Option A: Texas Power Outages (Answer 2-3 of the questions below.)
How do we build a power grid that is sustainable, durable, climate positive, and economically friendly? Did the deregulation and privatization of the electrical grid equitably benefit all Texans? Is the new green deal to blame for the power grid failure?
Cameron, D., Albracht, E., Douglas, E., Ferman, M. (2021). How Texas’ power grid works. Retrieved on February 24, 2021 from https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/25/texas-power-grid-ercot-puc-greg-abbott/ (Links to an external site.)
Hall, M. (2021). Houston is threatening to leave the Texas power grid after the state’s power disaster. Retrieved on February 24, 2021 from https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-harris-county-wants-to-leave-unregulated-power-grid-2021-2 (Links to an external site.)
Option B: Public Policy Proposal
You may work with one classmate on this discussion. If you choose to partner up, you do not need to clear it with me first. Just add the name of your partner at the top of your discussion response. You will both need to submit a discussion response so that your grade can be recorded in Canvas. Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions. Be sure to take a look at the sample below, I hope that it inspires you to adapt a plant-based diet!
Public policy is usually derived from the legislature, lobbyists, and interest groups. The White House and governors also have the ability to propose public policy. Many of you are passionate about a variety of topics, as noted by your mutual aid programs in discussion 1. Please select an issue to write a brief public policy proposal on. Once you have selected a topic, think through viable solutions, and then create a macro plan for implementation. I am not looking for a 2 page paper, but I do want you to be innovative and think about how your proposal will impact the country and it’s residents. Please follow the guidelines listed in the discussion rubric and the outline below.
Public Policy Proposal Outline
Topic Selection: What issue in the country or world is keeping you up at night? It may not impact you, but rather your loved ones, coworkers, or community. What problem do you want to address or solve?
Describe the Problem: State the problem that you want to address and who is impacted. What are the short-term and long-term concerns if the problem is not addressed? (2-3 sentences)
Recommendations: Propose 1-3 recommendations to solve the problem. (1-3 bullet points)
Policy Adoption & Implementation: How should your recommendations be implemented? What governmental agencies or organizations will you need to work with? How will your proposal be funded? State government, local government, private organizations, or nonprofit organizations? Can you provide a brief 3-5 step outline? What evidence, research, or statistics do you have to support your position? These can be from scientific studies, other companies, or organizations that have followed the newly proposed policy and support your argument. (3-5 sentences)
Conclusion: Write a short conclusion to your public policy proposal. Assess your proposed policy. Will your solution actually solve the problem? Will it solve an immediate need until a long-term solution can be found? If your solution will not solve the problem, will it mitigate the impact on people or the community? Provide a brief summary of the information you have presented in your policy proposal. Convince the class to support your policy proposal. (2-4 sentences)
Citations: Be sure to cite your sources. You will need to include at least 2 citations to meet the requirements to earn 15 points.
Presentation: Be creative! You may submit your public policy proposal in any format you choose, just make sure that you follow the criteria. Many students use their phones to complete coursework, so please be mindful when using certain software. If possible, use closed captions (cc) on all recordings. If you cannot, let me know and will work with you to include it. Closed captions ensures that the material is accessible to everyone. Here are a few format ideas: video, PowerPoint presentation, slide show, webpage, zine, Infographic, podcast, and a memo.
Extra Credit: Do not forget to ask a classmate a question or challenge their policy position to earn your extra credit point.
Additional questions to think about:
Does your policy proposal align with current legislation? If not, how do you propose to garner support?
Will others see your policy proposal as political? Or, is it a nonpartisan effort?
Is your policy proposal popular or on the fringe?
What organizations or individuals are currently profiting from the problem? How will they respond to the loss in profit?
What organizations would you partner/align with to support your cause?
What organizations would you consider advisories?
What organizations would help support your cause, despite your opposing goals?
What actions can you take today, this week, month, or year to further the cause? Make calls, create a media campaign, etc.
What organizations, communities, or individuals will be positively and negatively impacted if your policy proposal is passed?
