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Case Study Analysis: Net Neutrality

POLS 5030 Public Policy

Objective

Students will demonstrate knowledge of Week 1 and 2 course material by identifying and applying concepts to a case study of net neutrality policy in the U.S. in the form of a written essay.

What is a case study?

A case study is an in-depth examination of an event, concept, problem, or other phenomenon that answers a research question through detailed description and analysis. It usually begins with a comprehensive summary of the issue, including the history, people involved, timeline of events, outcomes, and current state of affairs, followed by the analysis. In this assignment, I am giving you a journal article and links to news articles providing the comprehensive summary. You will focus on the analysis portion by answering the given research questions in a written essay.

**Assignment Instructions**

  1. Read through the material listed under Assignment Materials
  2. Using both of the Research Questions below, write an analysis of U.S. net neutrality policy using course concepts. Follow the requirements listed under Assignment Requirements.
  3. Some ideas to think about as you work on the assignment:
    1. The role of different policy environments and the structure of American government, including federalism
    2. The different types of policy and how they work and what kind of “good” the internet is.
  4. Be objective and unbiased in your analysis—in other words, make sure to consider multiple perspectives for thorough coverage of the issue.

Research Questions

  1. How has net neutrality policy in the U.S. been shaped by the policy environment?
  2. What types of policies have been used or proposed to govern net neutrality and why are these policies appropriate for this issue or not?

 

 

Assignment Materials

  • Introduction to the topic: Case Study II in Chapter 7, pg. 255 of Birkland
  • Main case study article on D2L, “Assessing the Current State of Net Neutrality…” by Robbie Troiano (2019)
  • News articles from Vox and the Verge for more information and a recent update (links on D2L)
  • Concepts in Birkland Ch. 2, 3, and 7
  • Other sources of information as needed to support your analysis
    • Scholarly journal articles are good sources for facts and expert analysis
    • News articles may provide evidence of the opinions or positions of policymakers, the public, and other actors, but beware of misinformation.

 

 

Assignment Requirements and Points

  • Your essay must include all of the following components:
    • Introduction and brief overview of net neutrality policy, including why it is important (20 points)
    • Analysis/answers to the research questions, including course concepts (60 points)
    • Your brief “professional” assessment of the direction net neutrality policy will likely take (10 points)
    • Conclusion (may be combined with your assessment) (10 points)
  • Use citations for all sources you refer to in the text, including the textbook, in your preferred citation style, such as APA
    • This includes both in-text citations such as (Birkland 2020) and the list of sources at the end of the paper
  • Use a standard 12-pt font such as Times New Roman
  • Your essay will probably be around 4-5 pages double spaced. This is a guideline not a strict requirement as you are graded on whether you include all of the requirements of the essay and the quality of your work. Remember that quantity does not equal quality.

Grading

The assignment will be out of 100 points. Grading will be based on the following criteria:

 

A: 90-100 points. All required components of the assignment are included. Analysis is supported by required readings and outside sources as necessary. Analysis is clear, easy to follow, and provides thorough answers to the research questions. The policy assessment and conclusion make sense and are supported by the analysis. Overall, very high-quality work.

 

B: 80-89 points. All required components of the assignment are included. Analysis is mostly supported by required readings and outside sources as necessary. Analysis is generally clear and easy to follow, but answers to research questions need more depth and support. The policy assessment and conclusion generally make sense, but may not be completely supported by the analysis.

 

C: 70-79 points. One component may be missing, or some components may not receive enough attention. Some support from readings or outside sources is included. Analysis is sometimes unclear and hard to follow and answers to research questions are lacking in detail and support. The policy assessment and conclusion are not well supported by the analysis.

D: 60-69 points. Two components missing or barely addressed. Support from readings is minimal. Analysis is unclear, difficult to follow, and answers to research questions are minimal or irrelevant. The policy assessment and conclusion does not make sense with the analysis.

F: below 60 points. More than two components missing or barely addressed, or essay is off topic. Little references to the readings, if at all. Analysis is unclear, unreadable, and research questions are not addressed. The policy assessment and conclusion are unclear or irrelevant and not supported.

***Your assignment should be your own work and sources should be correctly cited. The assignment will be submitted to Turnitin through D2L. Plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in a grade of 0 for the assignment and may be reported as a student conduct violation.