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Course Description

How can complex social issues be effectively communicated to inspire action from decision-makers? This course explores how to translate challenging community concerns into clear, compelling policy recommendations. You'll learn to identify essential information amid competing voices and develop skills for evaluating source credibility and gathering trustworthy evidence.

You will investigate how policy briefs serve as valuable tools for advocacy, learning when they're most effective and how to determine the best communication approach for different situations. Through practical exercises, you'll examine the key components that make policy briefs successful and practice organizing complex information into focused, actionable formats.

Through hands-on activities, you'll develop your own policy brief, transforming a specific social challenge into well-supported recommendations for change. You'll gain essential skills for building credible arguments and communicating effectively with decision-makers, strengthening your ability to advocate for meaningful social change in your community. 

You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course: 

  • Defining Democracy
  • Responsible Citizenship in Modern Democracies 
  • Cultivating Democratic Community 
  • Global Challenges and Opportunities

Faculty Author

Paul Friesen

Benefits to the Learner

  • Identify what information is needed by policymakers
  • Assess the credibility of sources
  • Define a problem to address with a policy brief
  • Analyze the essential components of an effective policy brief
  • Create a well-structured policy brief that presents clear recommendations for action
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Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy

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