State of Issue X in Arizona, Due December 2:
Our goal in this assignment is to assess a public problem or challenge. In either a 4-5 page essay or a 2-3 minute video, explain in plain language why the challenge you selected is or should be understood and addressed as a public issue. Why should public resources be used to make and implement a solution to this challenge. Offer details that unpack the harm occurring or that will occur if we fail to address the issue you selected. Make those details concrete. For example, if you were talking about the state of Education in Arizona, you might report in your assessment that XX% of K-12 children report feeling hungry 3 or more times per week. Or, if you want to focus on the State of Household Financial Health in Arizona, you might point out that XX% of Arizona adults used some form of predatory lending service in the last 12 months. Finally, identify a non-government organization that is addressing the issue. Tell us who they are and how they are addressing the problem. Share information about their strategy â are they mobilizing voters, are they buying ads on news programs, are they penning op-eds to change public opinion, are they lobbying policy makers? Tell us if they inspire you, what your assessment is of their likelihood of success, and whether you would want to join them in the cause, or if you feel like âthey got thisâ and your super powers are needed elsewhere.
How should you organize your 4-5 page essay or 2-3 minute video?
You might do something like this:
Page 1-2: Use this space to explain in plain language why the challenge you selected is or should be understood and addressed as a public issue. Also explain why public resources should be used to make and implement a solution to this challenge. Offer details that unpack the harm occurring or that will occur if we fail to address the issue you selected.
Page 3-4: Use this space to identify a non-government organization that is addressing the issue. You can make reference to a government, but make the non-government organization or interest group the center of attention in your analysis. Tell us who they are and how they are addressing the problem. Share information about their strategy â are they mobilizing voters, are they buying ads on news programs, are they penning op-eds to change public opinion, are they lobbying policy makers?
Page 4-5: Use this space to make things a bit more personal. Tell us why you are passionate about the issue. Does the non-government organization that you are featuring in your report inspire you? What is your assessment of their likelihood of success. Would want join them in the cause? Why or why not?
Whatever issue you decide to focus on for your performance, you might consider searching what ordinary people think on the matter. Here are some additional resources on public opinion surveys that may provide detailed, concrete information about policy attitudes.
1. A survey of Arizona voters that yours truly completed recently can be found here: https://clapr.asu.edu/Midterm2022
2. Here is another set of surveys that gives insights into how Black, Native American, AAPI, and Latino voters thought about issues this past election cycle. And, bonus, they have the option to drill down to specific states for some, but not all of these different groups: https://2022electionpoll.us/Links to an external site.
3. Here is one source that looks specifically at AAPI, and even gives menu options divided by issue areas, and includes ready-to-use charts that are amazing and high quality. One other strength is that they even summarize academic research into really easy-to-digest statements: https://aapidata.comLinks to an external site.
4. Here is another polling firm that has loads and loads of data on a bunch of different issues. They may also include some data on specific states, but I know for sure they ask about lots of different public policy issues. www.yougov.comLinks to an external site.
5. Another data source that covers climate change specifically is here: https://climatecommunication.yale.eduLinks to an external site.
6. There is of course, gallup, and here is the list of returns from what you get when you do a search of \”arizona\” from Gallup website: https://www.gallup.com/Search/Default.aspx?q=arizonaLinks to an external site.
7. You could do the same kind of search at Pew Research, NORC, and other companies know for surveying and public opinion.
These should be plenty to get you started