5Y 
~ 
Types of Public Policy: 
6rI 
1. Requirement Policy 
. Boys required to register for the draft at age 18 
. Requirement to have a driver's license 
2. Incentive Policy 
. New business tax exemptions 
. Tax credits for new home buyers 
3. Prohibition Policy 
. No dogs in the park 
. Murder 
4. Disincentive Policy 
. Points on your driver's license for tickets 
5. Service Policy 
. . Policies relating to services such as water, sewer, and road services 
)tJ )..

E. Introducing public policy in the classroom -A one period-lesson plan for introducing the 
conceptof public policy: 
Step 1 - Ask the whole class the question; What is public policy? Using a brainsto~g 
strategy, record all of the responses on the chalkboard, overhead, or chart paper. Leave these 
posted for use in the next step. 
Step 2 - Divide the class into smaller groups of 4-6 people each. Distrib':1teone complete copy of 
the localnewspaper(includeall sections)to eachsmall group. Eachgroupmust select5 or 6 . 
articles that reflect their understanding of what public policy is. Each article chosen must come 
from a different section of the newspaper, e.g., nation8I or state news, business section, sports, 
etc. The group should be prepared to present and .defendeach of their articles as an example of 
public policy. . 
Step 3 -Call on each group to present only one of its choices and defend it as an example of 
public policy before the whole class. The next group call~ may not use an article from a section 
of the newspaper used by any previous group. 
Step 4 -Following these presentations the small groups should be given adequate time to develop 
a definition of public policy, write it on chart paper, and then present the definition to the class. 
Step 5 -After all groups have presented their definition, the teacher/presenter should highlight or 
record all of the common tenns or phrases that are present in each of the definitions. 
Step 6 - Using these common terms and phrases, the newspaper examples, and the original 
brainstorming work done earlier, have the whole class develop a consensus definition of public 
policy. 
Optional Activity: 
Collect several definitions of public policy from various sources (see Section D. above for 
several examples). Have the class compare its definition to these others. Allow time to refine, 
revise, or rewrite the class definition. . . 
Debrief Questions: 
1) . What did you learn about the meaning of public policy? 
2) Did your own understanding of public policy change as a result of this activity? 
3) Who has responsibility for making public policy? 
4) How does existing public policy get changed? 
10

What is pubic policy? 
At a minimum, public policy is a plan or course of action made and followed by the 
government and citizens to address serious issues and answer important public questions. 
These policies may be made at the local, state, or national level and mayor may not 
affect you, depending upon the extent of change connected with the decision to 
implement the policy. For example, if a city council decides .toestablish a five-cent 
redemption policy on aluminum cans to encourage recycling, its policy decision will 
affect most citizens, in the city, in some way. Some of the groups that will be directly 
affected by the city's new policy would be grocery and convenience stores, health care 
providers, police and security personnel, city garbage collection; beverage suppliers; and 
others with an interest in the policy. Conversely, if the same city council decides to leave 
the troubled area as is, the decision to do "nothing" will still impact the aforementioned 
groups, although in a different way. 
Policy is often confused with the concept of rules. Rules and policy are different 
from each other. Rules are followed by everyone and will not differ from city to 
city. state to state, or classroom to classroom. For example, Thomas Jefferson 
Junior High School has rules that apply to everyone. Can you name three rules all 
members of your school must adhere to? 
1. 
2. 
3. 
Policy, on the other hand, may be different in every classroom, city, or state. For 
example, the policy for sharpening pencils in your history classroom may be different in 
your art classroom. Remember that a policy is a plan or way of doing things. Any 
person or group may set up a policy. When we attach the word public to policy it 
indicates that government is involved in making the policy. The government is made up 
of people that have been elected, appointed or hired for the job of making, applying, and 
enforcing the laws. These individuals create public policy that may affect you. 
Our federal government has established pubic policies that affect the daily operations of 
most public schools in the United States. For example, the federal government has 
established a policy that all schools must provide the opportunity for every student to eat 
a heMfuylunchpdubnc 
Step One:

Your group will be given one of five books to reac!. One of these books will be read 
aloud t.oyou by a volunteer or by a member of your group. While the book is being read 
try to identify the policy being described and the problems related to the adopted policy. 
You may want to use the advance organizer while the story is 
being read. This will help you to recall facts that you may 
want to use later. 
WHO ARE THE MAIN" 
CHARACTERS? 
What is the policy being 
used in the book? 
What are the problems 
this policy is creating? 
l 
What would be an 
alternative policy to the 
one being used? 
Who is being affected by 
the policy being used? 
Step Two: Group Work

In this step you will share your recorded ideas with your team. Begin with the first box 
of the reading organizer and share your thoughts with your peers. Be sure to record 
anything you may have missed during the reading. 
.:. Who are the main characters? 
.:. What is the policy being used in the book? 
.:. What are the problems this policy is creating? 
.:. How are the characters being affected by the policy? 
.:. Who is affected by the policy? 
. List all alternative policies suggested by your team members. 
Decide, as a group, which alternative policy will best meet the needs of the characters in 
the book. A majority of students in your group must agree on the alternative policy to be 
used. 
The problems and ideas you will present to your classmates will be an important factor in determining how 
successful your team will be today. The purpose of this step is for you to share what you, your classmates, 
and others already know about public policy problems, don't be shy. 
Step Three: Mini Group Work 
During this phase of your studies you will divide your team into two 
groups. Each mini group will be given a different assignment to 
complete for the entire group. At the conclusion of this phase of 
your work you will present your findings to the class. 
Mini Group One: Policy Problem 
A. As a group, write a brief statement that accurately describes the public policy 
problem being described in the book. To complete this portion of the exercise. 
you must answer the following questions in your statement. 
.:. What are the disadvantages and advantages of the policy being used in the book? 
.:. What disagreements, if any, exist about this policy? 
.:. What are the problems this policy is creating? 
.:. How does this problem relate to our world? 
.:. Who is affected by the policy? 
Mini Group Two: Alternative Policy 
6\

B. As a group, write a brief statement that explains how your group would chan,g 
the policy. To complete this portion of the exercise you must answer the 
following questions in your statement. 
.:. What is the policy you will be proposing? 
.:. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this policy? 
.:. Will the new policy violate anyone's rights? Explain. 
.:. Who (individuals or agency) will be affected by the policy? 
.:. Explain how your policy could be applied to an existing problem. 
Presentations will be given at the conclusion of this lesson. I expect all individuals II 
your group to participate in the presentation and that everyone be able to answer any 
question that I may ask of you.

Suggested Children's Literature for Use with Project Citizen 
Books by Dr. Seuss: 
Yertle the Turtle 
The Butter Battle Book 
The Lorax 
The Sneetches 
By Arthur Levine: 
Pearl Moscowitz's Last Stand 
. Daniel Manus Pinkwater: 
The Big Orange Splot .r 
By Shel Silverstein: 
The Giving Tree