Writer’s choice

Posted: December 10th, 2013

Your task is to engage in one action to try to influence public policy on the issue of your choice. If done appropriately and done well, it may earn you between 1 and 3 bonus points.

If you choose to participate, here are the rules:

You must write something to try to influence public policy on an issue we have specifically studied in this course.
It can be any of a number of different things like:
A letter/email to an elected government official with your
Town or City Council (Councillor or Mayor).
Provincial Legislative Assembly (MLA, Cabinet Minister, or Premier).
Parliament of Canada (MP, Minister, or Prime Minister)
A letter to the editor of a newspaper
A media interview about the topic.
Another idea you might have, if you check it with me first.
It must be consistent with the evidence learned in this class, and cannot simply be based on your opinion. This is not a chance to just say what you want, but is a task of using evidence to influence public policy.
It must not use profanity.
It must not be disrespectful or insulting.
It must not refer to this course, to me as the professor, or to this being a class-related project. That will take away your credibility and influence.
It must be well-written in terms of grammar and spelling, because otherwise, it loses credibility. Therefore, please ask someone else to proof-read it for you.
It must be written or directed to the appropriate organization or appropriate level of Government. This may require you to do some checking or make a couple phone calls to find out who has the authority over the issue you are addressing.
You must provide me with proof that you have actually sent it. For instance, if an email, forward me the file from your “sent messages” folder. If a letter sent by mail, copy the letter and copy the envelope addressed and stamped before sending.
If emailing it to me, the “SUBJECT” line must say “Bonus Assignment – 3351” if in the Addictions class, or “Bonus Assignment – 4497” if in the Community Psych class.
It must be handed in to me by the time of the final class of the semester. Later will not be accepted.