Research Paper Instructions

In Module/Week 8, you will submit a 10–12-page paper (not including the title page, abstract, and reference page) in current APA format in which the May-Can-Should (How) approach is applied in an in-depth fashion to a policy issue of your choice.

Instead of focusing on just one policy analysis proposal, you must discuss 2, and only 2, pieces of legislation for solving your chosen policy problem. Accordingly, you must pay close attention to the grading rubric and use the Research Paper Template to properly format your paper. Both documents are provided. Also note the Policy Brief vs. Final Paper comparison document for clarification on the similarities and differences between the Final Paper and the Policy Brief.

You must include citations from:

1. All of the required reading presentations from Modules/Week 1–2,

2. The course texts, and

3. 15–20 additional scholarly sources. 

4. Please feel free to use the following link for the purposes of additional research. Not all of the sources in this link are necessarily considered “peer reviewed” or “schoalrly”, but it is a good start.Textbook Readings

• Kraft & Furlong: ch. 12
• Monsma: chs.10–12

• Textbook Readings
•  Presentation: From Cold War to the War on Terrorism
•  Presentation: Implications of 9/11
•  Presentation: Homeland Security and Criminal Justice
•  Presentation: Completing the Financial Analysis Portion of the Research Paper

Below are some presentations for each facet of the May-Can-Should analysis.  They are all relatively short presentations which you can review individually as needed:

1. Defining the Problem
2. May: Biblical
3. May: Constitutional
4. Can
5. Should

• Textbook Readings
• Presentation: Introduction to the Study of Public Policy and Analysis
• Presentation: Worldview Implications for Policy Analysis
• Presentation: Progressivism and Policy Analysis

• Textbook Readings
• Presentation: May-Can-Should – Foundations for Policy Analysis
• Article: Biblical Principles of History and Government
• Presentation: Biblical Principles of Government and Criminal Justice
• Article: May-Can-Should Summary