Assignment:
Please view the State of the Union Address at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sotu/ as though you are a legislator with a criminal justice/courts perspective. You are going to create a policy based on one of the issues discussed by the President to critique and walk it through the legislative process. After viewing the State of the Union for a second time, please answer the following questions thoroughly.
1. Role and Affiliation
a) Are you a United States legislator or a State legislator? Please explain reasoning.
b) Are you a member of the House of Representative or the Senate? Please explain reasoning.
c) What is your political party affiliation? Democrat, Republican, Other. No explanation required.
2. What problem is to be addressed through legislation/policy that would ultimately impact the Criminal Justice System and/or the Courts?
3. Draft a policy/bill to be considered
A) State your policy
b) Cite at least one empirical study, which exists, that supports your policy (criminal justice/courts implication). Provide a brief summary of the study in order to educate your reader
c) Describe an area of research that still needs to be done to support your policy
d) List potential experts (by area of expertise, not name) to testify on behalf of your policy
e) Discuss financial impact of policy, would this cost money if implemented? Where would this money come from?
4. To what committee will the proposed legislation be presented? Why?
5. Assume the proposed policy passes in committee as written.
a) What happens next? Fully describe the process.
b) What is the opposition to the bill/policy?
c) Cite at least one empirical study, which exists, that supports the opposition to your policy (criminal justice/courts implication). Provide a brief summary of the study in order to educate your reader.
d) What amendments would opposition make to the bill?
6. Assume an amended bill is passed. What happens next? Where does it go?
7. What would a final bill look like if there is a compromise with the opposition?
8. Considering the political climate of your jurisdiction (national or state), would your revised bill be signed or vetoed (by whom?). Explain.