Length: 1200 words
Assignment: Imagine that you work for an elected official. You
believe in this policymaker’s skills in effecting change, but their
expertise is mainly in domestic social affairs. When issues related to
international economics come up, your boss turns to you for advice. You
use your knowledge and resources to distill the issue at hand down to a
concise brief, in which you describe the problem, assess a couple of
different positions or approaches, and make your policy recommendations.
It’s important that your brief is both well-researched and persuasive.
Your recommendations should be based on logic and evidence, otherwise
your boss will have a hard time making a decision.
This time, your boss asks you to write a brief on the impacts of the
COVID pandemic on trade. Your boss wants to know which parts of the
economy have been impacted, in what ways, and by how much. You
understand that because your boss is a policymaker, they’ll also want to
hear about the kinds of legislation they should support in response to
the problems you identify. To write your Economic Issue Brief, you’ll
have to begin with a bit of research. Utilize 2-3 reputable sources
(feel free to use economic policy briefs from the government or research
institutions as your sources!) and make sure to cite them using APA
format at the end of your brief.
Elements of a policy brief:
Title—make sure it describes what’s in the brief, but keep it concise!
Summary—a 1-paragraph overview of what your brief contains
Description of the problem—a description of what the problem is, why it’s important, and whom it’s likely to affect
Approaches/positions—a breakdown of the choices your boss has before
her. What are her options with regard to taking a position on this
issue? What policy changes are being considered?
Policy recommendations—make your case! What should your elected official do?
Sources—please cite your sources using APA citation style
