Sample Answer

Social Policy Analysis Paper Structure (5-7 Pages)

This document provides a complete structural outline for your Social Policy Analysis paper, detailing the content required for each section.

Title Page

Follow standard academic guidelines for student papers (e.g., APA or Chicago format, including paper title, author name, institutional affiliation, and course name/instructor name).

Introduction

Goal: Summarize the paper's overall focus and provide a clear roadmap for the reader.

Content:

Hook/Broad Context: Start with a broad statement about the area of social concern.

Problem Identification: Clearly identify the specific social problem you are addressing (e.g., child food insecurity, lack of access to mental healthcare, etc.).

Policy Identification: Clearly identify the specific piece of enacted legislation (federal, state, or local) that responds to this problem.

Thesis Statement: State your primary argument or critical assessment of the policy (e.g., "While the [Policy Name] successfully addresses X, it simultaneously exacerbates marginalization through Y mechanism.").

Roadmap: Briefly outline the sections of the paper (e.g., "This paper will first examine the historical context of the problem, then analyze the policy's mechanisms, and finally assess its impacts on marginalized communities.").

Body

1. History and Context of the Social Problem

Problem Definition:

What is the problem, and how is it defined? Who defines it as such?

Is there disagreement about whether or not there is a problem? How are conflicting definitions of the problem used? Explain.

Values and Beliefs:

What conflicting social values and beliefs are at play in how the problem is viewed/understood (e.g., Individual Responsibility vs. Societal Obligation; Public Welfare vs. Free Market)?

Are some perspectives or groups privileged over others in how the problem is defined? How does this initial definition set the stage for the legislative response?

2. Policy Description and Analysis (The Policy Response)

Policy Identification:

Provide the official name and legislative citation of the enacted policy you are analyzing.

Specify the level of government (federal, state, or local) and the date of enactment.

Target Population and Mechanisms:

Who is the policy intended to serve (the target population)?

What are the core goals and objectives of the policy?

What are the main mechanisms or components of the legislation? Describe what the policy does (e.g., provides a subsidy, establishes eligibility criteria, regulates a market, creates a new agency, etc.).

Policy History and Intent:

What were the circumstances surrounding the policy's passage?

What were the stated or implied intentions of the policymakers who created it?

3. Critical Assessment: Policy Impact and Marginalization

Assessing Equity and Justice:

How does the legislation impact marginalized populations? Does it intentionally or unintentionally create new forms of marginalization or perpetuate existing inequalities?

How do the policy's eligibility requirements, funding mechanisms, or implementation processes affect access and outcomes for different groups (based on race, class, gender, immigration status, etc.)?

Unintended Consequences:

Are there any significant unintended positive or negative consequences of the policy's enactment?

Identifying Gaps:

What aspects of the social problem does the policy fail to address?

Where are the key gaps in coverage, funding, or scope that limit the policy's effectiveness?