Description
Your research interest should drive your legislative selection. This assignment should focus on the government or community
sphere of policy making and your selected policy maker should be at the legislative or organizational boardlevel. The project is
designed to offer an experience, allowing you to view the political process in action. The goal of the assignment is to gain first-
hand knowledge on how an idea for a law is drafted into a bill, how a bill becomes law, the role voting plays, the concept of
lobbying, and how public hearings affect the process and improves knowledge. In addition, the role that community advocates play in a policy or bill’s success should be discussed.
To gain first-hand knowledge,
A. Identify a state representative, senator, or lobbyist to contact related to your selected legislative bill.
a. If possible, select a nurse legislator or a representative active in health care.
B. Obtain their biography and review their commitment or priorities related to health issues and nursing.
C. Contact this legislative representative.
a. If possible, interview your selected official related to your selected bill. Telephone and/or email
correspondence is accepted, but if possible, try and visit your representative face to face.
b. Research the history of this political effort, how the bill was drafted, and the bill’s current status orprogress.
D. If possible, visit a legislative session. Alternately, view the legislative session on social media.
Assignment Criteria:
Develop a scholarly paper that addresses the following criteria:
1. Describe the national issue or problem.
2. Discuss a brief history of the issue/problem.
3. Explain the background of the issue/problem to include social, ethical, legal, and political factors.
4. Compose the issue statement-succinctly state the issue in one sentence.
5. Report contact with legislator, aide, office, etc. (Required information include: phone number, email, names, conversation, &
follow-up).
6. Identify stakeholders, special interest groups (SIGs) and grass root efforts that are involved in successful enactment of this policy issue.
7. Discuss policy goals and objectives.
8. Explore the role of the discipline of nursing as it relates to the selected policy issue.
9. Propose policy options and alternatives if the bill is not passed. Will the status quo continue if the bill is not passed? Are other options available?
10. The scholarly paper should be in narrative format and have five (5) to seven (7) pages excluding the title and reference
page.
11. Include an introductory paragraph, purpose statement, and a conclusion.
12. Include level 1 and 2 headings to organize the paper.
13. Write the paper in third person, not first person (meaning do not use ‘we’ or ‘I’) and in a scholarly manner. To clarify, I, we,
you, me, our may not be used. In addition, describing yourself as the researcher or the author shouldnot be used.
14. Include a minimum of ten (10) professional peer-reviewed scholarly journal references to support the paper(review
in Ulrich Periodical Directory) and be less than five (5) years old.
15. APA format is required (attention to spelling/grammar, a title page, a reference page, and in-text citations).
