U.S. political system and government budget and their implications for social welfare policies

Students are responsible for keeping a policy journal. The goal of the policy journal assignment is to encourage students to link current policy issues to course content.For the journal, students are required to read the New York Times(Links to an external site.) . The course utilizes the New York Times as it provides some of the most-comprehensive and well-regarded reporting on social welfare issues in the United States.

Students should select an article from the current week's New York Times that deals with domestic (meaning U.S.) social welfare policies. Journal entries should very briefly describe the article. Students should then explain how the material relates back to course content (readings, podcasts, threads etc.) from any week (i.e., you do not have to relate the article to the specific week's reading. You can relate it to an earlier week). Students should consider the article's implications for social welfare policy and provide suggestions for social policy reform when appropriate. Please be as specific as possible. The entries should average about a paragraph each and the journal entries should be submitted on a weekly basis.

In order to receive full credit, students are expected to:

• Select a relevant article in the current week's New York Times
• Succinctly describe the article
• Describe how the article relates to course content such as the text, course readings, podcasts and other materials. Students are not limited to the current week's course content. They can relate the article's content to any module.
• Consider the article's implications for social welfare policy and provide suggestions for specific social policy reform when appropriate
• Submit journal entries on time
• Entries should be well-written (e.g., grammar, organization of thought) and referenced material (including course material) should be appropriately cited