1. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012

2. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Introduction For the next two weeks, we are going to discuss public policy reports. This is a broad topic. There are many different types of public policy reports produced by different branches of government and private organizations: Reports produced by a committee of Congress or a state legislature on some problem facing the nation or state. Reports produced by a government agency on the activities of that agency or need for new regulations. Reports produced by private organizations to persuade policy makers to change the law on a particular issue. Our focus will be on the third type. I’m going to call them “issue reports: reports designed to change policy.

3. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Why Study Public Policy Reports? This unit will help you understand the audience, purpose, and components of these documents. If you end up working in any field related to public policy, you may have to work with these documents. If you work for an advocacy group or a government agency, you may end up drafting or editing a public policy report. If you work in a regulated industry, you may also draft reports or evaluate and respond to these documents to determine their potential impact on your business.

4. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports This week we are going to look at The audience for issue reports The purpose and subject-matter of issue reports The difference between issue reports and investigation reports The typical parts of a issue report We will end today by looking at some real-world examples of issue reports.

5. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports “Issue report” is a term I use to refer to any report produced to study some past or current problem in order to propose solutions or recommend action. The primary audience for these reports are lawmakers. However, there may be several additional audiences for these reports: The public Regulated industries Agency heads / experts

6. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports The purpose of these reports is usually to change public policy: Pass new laws Abolish existing laws Create new regulatory programs Change the way policy is implemented

7. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports v. Investigation Reports Question: What is the difference between an “issue report” and a government investigation we talked about earlier? The key difference is that public policy reports are concerned with matters of public policy (i.e. the law the applies to everyone). They do not make decisions about individual incidents or cases. Public policy reports may use individual cases or incidents to support a position on policy, but are not used as evidence to support action against an individual.

8. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports v. Investigation Reports In contrast, an investigation report prepared by an agency often supports an enforcement action against a particular individual. Example: TCEQ report on illegal tire disposal to support TCEQ action imposing a fine on the person who disposed. Example: FAA report on poor aircraft maintenance. Example: Health Department on sanitation at a restaurant. Investigation reports may also seek to establish the cause of a particular event in order to take some specific action related to the event. In contrast, public policy reports are generally concerned with particular events more broadly and their impact on policy.

9. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Subject Matter Issue reports may explain past events in order to determine what went wrong. Such a report seeks to prevent a similar event from happening again by making policy changes. Example: 9/11 Commission Report. What was the problem addressed in that Report? Issue reports may identify a current or developing problem and propose ways to remedy it. Example: National Commission on Fiscal Reform and Responsibility (aka the Debt Commission) recently published a document called The Moment of Truth. http://www.fiscalcommission.gov/news

10. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Authors Earlier we said that issue reports can be written by the government or by private organizations. Some example authors: A special ad hoc committee of lawmakers A govermental agency (experts in a field) An special interest/lobbying group (NRA, AARP, etc.) A research organization (Rand Corp., Brookings Institute)

11. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Authors Some examples The Moment of Truth: A report prepared by the “Debt Commission” (aka National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform). A commission of lawmakers established by executive order to propose solutions to the national debt. Parents and the High Cost of Childcare: A report prepared by the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies. An advocacy group for child care resource and referral services.

12. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Typical Parts Press Release Transmittal Letter Executive Summary Chapters Appendices Persuasive Graphics Arguments Recommendations

13. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Press Release When organizations publish public policy reports, they want to be noticed by the public. Public concern = lawmaker concern. So they will often prepare a press releases along with reports to provide members of a press with a quick summary of their arguments and findings. Their hope is that their report will appear in the news. Thus, a press release has to be calculated to do a number of things: Be brief and to the point Make the issue sound pressing Have clear conclusions Provide contact information for reporters Notice how the following press release reads like a news story. Trying to do the reporter’s work for them?

15. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Transmittal Letter Sometimes a public policy report is mandated by law. In this situation, the report is written to comply with this mandate. Thus, sometimes you will see a transmittal letter or preface in which the writers formally present the report to whatever office or body is suppose to review it. The transmittal letter is the writer’s way of stating that they have discharged their responsibilities to report on whatever issue they have been assigned.

18. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Executive Summary The purpose of an executive summary is to provide a quick overview of the report that includes The key findings and conclusions of the report Policy recommendations supported by the findings. Writers know that the executive summary is often the only part of the report read. Thus, good writers take care to draft this summary document: Focus on the big picture. Don’t get lost in the weeds. Clear recommendations. No fence sitting.

21. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Chapters and Appendices Issue reports are usually organized into chapters. Each chapter covers a particular aspect or instance of the issue. Naming chapters by key points is one way to organize the report and show the reader what conclusions are reached by each chapter. This strategy was used in the High Cost of Child Care report. Consider the following alternatives for naming chapters in a report.

22. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Chapters and Appendices Which chapter heading more effective at communicating the report’s message?

23. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Chapters and Appendices Supporting data is usually attached as an appendix. A report cluttered with a lot of data loses coherence as a unified story. Creating an appendix is also a writing strategy to deal with the fact that the report likely has different kinds of readers: Technical readers want all the data. They are very familiar with the subject and will scrutinize it more closely. General readers trust the data. They just want the big picture and conclusions. By putting the technical information in an appendix, it is still accessible to the technical reader, but it is sufficiently out of the way to prevent the report from being intimidating or boring to the general reader.

24. Key points organized into chapters Supporting data in appendices

25. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Persuasive Graphics Skilled public policy report writers know that images have a significant impact on readers. Images can evoke feelings (sympathy, outrage, etc.) Because public policy reports are ultimately about persuasion, such images can be helpful to convince readers of the writer’s stance. If the writer of an environmental report wants the reader to value the environment, he or she might include images of pristine wilderness or alternatively some horrible waste dump. The unspoken message might be that we should adopt the environmental recommendations in this report because we value the environment so much. (And the images remind us of that.) If your subject involves children, it is obligatory to include images of cute children who are presumably impacted by the policies at issue.

28. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Argument Understand that a public policy report is essentially an argument. It may be presented in a very scientific and objective fashion. But its ultimate purpose is to persuade the reader on some issue of policy. Thus, it is not just about data. It is about forming conclusions based on data. These conclusions often include various value judgments, costs, benefits, and other debatable issues.

29. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Argument Data alone cannot make a recommendation or help us decide what to do about a problem. Example:

30. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Argument Does this fact alone support any particular change in policy? There are probably an infinite number of responses to this data. First, do these numbers indicate a problem at all? Should child care cost families less? Is it in fact “high”? The answer to that question is a value judgment. It depends on how we view commercial child care service and how we value it as compared to other services. Is affordable child care a need or a want? If it is a need, how important is child care versus other needs (health care, employment, food, clothing, etc.)? Second, if it is a problem, what is the proper solution? Each solution has potential costs and benefits. Each solution may reflect one value given priority over another.

31. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Argument Matters of public policy affect society as a whole: both individuals and groups with a unique interest or “stake” in the matter. There are also a number of stakeholders involved in this issue and policy question generally. Here I can think of several: Child care providers who are charging these fees. Parents with children Employers Taxpayers Policy makers must weigh the various competing interests and tradeoffs to make decisions on public policy. Policy reports usually present one perspective: the represent one side of the story. So policy makers must also consider other views that are not represented.

32. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Argument Policy makers must also decide how a problem should be addressed: Is this a problem the government is equipped to solve? If so, which government is best suited to address the problem (state, local, federal)? Is it is a local problem or a national problem? If it is a national problem, is it within Congress’ powers? Which branch of the government or which agency is equipped to remedy this problem?

33. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Argument Consider the policy question involved in the child care report. A fact cited above is that center-based infant care exceeded $10,000 per year in 16 states. The report also claims that in 2009, center-based child care fees exceeded a family’s rent payments in 24 states. Does this show a problem that policy-makers should address?

34. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Argument Is that excessive? Should families expect to pay less than the figures cited in this report? If we agree that the cost of child care is in fact too high because it exceeds other household costs, the second question in terms of policy is … What should be done about it? Can the government do something positive? Which government? How? The authors of this report have some specific recommendations, but it is important to remember that there are almost infinite possible solutions.

35. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Recommendations Recommendations usually come at the end of a report. Presumably after the reader has reviewed all the supporting data. Sometimes the recommendations call for specific policies or changes to laws. Sometimes they call for more research into a particular area of the problem. Consider the recommendations from the child care report.

37. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Recommendations Are there other solutions? When reading and writing public policy report, learn to think in the alternative! We could forbid providers from charging so much. Families with children could utilize other forms of child care (grandparents) Families with children could dedicate one parent to child care. Families with children could cut other expenses (iPhones, new cars, etc.) Encourage fathers to stick around to reduce burden of single-parent households Encourage parents to have fewer children Allow children to come to work with their parents Require employers to provide child care Increase tax deduction for child care expenses Provide free child care to all at public expense How would each solution affect the stakeholders? How does each proposal reflect a set of values about the family and child-rearing?

38. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Debt Commission Example How do public policy reports actually influence policy? Let’s look at one more example of an issue report to see how these reports influence politics. The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (aka the Debt Commission) was formed at the direction of President Obama to study the U.S. budget and debt. The President created this commission by executive order in February 2010. The Commission was required make proposals to balance the U.S. budget.

39. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Issue Reports: Debt Commission Example The Commission was made up of Republicans and Democrats in Congress and other individuals appointed by the President. The Commission’s findings and proposals were published in December 2010 in a document called The Moment of Truth. Upon publication, this report was widely discussed in the media and added to the existing debate on the U.S. budget and deficit.

44. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Debt Commission The report proposed sweeping changes and cuts to the budget. So what happened after the report was issued? President Obama subsequently issued a proposed budget to Congress that did not adopt the Commission’s recommendations. This is the reality of politics. Recommendations are often ignored. But they may have other important purposes. The report can put the issues into the public square, promoting discussion and influencing public opinion. Other lawmakers have read it and may agree or disagree with its findings. It might influence their vote on the budget. In this way, reports have the power to frame the debate and set its parameters.

47. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Project Our final project for the class is an analysis of a public policy report. This project has two parts. The first part is due this week. Search the internet for a public policy report on some issue you are interested in. The best way to do this is to search for groups that are involved in your issue. Search their web site for reports on policy issues. Be careful to pick something that is neither too long nor too short. A one page pamphlet is too short for this project. A 100 page report is too long.

48. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Project Once you have found your report, your assignment is to read it and prepare a short brief. Summarize its factual findings and conclusions Decide who the stakeholders in this issue are. You should identify several. Think broadly by asking – who may be affected by this group’s recommendations? Next week, you will write a critical response to the report, evaluating its claims and recommendations, and providing your own view.

49. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Public Policy Reports Part II Critical Reading

50. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Recap Last week we talked about public policy reports as a tool of communication used to persuade policy-makers. They usually consist of arguments based on some kind of data. Statistics Surveys Investigations Today I want to focus on the anatomy of a policy argument so that you can respond to and defend policy arguments more intelligently. As a writer and participant in public life, it is important to understand that matters of policy are not certain.

51. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Critical Reading Writers of these documents will often present their recommendations as the only “logical” solution. But the reality is that there is rarely one logical solution to the problems we face as a society. Today I want to talk about a method of reading policy arguments critically. This is important because policy questions always involve questions of values, priorities, and assumptions about big issues like the role of government and the nature of a good society. There is no one final answer to these questions. It is an ongoing debate in which you get to participate.

52. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Critical Reading Some examples to get you thinking in this mode: What is the proper balance between individual liberty v. collective security? Airport security? Unemployment benefits? Vaccinations? What is the best way to create for a healthy, growing economy? More money spent on infrastructure? Cut taxes? What level of safeguards should we put into the criminal justice system for individuals who are accused of crimes? Proof beyond all doubt? Or just proof that the crime was likely? How about no conviction unless found guilty in two out of three trials? How about no conviction unless there is an eyewitness to the crime?

53. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Critical Reading Is there one correct answer to these questions? No, they depend greatly on value judgments, priorities, and probabilities. So when you read or hear policy arguments, get in the habit of thinking about the values or assumptions that underlie the opinion and not taking what you hear at face value. You must decide whether you agree with those assumptions and underlying support.

54. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Locating Assumptions Most arguments we make in everyday life are deductive in form. This is the form of argument that says __ must be true because of something else. That something else – the evidence – is what make the conclusion true. The important thing to know about deductive arguments is that they always have two premises and a conclusion. I know that is abstract. So let’s consider some real-world examples.

55. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Locating Assumptions Texas is currently in a severe drought because the state has received less than 10 inches of rain in the past year. What is the conclusion of this argument? Texas is currently in a severe drought. What is the reason or evidence given that supports the conclusion? Because the state has received less than 10 inches of rain in the past year.

56. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Locating Assumptions In a deductive argument, that “because” statement is one premise of the argument. We will call that the evidence. There is another premise in every argument that is usually left unstated. It is some additional information that must be true in order to infer the conclusion from the evidence given. In other words, the unstated premise is an additional fact that we need to connect the evidence to the conclusion. People who study argument sometimes call this the “warrant.” You might have heard of that term in English 1301.

57. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Locating Assumptions Let’s go back to the drought argument and see if we can identify the unstated warrant. Texas is currently in a severe drought because the state has received less than 10 inches of rain in the past year. Notice how the conclusion connects the idea of a drought to the current conditions in Texas. But the evidence connects the idea of current conditions in Texas and receiving less than 10 inches of rain. The warrant bridges the gap: the missing connection is between receiving less than 10 inches of rain and there being a drought. Receiving less than 10 inches of rain in a year constitutes a drought condition.

58. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Locating Assumptions So … If receiving less than 10 inches of rain in a year constitutes a drought condition. (warrant) And Texas has received less than 10 inches of rain this year (evidence) What conclusion must follow? Texas is in a drought condition. Do you see that if we accept the premises as true, the conclusion seems to follow as a matter of necessity? That is how deduction works.

59. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Locating Assumptions Identifying assumptions or warrants is about figuring out what additional information is necessary to link a piece of evidence to a conclusion someone is making with that evidence. Deciphering unstated warrants is not an exact science. Sometimes it is difficult to decide exactly what assumption an argument depends on. But it is a very useful exercise in evaluating and formulating responses to policy arguments in the real world.

60. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Locating Assumptions Why? Because it exposes the unstated part of an argument and allows you to evaluate each piece or premise before you decide whether you agree with the conclusion.

61. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 AirCheck Texas Argument Let’s try another argument. This should be familiar: Mr. Hamilton is not eligible for a repair voucher under the AirCheck program because his vehicle failed the safety portion of the state vehicle inspection. What is the conclusion? What is the evidence? What is the unstated assumption?

62. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 AirCheck Texas Argument Remember the three-part analysis of rule application? Look how neatly this method fits. In order to be eligible for AirCheck, a vehicle must pass the safety portion of the state inspection. (warrant) (rule) Mr. Hamilton’s vehicle did not pass the safety portion of the state inspection. (evidence) (fact) Therefore, Mr. Hamilton’s vehicle is not eligible for AirCheck. (conclusion)

63. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Obama Argument Barack Obama meets the residency requirement to be president of the United States because he was born in the United States. Conclusion? Evidence? Warrant?

64. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Obama Argument Evidence: Obama was born in the United States. Warrant: Anyone who is born in the United States meets the residency requirement to be president. Conclusion: Obama meets the residency requirement to be president. Now that you see how deductive arguments are put together, let’s do something more useful. We can analyze arguments to determine whether we agree with their conclusions. We do this by asking a “how do you know?” question of each premise.

65. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Obama Argument Obama was born in the United States. How do you know? Anyone who is born in the United States meets the residency requirement to be president. How do you know? Therefore, Obama meets the residency requirement to be president.

66. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Obama Argument Obama was born in the United States. How do you know? Because his birth certificate shows that he was born in Hawaii. And Hawaii is part of the United States. Anyone who is born in the United States meets the residency requirement to be president. How do you know? Because Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution states that a natural born citizen is eligible to be president. Therefore, Obama meets the residency requirement to be president.

67. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Fact-based Arguments versus Policy Arguments Thus, we can see that, in this case, there is good reason to accept the conclusion. And you can see that the whole “birther” controversy centered on a specific part of this argument – whether that first premise is true. This argument is easy to break down into premises because it is based on simple facts like our example of the Texas drought. We can easily evaluate whether we think there is reason to believe the premises. Things get a whole lot more murky when we make arguments that depend upon values or beliefs.

68. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Fact-based Arguments versus Policy Arguments Let’s try a more policy-oriented argument. The federal government should subsidize commercial child care services because these are necessary services for working families that are difficult to afford. Conclusion? Evidence? Warrant? Disclaimer: I’m not saying this is a good argument or a bad argument. It’s just an argument.

69. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Policy Arguments Actually, it is worth mentioning now that skilled policy writers the ability to put personal beliefs aside when faced with arguments, especially contentious matters where people have strong opinions. Develop a sort of clinical approach to arguments. If you disagree with the position someone taking, learn to evaluate it in a dispassionate way. Instead of simply scoffing at it and dismissing it without much thought. Good policy writers accept the gray that permeates the human condition. This doesn’t mean that you give up your convictions, but you learn to see things both ways. Ultimately, such a skill make you more able to defend or respond to arguments more intelligently.

70. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Childcare Argument So let’s evaluate it the child care argument. Commercial child care services are difficult to afford and necessary for working families. The federal government should subsidize necessary services for working families that are difficult to afford. Therefore, the federal government should subsidize commercial child care services. We evaluate the argument by testing the premises. Do we agree with them? Is there room for argument?

71. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Childcare Argument Let’s consider the first premise or stated evidence: Commercial child care services are difficult to afford and necessary for working families. What constitutes something being difficult to afford? Would it be less difficult to afford if families were willing to cut other expenses? (cable, Netflix, gym membership, smart phone contract, etc.) or live in a less expensive house or drive less expensive cars? Is that label a bit subjective? For most people, rent or mortgage payments are their highest monthly bill, but there isn’t a call to subsidize that expense. (Perhaps because we don’t expect it to be lower?)

72. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Childcare Argument What does it mean to be a necessary service? Would it be fair to say that commercial child care may be more necessary for some people than others? (single mother versus dual income households) Are there some families who are making a choice to rely on dual incomes because they want a higher standard of living? Is it only necessary if you lack other means of obtaining child care? (relatives, friends, etc.) Is it only necessary for families with young children?

73. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Childcare Argument What about the second premise: The federal government should subsidize necessary services for working families that are difficult to afford. Anytime you encounter a word like “should,” you know there is room for debate. “Should” usually involves a trade-off, especially when it is an issue of where we devote time or resources. Devoting resources for one thing means taking them away from something else. Should also indicates a value statement.

74. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Childcare Argument So what about here? How much would it cost? Are there higher financial priorities for the country? (Could we use that money to provide more funding to the foster care system? Or more libraries, community colleges, public defenders, and so on?) Will families who choose not to have children feel like it is unfair for them to pay for those who do? What about families who have children but do not utilize commercial child care services? Would they think it’s unfair? Is ensuring access to these services a proper function of the federal government? Would it be better handled by state or local government?

75. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Conclusion So you can see, in a typical policy argument, there are many questions that can be asked of the premises. That’s why we say there is no certainty in these issues. They are matters of values and probabilities. I know those questions sound very critical and hostile. So I want to be clear: I’m not saying this particular argument is wrong or is a bad argument. I’m saying that in matters of policy, there are usually many “how do you know” questions you can ask. Learn to see the questions. If you are the proponent of this argument, thinking about these questions will help you develop your thinking about the issue and perhaps refine your position or anticipate objections. If you are a critic of the argument, such questions provide grounds to attack the claim.

76. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Analyzing Arguments in the Real World Sometimes, putting together the core argument of a policy paper isn’t straight forward. It’s an art, not a science. My childcare argument is based loosely on the position in the policy report we looked at briefly last week. In order to evaluate their position, I attempted to reduce one recommendation of the report into one succinct argument. This requires summarizing the evidence in one sentence. See how I did it.

77. Conclusion: Among other recommendations, there should be greater tax deductions and fee assistance for commercial child care services.

78. Evidence on the difficult-to- afford aspect of commercial child care services.

79. Evidence on the necessity of commercial child care services.

80. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Formulating a Position So the evidence is that commercial child care services are necessary and difficult for many American families to afford. And it seems to me that the assumption is that generally speaking, the federal government ought to provide financial assistance for services that are necessary and difficult to afford. Thus, the conclusion that the government ought to provide additional financial assistance for commercial child care services (in tax credits and deductions and fee assistance).

81. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 One More Before We Go The ability to decipher arguments is a learned skill. So let’s practice one more. One of the policy reports linked on the schedule page is titled The Case for Taxing Consumption of Sugary Drinks in Texas. So what’s their argument?

82. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 One More Before We Go Start with the conclusion. What do they want us to do? Texas should adopt a penny-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks. Stop! That’s it. What follows is the evidence: This tax will accomplish the public health goal of reducing obesity and the fiscal goal of generating revenue to off-set costs incurred by the state related to obesity. If you read the paper, you can see how they develop an answer to the “how do you know?” questions. They explain how the tax will lower demand, and they estimate how much revenue it will generate. But what is their assumption? That’s the tricky question.

83. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 One More Before We Go Here, it is a little tricky because they really state two reasons: A public health reason and a fiscal reason. Thus, there are really two arguments here. Let’s look at the public health reason. We should adopt the sugary drink tax because it will accomplish the public health goal of reducing obesity. Their assumption connects the idea of taxes and public health goals. Something like this? We should adopt taxes that accomplish public health goals. Taxation is a proper vehicle to accomplish public health goals.

84. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 One More Before We Go The sugary drink tax will accomplish the public health goal of reducing obesity. We should adopt taxes that accomplish public health goals like reducing obesity. Therefore, we should adopt the sugary drink tax What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? If you disagree, which premise is suspect to you?

85. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 One More Before We Go But that’s not all. They also argue: We should adopt the sugary drink tax because it will accomplish the fiscal goal of generating revenue to off-set costs incurred by the state related to obesity. So the idea is that the state is incurring costs on account of obesity (through public health insurance programs like Medicaid). And such a tax would lower that cost to the state. So what is the assumption? Again, connect the conclusion that a tax that should be adopted to idea of revenue generation for the state: We should adopt taxes that accomplish the fiscal goal of generating revenue to off-set costs incurred by the state.

86. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 One More Before We Go The sugary drink tax will generate revenue to off-set costs incurred by the state related to obesity. We should adopt taxes that generate revenue to off-set costs incurred by the state. Therefore, we should adopt the sugary drink tax.

87. Administrative Policy Writing Spring 2012 Homework Part II of the Public Policy Report project. Here you must analyze the argument presented in the report you review, question it like we have today, and provide your own view. But before you do that, complete the argument exercise.