PSC 101: Action Memo

Fall 2003

Basic Directions

The second writing assignment for PSC 101 is a 3-5 page “Action Memo” written to the leader of an interest group recommending a course of action for achieving policy change. The memo will require research on the issue area chosen and should reflect your assessment of the material about group strategies, lobbying, and policymaking that we cover in the course.

You have three choices for the focus of your memo:

1. The restoration of health care coverage to legal immigrant children and pregnant mothers,

2. The prevention of further reductions in corporate tax rates, or

3. The prevention of changes to qualifications for worker overtime.

Details about each of the choices can be found on the pages that follow. The action memo is due at the beginning of class on Monday, November 24th. The memo must be turned in in hard-copy; no e-mailed submissions will be accepted. Late memos will be penalized, by being marked down one-third of a grade for each day late (e.g., from A- to B+, from B+ to B). Memos will be graded on the basis of the quality of (1) writing, (2) research, and (3) presentation. There should be no proofreading errors or grammatical mistakes. You are strongly encouraged to take a draft of your action memo to the Writing Center for consultation. The action memo counts toward 20% of your final grade.