It must be double-spaced, 10-12 pages in length, with 1-inch margins on all sides and 12-point font size (use Times New Roman). The paper should focus on the pressing Chinese domestic issue assigned to each group at the beginning of the semester. These issues are: education (Group 1), economic development (Group 2), human rights (Group 3), environment (Group 4), and internet/media freedom (Group 5). For an example of a policy brief (for U.S. audiences), see Minxin Pei’s article (“Corruption Threatens China’s Future”) posted on Canvas. A policy brief is a document that (1) outlines a policy problem and (2) offers a rationale for selecting a solution or course of action. Similar to a standard research paper, writing a policy brief requires extensive research and thoughtful synthesis of primary and secondary sources. The standard format of a policy brief, however, is different from that of a research paper. Some might say that a policy brief is more “professional” because it is geared towards readers (e.g., officials, bureaucrats, politicians, donors) who have a limited amount of time to make an practical decision, while a research paper is more “academic” because it pays more attention to the scholarly roots of particular arguments and judges their merit on intellectual and logical criteria. To effectively serve its intended purpose, it is common for a policy brief to be: Focused – All aspects of the policy brief (from the message to the layout) need to strategically focused in achieving the intended goal of convincing the target audience. Succinct – Be brief and clear; avoid empty rhetoric and sweeping generalizations. Evidence-based – Cite specifics, and use empirical data wherever possible. Understandable/accessible – This not only refers to using clear and simple language (i.e. not the jargon and concepts of an academic discipline) but also to providing a well-explained and easy to follow argument targeting a wide but knowledgeable audience. Typical Components of a Policy Brief Please use the following components as guidelines for structuring/sub-heading your policy brief. Title of the paper The title aims to catch the attention of the reader and compel him/her to read on. Please make sure the title is descriptive, punchy and relevant.