Perfecting Policy Topic

Long, Policy paper

• Write a long paper about a science-based policy.
• The paper must advocate, attack or defend some specific policy or point of view that leads to an action (or argues against such action) using science-based arguments.
• The audience of the paper is your classmates. The technical level is that of the talks. In particular, equations are acceptable. But specially prepared figure and tables are better.
• The length of the paper should be 6-8 pages.
• The paper must have a title and an abstract on the first page. The paper proper starts immediately.
• The paper must have appropriate figures and table with original captions. The figure may be embedded in the text or at end.
• The paper must have citations to all source material. Papers must use at least two independent sources and cite each source.
• References should be listed at the end of the paper in the order of appearance in the paper. Use a consistent style of references; see Guide to Scientific Referencing handout on Journals and books and Internet references

Samples

Nuclear power

U.S. should more actively pursue development and construction of nuclear power plants. (Need more specifics.)

US should support private companies to build new nuclear power plants at the rate of 5-10 per year with tax writeoffs, liability protection, and guarantee of prompt (with 10 years) removal of nuclear waste to remote storage (and possible reprocessing).

Solar water heaters

New buildings should have solar water heaters (details?)

Congress should mandate (encourage?) all new buildings with occupation greater than ten to have solar water heaters through the use of low-interest loan program to spread cost over a decade.

For new single family homes where solar water heating inadvisable, Ohio city codes should be revised to require local electric heaters for each water tap where hot water is desired. The code should further require any store selling replacment water heaters to report all buyers of first-time water heaters.

Jobs for same-career couples

Faculty couple-hiring at academic institutions: adminstrative process must insure equally vigorous recuitment of each partner, specifically A, B, C...

Weapons in space

With respect to treaty banning space weapons:

  Pro: Such a treaty would stop a new arms race in space and would forbid weapons that would threaten US satellites, which are very important for managing US military capabilities.
 
Con: Such a treaty would make it harder for the US to do research into missile defense, intended to protect the US homeland, and to build systems to protect US satellites from attack.