Make Your Voice Heard

Skidmore Public Policy Prize 

Judging Criteria:

1) Policy Analysis and Research: The most important aspect of the letter is the quality of the analysis and research. The evaluation will rest on each student’s success at identifying a local, federal, or state policy problem in their letter, proposing a solution to the problem they identified, and conducting and interpreting research to bolster their letter. (50% of the evaluation).

• Does the letter present one public policy issue in a convincing manner?
• Does the letter focus on a local, federal, or state public policy issue that impacts the student and their community and that explains how this issue impacts them?
• Does the letter contain logical judgment and analysis?
• Does the letter demonstrate the use of primary (personal experience, community experts) and secondary resources (journal articles, books) to bolster their argument?
• Does the letter demonstrate an understanding of the historical context of the problem and of the solution being discussed?

2) Clarity of Presentation: The letter should be written in a clear and compelling manner. In addition to a logical argument, persuasive letters must include a narrative about how the issue impacts the authors or other constituents. (25% of the evaluation)

• Is the letter effective in communicating the significance of the problem and of the solution?
• Do the authors offer a compelling narrative? Do the authors make a compelling case as constituents? Is there a tie-in to either the authors or to other constituents from the public official’s district or institution?
• Are the letter and the proposal clear and grammatically correct?

3) Rationale: The student must clearly explain the criteria used to select the recipient of this letter.  The writer must also explain why this individual has the potential to have the most impact if they are swayed by the letter and proposal. (10% of the evaluation)

4) Quality of Related Project Proposal: The project proposal should not exceed two pages and should present the author’s strategy to have a meaningful impact on the topic they tackle in the letter. As such, the proposal should clearly outline how the student would use $500 to instigate positive change. (15% of the evaluation). 

• Is the project proposal creative and effective in addressing the problem presented in the letter?
• Is it feasible given time and financial constraints?