Probably Already Come Across Writing Course Assig

1.(twp page)

First, please read Seth D. Harris and Alan B. Krueger’s Hamilton Project (Brookings Institution) report entitled “A Proposal for Modernizing Labor Laws for Twenty-First-Century Work: The ‘Independent Worker'” (Links to an external site.). Next, revisit pp. 243-244 as well as p. 247 of the AGWR (pp. 244-246 and p. 248 in the 6th edition) where the five argumentative “frameworks” (Causation, Coverage, Cost/Benefit, Feasibility, and Comparison) as well as Counterarguments are briefly discussed.

Now, please write a short paragraph in which you summarize the problem that Harris and Krueger have identified as well as the solution that they are proposing as a remedy. Then, identify and describe a few different places in Harris and Krueger’s report where they use the different argumentative frameworks listed above. Please also identify and describe a few of the Counterarguments that they address.

My suggestion is that you write a different paragraph for each framework—e.g., a short paragraph for Causation, a short paragraph for Coverage, etc.—in which you list the ways in which Harris and Krueger use each of these frameworks to argue for their solution. Include page numbers, so you can remember where you found your answers! My guess is that you’ll end up with about 2-3 double-spaced pages for this assignment.

2. (two page)

Please write (at least) four paragraphs.

The first paragraph should be a clear, concise summary of your problem (probably around 6-8 sentences), with specific and quantifiable data proving that it really IS a problem. This problem does not need to be identical to the problem you wrote about in your CP, though it should probably be closely related to it. If the problem in your CP remained too broad, however, you’ll probably want to specify the problem more, identifying something clear and quantifiable that you can actually imagine being solved.

Now, in the next three (or more) paragraphs, I’d like to you discuss possible public policy solutions for your problem, listing resources and examining what might be the best you’ve found so far.

You might begin by writing a paragraph about what type of solution you see as ideal for your problem. Why? What exactly would it do to mitigate the problem? Who—what kind of department, agency, group, or…—would do it? For example, if your problem is a problem located in California, you’ll want to think about California-specific government agencies, departments, laws, or groups that would directly relate to this problem. If your problem is national in scale, however, you’ll want to think about national policy solutions.

You’ve probably already come across lots of suggested solutions to your problem while researching for your CP. Start with these. The goal of this assignment, though, is to find specific, pre-existing proposals by members of Congress, government agencies/officials, think tanks, advocacy groups, community organizations, and academics which would begin to address your problem.

The last paragraph of this assignment might be about which solution you think is the best so far—and why.