Instructions for Policy Analysis Memo 1. Choose a local issue that was, could be

Instructions for Policy Analysis Memo
1. Choose a local issue that was, could be, or will be decided by local governmental
authorities.
2. Address the memo to the relevant authorities (for example – the city manager, a
particular council member that lives in the district/ward dealing with the issue, the mayor,
etc.)
3. In the first paragraph, briefly introduce the issue – provide a summary of the issue and its
relevance.
4. Then in the next section, discuss the disadvantages/costs of the proposal.
5. In the following section, discuss the advantages/benefits of the proposal.
6. You can switch the order of the sections on the advantages and disadvantages if you think
the memo flows better that way.
7. After analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of the issue, make a recommendation
and provide your justification (why the benefits outweigh the costs or vice versa).
8. The memo should be 4 pages double-spaced (font: Times New Roman and 1-inch
margins).
9. Please see the examples I provided for structure of memo.
a. Note that one of the memos I posted was done in 2006 and is on a national tax
issue. I was also expected to complete the exercise in 24 hours as part of the
completion requirement for my Master of Public Administration degree. On the
other hand, you have several weeks to complete it, and you must write about a
local/county issue.
b. The other example is what I considered to be an excellent policy memo done by a
former student on a local issue in Arlington, TX.
10. Cite at least 3 sources (newspaper and magazine articles, journal articles, official
government websites, books, etc.)
11. I’ve also posted to Canvas a pdf document on the level of bias for several news sources.
Please avoid using those that that very biased or of questionable journalistic value.