This signature assignment involves a simulation of the legislative process, where students will propose a hypothetical healthcare bill and detail the steps required for it to become law. The assignment will demonstrate the student’s understanding of public health foundations, application of political concepts, analysis of political processes, synthesis of policy knowledge, and evaluation of policy outcomes.

Assignment Format:

• Length: 5-8 pages
• Format: APA 7th Edition

Assignment Details:

1. Proposal of a Healthcare Bill (Competency 1 & 2):
   • Students will create a hypothetical healthcare bill addressing a specific public health issue. This issue should be relevant to current public health challenges.
   • Summarize key public health concepts related to the chosen issue.
   • Apply knowledge of political systems and legal principles to justify the need for the proposed bill.
2. Explaining the Legislative Process (Competency 2 & 3):
   • Detail the legislative process required for the bill to become law. This should include:
     • Introduction of the bill to the legislature.
     • Committee reviews, amendments, and hearings.
     • Debates, voting procedures, and passage in both legislative chambers.
     • The role of the executive branch in signing the bill into law or vetoing it.
     • The potential role of the judicial branch in interpreting the law.
   • Discuss the implications of federalism on the process, especially if the bill involves state and federal collaboration.
3. Stakeholder Analysis and Engagement (Competency 4):
   • Identify and analyze key stakeholders who would be impacted by or interested in the proposed bill.
   • Discuss strategies for engaging these stakeholders in the policymaking process.
4. Policy Analysis and Synthesis (Competency 4):
   • Conduct a comprehensive policy analysis of the proposed bill, incorporating relevant literature and stakeholder perspectives.
   • Produce a clear, user-friendly executive summary of the policy analysis.
5. Evaluating Policy Outcomes (Competency 5):
   • Develop criteria for assessing the success of the proposed bill as a healthcare policy.
   • Discuss potential short-term and long-term outcomes and whether the policy is likely to achieve its intended objectives.

Evaluation Criteria:

• Creativity and relevance of the proposed healthcare bill.
• Depth of understanding of public health concepts related to the bill.
• Accuracy in detailing the legislative process and the roles of different government branches.
• Quality of stakeholder analysis and engagement strategies.
• Thoroughness and clarity in policy analysis and synthesis.
• Thoughtful development of criteria for policy assessment and outcomes evaluation.
• Adherence to APA formatting and quality of writing.

Feedback and Grading: Assignments will be graded based on the depth of analysis, understanding of the legislative process, application of healthcare policy concepts, quality of writing, and adherence to submission guidelines. Feedback will aim to support your learning and development in healthcare policy formulation and analysis.