Assignment submission requirements:
- Bring a paper copy to class
- Email me a copy
- Submit a copy to turnitin.com course ID 14605623 password decarbonize
Description of Assignments
Mini-brief 1: Define your policy problem. Specify 3-4 criteria and 3-4 alternatives (begin in class January 24, due January 31 by noon).
Using the policy analysis reading, tutorials, and discussion in class, provide a 2-3 paragraph overview of your policy problem with the problem stated in one synthetic sentence. In addition, specify 3-4 criteria and suggest possible indicators to gauge the performance of alternatives against on the criteria. Specify 3-4 specific alternatives that either were considered or should plausibly have been considered in your case. Do not exceed 800 words. We will workshop these in class, with the paper due several days later, but please come into class with a draft one-sentence problem statement.
Mini-brief 2: Your minister has been asked to give a presentation to the International Energy Agency, which has just decided to conduct a review of your country’s energy system and policies. You are tasked with providing an overview of your system of government according to the following template (due February 7 in class)
In 500-1000 words, explain how the formal machinery of government in your jurisdiction works, and include several other contextual indicators. In particular, address each of the following in some way:
- Is your jurisdiction generally considered to be democratic or authoritarian? You might find this data set useful.
- What electoral system does your jurisdiction use?
- Is the legislative-executive system presidential or parliamentary?
- What party or parties have been in government (i.e., held executive authority) over the past decade?
- Is the system unitary or federal? If federal, give an 2 examples of how the division of authority between national and subnational governments influences energy policy.
- Where does your jurisdiction stand on widely cited indices of corruption and ease of doing business?
- Where does your jurisdiction rank in UN Human Development Index?
Notes (1) if your jurisdiction is subnational, use the national framework for this paper, (2) if your jurisdiction is an international organization, we will need to agree on an alternative classification of the governance structure.
Mini-brief 3: Your minister has been asked to give a presentation to the International Energy Agency, which has just decided to conduct a review of your country’s energy system and policies. You are tasked with providing an overview of existing energy policy in your jurisdiction as it relates to decarbonization.(due March 7 at noon).
In 600-800 words, address the following three issues:
- Does your government have a formal energy policy? If so, briefly describe its most important components. You might find it helpful to think it terms of policy objectives, policy instruments, and settings on those instruments.
- Describe the most important objectives of your jurisdiction’s INDC or NDC under the N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
- What laws are most relevant to the decarbonization agenda in your jurisdiction? Give specific names and citations.
Policy Brief: Write a policy brief to the senior government official responsible for energy policy of a significant jurisdiction on policies to achieve decarbonization of a major component of the energy system (e.g., electricity generation, passenger transportation, buildings, etc) by 2050 (or earlier). Due April 17 by noon. You must get the instructor’s approval of the topic. You are strongly encouraged to get this approval before submitting your January 31 mini-brief, but for certain approval will be required once you get feedback on that assignment. The brief must apply the 6-step policy analysis framework developed in the course. Length should be between 6000 and 7000 words excluding references (no longer). You are encouraged to incorporate all or parts of your mini-briefs in this final brief. Further details will be provided in due course.
