Project Citizen

1. Project Citizen Level 2 PART 3 IN THE CIVIC PARTICIPATION PROJECT

2. Since the founding of our nation the preservation and healthy functioning of our democracy requires that citizens play an active role in what is ultimately a system of self government • Principle purpose is to improve your capacities to participate completely and responsibly in the American Political System What are the purposes of Project Citizen

3. Work as a group to find a problem in your community that your government is no handling at all or not handling well • Conduct a research project • Identify alternative solution to the problem and weigh their advantages and disadvantages • Propose a solution to the problem that requires government action and does not violate provisions of your state and federal constitutions • Propose an action plan to influence the appropriate government agencies What will you do?

4. Private sphere: part of society in which family and friends associate to pursue their private interests within the law, free of reasonable and unfair intrusion by the government • Civil society: people associate/interact voluntarily to pursue interests they share. Provide means of checking or limiting use of government power • Government: formal institutions such as: judicial, executive, and legislative Public Policy: what are the private sphere, civil society , and government?

5. Mark A for private sphere, b for civil society, C for government and D for a combination • A local school board changes graduation requirements • Susan becomes a member of the Girl Scouts • Carmen and her friend go out to dinner and a movie. • Marco’s family and friends have a picnic on July 4th • Sara and her two sisters join a labor union. • The Sierra Club lobbies state legislators to pass environmental protection laws. • The state legislature passes a law limiting the use of cell phones while driving. • Citizens join a taxpayer’s association in an effort to get government to lower taxes. • The federal government awards a contract to a private company to repair sections of an interstate highway. • A city council passes a law establishing smoke free public zones. Class Activity

6. Definition: a concept or set of ideas that guides a course of action or a procedure used in dealing with public issues or problems. • Public policies are contained in laws, rules, regulations, decisions, and practices created by  executive, legislative, and judicial branches  government bureaucracies  regulatory agencies  other public decision-making bodies What is public policy?

7. Issues that appear on the public agenda • Actors who present, interpret, and respond to those issues • Resources affected by those issues • Institutions that deal with issues • Levels of government that address issues Constants of Public Policy

8. is purposive • is responsive • is authoritative • resolves conflict • has public input Public policy…

9. Substantive - major rearrangements of public resources or values; e.g., tax reform, school uniforms • Symbolic - policies that tend to provide more psychological relief than actual change in the political system; e.g., legislation against flag burning • Sometimes substantive issues are addressed by symbolic responses. Public policy can be…

10. Policy is made in response to some sort of issue or problem that requires attention. Policy is what the government chooses to do (actual) or not do (implied) about a particular issue or problem. • Policy might take the form of law, or regulation, or the set of all the laws and regulations that govern a particular issue or problem. • Policy is made on behalf of the "public." • Policy is oriented toward a goal or desired state, such as the solution of a problem. • Policy is ultimately made by governments, even if the ideas come from outside government or through the interaction of government and the public. • Policymaking is part of an ongoing process that does not always have a clear beginning or end, since decisions about who will benefit from policies and who will bear any burden resulting from the policy are continually reassessed, revisited and revised. Key Attributes of Public Policy

11. Off In a Community Known as Nursery Land… • Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. • Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. • All the king’s horses, • And all the king’s men, • Couldn’t put Humpty together again For example:

12. Community members are falling from the Royal Garden Wall. • Money continues to be spent on rescue and recovery services. • There is currently no policy restricting citizens from walking and sitting on the wall. • Members of the community believe this is a serious problem that needs to be addresses by the King EX: The Problem

13. Policy #1: Post 24 hour security guards at each low spot of the wall. 􀁹 Advantages: Prevents community members from getting on the wall. 􀁹􀁹 Disadvantages: High Cost • Policy #2: Improve training for the King’s horses and men 􀁹 Advantage: Enables horses and men to get to the scene faster and learn new techniques for rescue 􀁹 Disadvantage: Does not solve the problem of community members getting on the wall. • Remove the wall 􀁹 Advantages: Allows citizens to readily enjoy the gardens without potential of injury. 􀁹 Disadvantages: Removal of the wall could put the Kingdom in danger. Enemies would have easier access to the King. Citizens might not keep the garden Alternative Policies

14. The Citizens of Nursery Land propose: • Establishment of a policy for the Royal Garden • The land opposite the wall shall be developed into a Citizens’ Garden. • A small admission fee for adults would be paid at the garden gate. • These fees will be to maintain the gardens, pay for the gate guards and security personal and custom seating for citizens. • This policy does not discriminate against any citizen’s rights. It does not discriminate based on shape, size, color, or creed. Proposed Policy

15. 1. Advertise the proposed policy through the newspaper. 2. Make presentations to organizations and individuals who do not support the idea. Invite them to participate in the planning process 3. Gain the support of the King’s Chief counsel. 4. Present the proposal to the King. Action Plan

16. Every community faces problems that might require public policy solutions. The following are examples: • Providing safe, clean schools • Supervising and caring for young people • Promoting public health • Protecting the environment • Maintaining community standards of decency • Activity: Individually identify three to five problems that exist in your school, neighborhood, city, or county. Remember that it must be a problem that can be addressed by public policy. Step 1: Identify a Problem to Be Dealt with by Public Policy

17. Interviews: Due Thursday • You will use form 4 to conduct interviews of other students, parents, neighbors, teachers, civic leaders, and other adult members of your community to find out • If they think that the problem you selected is important, and the reasons for their position • If they believe the problem should be dealt with by government or by civil society or the private sphere or combination and why they think so • If they think the problem should be dealt with by govt, find out which level they think should be primarily responsible for dealing with the problem. Step 1: Identify a Problem to Be Dealt with by Public Policy

18. Publications and/or websites report forms Due Thursday • On form 4 you will find out what part of the government might be responsible for dealing with the problem Step 1: Identify a Problem to Be Dealt with by Public Policy

19. Tomorrow you will use the following criteria to decide on a problem your group will study. • It is important to take this serious, you can not change this decision. • Be sure that it is a problem that • Should be addressed or resolved by government acting alone, or by government acting in cooperation with civil society or the private sphere • It is important to you and your community • You can gather enough information about it to develop a good project • You might actually be able to address or resolve by proposing a public policy to government officials in your community Step 2: selecting a problem for your group

20. To develop a good understanding of a problem, it is important to gather information from a number of sources. • You then need to compare this information and use what seems most reliable to develop an accurate description of the problem • Examples of sources of information: • Libraries • Internet • Newspapers • Teachers • Lawyers and judges (interviews) • Interest groups or other community organizations(interviews) • Each group member is responsible for gathering 3 or more sources Step 3: Gathering information on the problem you will study

21. STOPGather information for your project

22. As a group use the information you found to fill out form 9. • You should be selective and only include information related to the problem, taking into account reliability of the source. • Then on a separate sheet of paper discuss and record the following: • Explain the problem • Identify alternative policy solutions to the problem and their advantages and disadvantages • Develop a public policy solution for your group to propose • Develop an action plan that lists the steps your class should take to gain governemnt acceptance of the policy you are proposing TODAY’S ASSINGMENT

23. Your portfolio will contain two different elements: a visual display and a document folder. • Both of these elements will contain four parts- you might want to assign each person in group a part. Step 4: Creating a portfolio

24. Part 1 (indicated by group 1 on your packet): Explaining the problem: this should be a detailed explanation of the problem your group chose to study. It should state why it is important, and who should deal with it. • Part 2: Evaluating alternative policies to deal with the problem. Explaining current and/or proposed alternative policies designed to solve the problem. • Part 3: Developing a public policy the class supports. Develop and justify a specific public policy that the class is proposing and agrees to support. • Part 4: Developing an action plan to gain government acceptance of the class policy. Develop an action plan that shows how the group can influence their government to adopt he policy it is proposing. Step 4: Creating a Portfolio

25. Four Panel Display: • Each part should be displayed on a separate panel. Materials should include items such as written statements, list of sources, charts, graphs, photographs, original art work, etc. • Document Section • Use dividers to separate the four sections in a binder or folder. Include a table of contents. • See provided Portfolio Criteria Checklist that will help you develop a good portfolio. Step 4: Creating a Portfolio

26. There are four goals for your class presentation: • ex[plain the importance of the problem you have studied • Explain and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of alternative policies designed to deal with the problem you have selected • To explain why your proposed public policy is the best way to deal with the problem and to “make the case” for the adoption and implementation of your proposed policy. • To explain how your proposed action plan is designed to get government officials to adopt and implement your policy. Step 5: Presenting your portfolio in a simulated public hearing