Posted	Due	Policy Brief	Some examples of Briefs
August 27, 2009	September 3, 2009	#1	PB1 example1 PB1 example2
September 15, 2009	September 22, 2009	#2	PB2 example1 PB2 example2
September 30, 2009	October 8, 2009	#3 Eureka Moments, The Economist Beyond Voice, The Economist	PB3 example1 PB3 example2 PB3 example2 PB3 example2 PB3 example2 PB3 example2
October 29, 2009	November 10, 2009	#4	PB4 example1 PB4 example2 PB4 example3
November 17, 2009	November 24, 2009	#5
			These are actual Policy Briefs submitted by your classmates. They are not perfect--there is no such thing as a perfect policy brief--but they are among the better ones we saw. They are provided as examples to guide you in thinking about how to improve your own policy briefs.

Note: Please do not forget to put your name on your Policy Brief.
          Please also include the number of the section you are attending, so the GSIs know when to hand it back.

Guidelines and tips for better policy briefs:

1. Stay on 1 (and only one) page. Two reasons: (1) That is the rule for Policy Briefs in this class. (2) Policymakers in the real world are very busy and often only read the first page anyway. Stuff on the second page gets ignored.

2. Format for easy digestion: Use section headers, bullet points and numbered lists, bold font for key words and phrases, etc. The easier it is to absorb the information quickly, the more the reader will remember and retain for later use.

3. Focus recommendations on policies your audience can actually influence. Recommendations which are generally good ideas but that your reader has no power to effect are not very useful. (E.g., The World Bank has no leverage to force countries to end biofuel subsidies or to allow food exports.)

4. Think about the timeframe for appropriate actions and policy responses to the issue, and tailor recommendations to that timeframe. (E.g., If the world is in the midst of a food crisis, you need at least one recommendation for what to do to provide immediate-term relief.)