “who gets what when and how”. In the context of this brief, identify the key stakeholders and how you would build support for your recommendation.
Recommendation: Restate and summarize your recommendation, highlighting the legal and scientific support for your position.
In the end, you will write a well-organized and well-reasoned final paper that shows me that you are able to look at an issue from all angles, identify the legal authority, understand the key stakeholder interactions, and develop a recommendation on what you would like to see and how to get it done. Basically, you are trying to persuade me that you know what you’re talking about.
Requirements: less than 1,000 words
