Summer 2025 SOWK 588 Week 05 - The Mindset of an Effective Policy Analyst

title: Summer 2025 SOWK 588 Week 05 - The Mindset of an Effective Policy Analyst date: 2025-06-27 21:24:57 location: Heritage University tags:

  • Heritage University
  • MSW Program
  • SOWK 588 presentation_video: > “” description: >

Week five includes an in-person class session on Saturday (06/28/25). In $2.00 a Day, Edin and Shaefer (2016) shift toward the work of survival that can be so consuming for people living on the margins. There is a forum to start considering potential policies that could help support this population or to reflect on the systematic nature of this poverty. Linquiti’s (2022) reading is focused on the characteristics that make up an effective policy analyst. Students will engage in several forums this week—developing and sharing their own Fermi Cheat Sheets, responding to applied policy discussion questions, and critically examining what it means to “deconstruct” a policy claim. During the in-person class session, we will consider this practice with constructing and deconstructing policy claims and understanding the characteristics of an effective policy analyst.

The agenda for the in-person class session includes:

  • The characteristics of an effective policy analyst
  • Understanding numbers and inequality
  • Developing a sound, well-reasoned, evidence-informed, policy-relevant claim
  • PLAIN vs APA writing style

The learning objectives this week include:

  • Identify and reflect on the six core mindsets of effective policy analysts
  • Apply a framework to develop and critique policy claims using real-world topics collaboratively
  • Interpret visual and quantitative data to understand wealth inequality
  • Compare APA and PLAIN writing styles
  • Explain how Fermi estimation techniques can be used to approach policy questions quickly and effectively.
  • Identify and evaluate the components of a well-structured policy claim.
  • Reflect on the structural causes of poverty and explore potential policy responses.
  • Apply critical thinking to assess assumptions, power dynamics, and ideologies embedded in policy claims.
  • Explore broader critical frameworks and consider how they expand the scope of policy practice.
  • Practice articulating and critiquing policy arguments through structured written and verbal responses.

Plan for Week Five

Agenda

  • The characteristics of an effective policy analyst
  • Understanding numbers and inequality
  • Developing a sound, well-reasoned, evidence-informed, policy-relevant claim
  • PLAIN vs APA writing style

Learning Objectives

  • Identify and reflect on the six core mindsets of effective policy analysts
  • Apply a framework to develop and critique policy claims using real-world topics collaboratively
  • Interpret visual and quantitative data to understand wealth inequality
  • Compare APA and PLAIN writing styles

The Mindsets of a Policy Analyst

Linquiti (2022) describes six characteristics of a good policy analyst. These include

🔍 Critical Thinker

  • Skeptical but not cynical
  • Neutral commitment to scientific method
  • Humble, curious, and open-minded

🧰 Pragmatic

  • Embraces real-world context of policy analysis
  • Adept at satisficing
  • Knows value of analysis is lost if not effectively communicated

􁒑 Competent

  • Appropriate domain, procedural, political, and analytic expertise
  • Committed to lifelong learning
  • Team player

💪 Tough Minded

  • Maintains equanimity in policy maelstrom
  • Self-confident, but not arrogant
  • Tenacious in the face of setbacks

🤝 Service Oriented

  • Embraces role: analytic specialist, public servant, campaigner, or client advisor
  • Displays personal integrity
  • Develops and maintains deserved reputation for credibility

🪞 Self-Aware

  • Adopts an attitude of reflexivity
  • Embraces multiple small theories, rather than one big theory
  • Intellectually and personally modest, rather than enthusiastic know-it-all

[Small Group Activity] Share with a partner examples related to these mindsets

  • 💪 Personal strengths Are there personal examples or strengths you have related to the mindsets
  • ⚠️ Challenges or pitfalls What are some challenges or potential negatives related to the mindset?
  • 🌱 Growth opportunities What are some ways you can grow these mindsets in your practice?

(p. 254)

Mapping The Classes’ Mindsets: How Do We Connect as Analysts

Okay, now I’d like to facilitate an activity to help us identify areas of strength, challenge, and ways we want to grow across these mindsets.

[Whole Group Activity] Mapping The Classes’ Mindsets Have posters with each mindset on it (e.g., Critical Thinker, Pragmatic, Competent, Tough Minded, Tough Minded, Self-Aware). Give each student two sticky notes of each color:

🟩 Green – A personal example or strength related to this mindset 🟨 Yellow – A challenge or situation where this mindset is difficult to apply 🟦 Blue – A way you’d like to grow in this mindset or apply it in your future policy practice

[Whole Group Activity] Debrief Mapping The Classes’ Mindsets

  • Which mindsets had the most/least notes? What surprised you?
  • Invite students to select a note that resonated and explain why.

Numbers in the Textbook

When Linquiti (2022) is talking about decomposition and fermi-izing, there is a lot numbers he goes through in his example. I wanted to share some insight that I got when I was in school.

  • Background in Master’s commission
  • Change from church support those in need (small government) to need to redistribute wealth
  • Change from personal failings to understanding the systems problems of poverty
  • Change from wanting to be wealth to wanting to bring down the oligarchy

I have a couple of videos that I would like to share with you to help you see and visualize the inequality we have in our society.

Wealth Inequality in America

This first video is older, back in 2012. The inequality described is only increasing.

[Whole Group Activity] Watch Wealth Inequality in America (Politizane, 2012)

Reference

Politizane (2012, November 20) Wealth inequality in America [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/QPKKQnijnsM?si=DQWfyCjBRNwxAGmw

American Wealth Inequality Short

I also find the display showing grains of rice as units of wealth as a short by this artist helpful as well.

[Whole Group Activity] Watch Whisper Pickle

Debrief Questions

  • Is this things that you have been exposed to before?
  • What are some of your reactions/thoughts

Reference

Whisper Pickle (2024, December 20) American wealth inequality. YouTube https://youtube.com/shorts/CaoL3YSkDDk?si=CBhHeoIf8BBKh36F

Developing a Policy-Relevant Claim

Claims can be either descriptive or prescriptive. It is about providing evidence and logic about why you think a claim is valid.

You provide some reasons (as many as you can come up with). Describe reasons why that is a valid argument, giving logic and evidence.

You also have to consider what the potential counterarguments are and what potential rebuttals are likely to be made to your claims.

(Linquiti, 2022)

Develop a Sound, Well-Reasoned, Evidence-Informed, Policy-Relevant Claim (1 of 3) - Pick Topic

Get in groups of 3 or 4 and pick a topic below or your own

🏠 Social & Economic Policy

  • Expanding housing access for low-income or unhoused populations
  • Implementing universal basic income (UBI)
  • Increasing access to affordable childcare

🎓 Education & Youth

  • Implementing free community college in Washington State
  • Banning suspensions/expulsions in elementary schools
  • Increasing funding for school social workers or counselors

⚖️ Criminal Justice & Policing

  • Decriminalizing drug possession
  • Expanding diversion programs for youth
  • Mandating mental health co-responders for police calls

🌍 Health & Environment

  • Expanding Medicaid to cover all undocumented residents
  • Providing safe drug consumption sites
  • Banning single-use plastics in Washington

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Equity & Inclusion

  • Requiring anti-racism training in state-funded organizations
  • Creating guaranteed income pilots for marginalized groups
  • Recognizing tribal sovereignty in child welfare cases

Note: These topics were developed based on input from OpenAI 2025.

Develop a Sound, Well-Reasoned, Evidence-Informed, Policy-Relevant Claim (2 of 3) - Steps in Considering Your Policy Claim

The steps in developing your well-reasoned, evidence-informed, policy-relevant claim include the following:

Create a tentative claim Discuss counterarguments and objections Consider rebuttals Modify claim Qualify likely truth of the claim Finalize Claim

[Small Group Activity] Work in your group to develop your policy claim.

(Linquiti, 2022)

Develop a Sound, Well-Reasoned, Evidence-Informed, Policy-Relevant Claim (3 of 3) -Evaluating Policy Claims

  • Cognitive errors: Watch for signs of flawed System 1 thinking, hot cognition, or motivated reasoning.
  • Unsound reasoning: Assess whether the logic is valid and free from rhetorical trickery or logical fallacies.
  • Weak evidence: Evaluate the strength and relevance of the evidence; look for missing or misleading data patterns.
  • Obvious flaws: Look out for internal contradictions, math errors, missing citations, or poor editing—these may signal deeper issues in the analysis.

Be cautious of heroic assumptions that:

  • Overstate the ease or certainty of policy implementation
  • Assume benefits will automatically follow enactment
  • Ignore institutional, political, or logistical barriers

Key questions to ask:

  • 🏛️ Institutions: How many actors must cooperate? Are their interests aligned or conflicting?
  • ⚙️ Complexity: Is the policy a minor adjustment or a major systemic shift?
  • 💵 Resources: Will the policy have the necessary funding, staffing, legal authority, and tech support?
  • 🎯 Unintended consequences: Could it encourage behaviors that undermine its goals?
  • ⚖️ Winners and losers: Who benefits? Who doesn’t? Will powerful stakeholders support or resist implementation?

[Whole Group Activity] Present Cases and Hear Feedback After each group presents, take a minute to consider and provide feedback

(Linquiti, 2022)

PLAIN vs. APA

There are some similarities and differences between the PLAIN guidelines that were written into law by Obama and the APA style guide. Work in small groups, comparing and considering similarities and differences.

[Small Group Activity] Compare PLAIN and APA

Reference

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

Plain Language Action and Information Network. (2011). Federal plain language guidelines. https://www.plainlanguage.gov/media/FederalPLGuidelines.pdf

The following tables are drawn from OpenAI 2025 and fact checked by myself, offering some comparisons that I can help draw from during the debriefing discussion.

Similarities Between APA and PLAIN

Feature APA Style PLAIN Guidelines
Clarity Clear, concise academic writing Easy-to-understand public content
Voice Prefers active when possible Strongly prefers active voice
Audience Academic or professional readers General or non-expert public
Wording Minimal jargon, define terms Everyday language, no jargon
Structure Headings, sections, logical flow Clear layout, easy to scan

Key Differences Between APA and PLAIN

Feature APA Style PLAIN Guidelines
Purpose Academic or professional publication in social sciences Clear government communication to the public
Tone Formal, objective, scholarly Conversational, direct, and user-focused
Use of citations Requires in-text citations and reference lists Rarely uses formal citations—focuses on actionable info
Paragraph structure Paragraphs can be dense and explanatory Short paragraphs, frequent use of lists and bullets
Reader assumptions Assumes some prior knowledge or academic engagement Assumes little to no background knowledge
Sentence length Allows longer, complex sentences with nuance Strongly encourages short, simple sentences
Design integration Style mainly text-based (visuals optional) Encourages visuals, white space, and design for readability

APA Tone: Clear, Straightforward, and Professional

I was preparing for the prior discussion about PLAIN vs APA. Tone is complicated to explain and includes a lot of aspects. Consider bias-free language, or writing style such as continuity, conciseness, and clarity. I came across these three examples of a sentence, and really like it and felt like I should share:

Informal:

After reading Boman (2022), apparently, poor kids don’t get as good of grades in school compared to rich kids. This result hits different when you remember all that poor communities already have to deal with. I guess more studies like this are needed to provide evidence for policy changes so poverty doesn’t continue.

Overly Jargon-laden:

Boman (2022) revealed that low socioeconomic status (SES) evinced a significant correlation with suboptimal academic achievement in juveniles—an unsurprising consequence, given that these communities grapple with resource paucity and ancillary inequities. Subsequent empirical forays are necessary to illuminate the adjustments to public policy needed to dismantle the pernicious cycle of poverty.

Appropriate Tone:

Boman (2022) found that low socioeconomic status (SES) predicted lower academic achievement in youth. This highlights the injustices that communities with lower SES encounter. More studies like this are needed to provide evidence for policy changes that can disrupt the cycle of poverty.

Reference

Boman, B. (2022). The influence of SES, cognitive, and non-cognitive abilities on grades: Cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence from two Swedish cohorts.European Journal of Psychology of Education,38, 587–603.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-022-00626-9

Greenbaum, H. (2024, April 1) Check your tone: A blog post on keeping it professional. APA Style Blog. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/scholarly-tone