Each of the assignments in the course builds on one another. The public policy topic chosen in this assignment will be the same one you use for the rest of your assignments.

The purpose of this first assignment is to introduce you to a particular policy issue that has been discussed in two presidential administrations when the policy began, its impact on various sectors, and its effectiveness over time.

Requirements

Pick one federal policy that was discussed over a span of two different administrations. For example, health care policies under Presidents Clinton and Obama, or foreign policy under Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.

In addition to the Strayer Library, you may want to use the following resources as you develop your paper:

• American Politics: Presidency and the ExecutiveLinks to an external site. to assist you in identifying a policy.
• For concepts and terms referencing public policy purpose and outcomes, see What Is Public Policy?Links to an external site.

Write a 3–4 page paper in which you:

• Discuss the historical perspective of the time when the policy was discussed or implemented. Indicate the context or the problem of the day and the urgency for the policy.
• Analyze the social, economic, and political environments for the time the policy was discussed or implemented.
• Critique the policy for its effectiveness at that time.
• Include at least four peer-reviewed references (no more than five years old) from material outside the textbook. Note: Appropriate peer-reviewed references include scholarly articles and governmental websites. Wikipedia, other wikis, and any other websites ending in anything other than “.gov” do not qualify as peer-reviewed. Use Basic Search: Strayer University Online Library to identify references.

This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The library is your home for SWS assistance, including citations and formatting. Please refer to the Library site for all support. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:

• Assess the effectiveness of a federal policy in terms of the historical perspectives and the social, economic, and political environments of the time.