The CQ Press Writing Guide for Public Policy PDF
Preview The CQ Press Writing Guide for Public Policy
The CQ Press Writing Guide for Public Policy This book is dedicated to my four sons, Sam, Abe, Daniel, and Luke. I hope it helps make the world in which you’re growing up a better place for you, and for others, to live, one little bit at a time. The CQ Press Writing Guide for Public Policy Andrew Pennock University of Virginia Brief Contents 1. Preface 2. Acknowledgments 3. About the Author 4. Part 1: Introduction 1. Chapter 1 Audiences and Audience-Centered Writing in Public Policy 5. Part 2: The Skills of Policy Writing 1. Chapter 2 Generating and Organizing Your Argument 2. Chapter 3 Improving Your Writing: Sentences and Words 3. Chapter 4 Writing Well: Paragraphs and Sections 4. Chapter 5 Visually Communicating: On Creating and Writing About Tables 5. Chapter 6 Visually Communicating: On Creating and Writing About Graphs and Other Figures 6. Chapter 7 Pulling It All Together: Creating Professional-Quality Work 6. Part 3: Policy Genres and Their Purposes 1. Chapter 8 The Issue Brief 2. Chapter 9 Policy History 3. Chapter 10 The Decision Memo 4. Chapter 11 Op-Eds 5. Chapter 12 Legislative Testimony and Public Comment: Writing to Persuade the Government 6. Chapter 13 Writing for Nontraditional Formats: Email and Social Media 7. Index Detailed Contents Preface Acknowledgments About the Author Part 1: Introduction Chapter 1 Audiences and Audience-Centered Writing in Public Policy What Is Audience-Centered Writing? Who Is the Audience in Policy Settings? The Different Audiences in Policy Settings Elected Officials Bureaucrats The Media What Do These Policy Audiences Need to Know? Learning the Skills of Audience-Centered Writing Checklist Exercises Bibliography Part 2: The Skills of Policy Writing Chapter 2 Generating and Organizing Your Argument Example: The Problem of Sharing Economy Businesses Writing Is Thinking, Then Communicating The Process of Creating a First Draft Learn About the Contours of the Issue Develop a Problem Statement Create an Outline A Standard Policy Outline Write in Your Outline Gather Evidence for Your Argument Documents People Think Critically About People’s Perspectives and Incentives Revise Your Draft Solicit Feedback on Your Drafts Conclusion Checklist Exercises Bibliography Chapter 3 Improving Your Writing: Sentences and Words How to Identify and Create Good Sentences Principle 1: Characters Make Good Subjects Example: Put Subjects in Their Places Missing Characters Principle 2: Actions Make Good Verbs Example: Activate Your Verbs When Are Nominalizations Useful? Principle 3: Choose Words Wisely Conclusion Checklist Exercises Bibliography Answer Key Chapter 4 Writing Well: Paragraphs and Sections Cohesion: Do My Sentences Connect Together? The Importance of Connections Example: Improving a Paragraph Coherence: Does My Paragraph Make Sense as a Whole? Editing at a Global Level: Making the Document Make Sense as a Whole Global Coherence: Decide if All the Paragraphs and Sections in Your Draft Should Stay Global Cohesion: Help Your Readers Understand How the Sections Fit Together Conclusion Checklist Exercises Bibliography Chapter 5 Visually Communicating: On Creating and Writing About Tables Principles for Designing Visuals Tables Elements of a Successful Table A Bad Example A Better Example Best Example Writing About a Table A Bad Example A Better Example Best Example Conclusion Checklist Tables Checklist Exercises Bibliography Chapter 6 Visually Communicating: On Creating and Writing About Graphs and Other Figures Elements of a Successful Figure Graphs Bar Graphs Line Graphs Scatterplots Complex Scatterplots (or, What Hans Rosling Has Wrought) Figures GIS Maps Resized Maps Treemaps Process Maps Conclusion Exercises Bibliography Chapter 7 Pulling It All Together: Creating Professional-Quality Work Polishing Your Document Principle 1: Orient Your Audience From the Start Principle 2: Create an Effective Executive Summary (When Needed) Principle 3: Don’t Bury Important Information in the Conclusion Principle 4: Create a Global Map Using Headings and Subheadings Principle 5: Use Bulleted Lists and Font Alterations Judiciously Principle 6: Write in the Appropriate Tone Principle 7: Be Absolutely Error Free (or, Pass the Brown M&M Test) Writing Ethically: The Responsibilities of Policy Writing Principle 8: Be an Excellent, Audience-Centered Writer Principle 9: Don’t Obfuscate (or, Write Directly) Principle 10: Give Credit Where Credit Is Due Principle 11: Don’t Lie Conclusion Checklist Exercises Bibliography Part 3: Policy Genres and Their Purposes Chapter 8 The Issue Brief Distinctive Aspects of Issue Briefs Narrowly Focused on Communicating One Important Message Very Brief No Specific Audience Focus on Communicating the Facts Heavy Use of Visual Aids Neutral Tone Example Issue Briefs Issue Brief Example 1: Voluntary Home Visiting in California (an Excellent Example) Issue Brief Example 2: Connecting CalWorks With Home Visiting (an Issue Brief That Could Be Improved) Example 3: Economic Well-Being of Rhode Island Families: The Promise and Practice of Two-Generation Approaches (a Longer, Plainer Issue Brief That Is Well Written) Conclusion Checklist Exercises Bibliography Chapter 9 Policy History Distinctive Aspects of Policy Histories Legislative History Regulatory History How to Organize a Policy History Example Policy Histories Example 1: Cyber Security Efforts by the Legislature and Commissions Example 2: Legislative History on American Indian Health and the ACA Example 3: Regulatory Actions by the United States’ Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Conclusion Checklist Exercises Bibliography Chapter 10 The Decision Memo
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