Delegation Resource Manual: Preparing for the Model Legislature
Page 80
YMCA PA Youth & Government Program
Current Affairs Committee
The current affairs committee can deal with any current affair in Pennsylvania.
Generally, the committee has heard bills on issues such as Civil Service, Elections,
Local Governments, Civil Rights, Transportation, Turnpike, Cars, Trains, Buses,
Planes, Welfare.
Research Links:
3.
Writing Position Papers
A position paper presents an arguable opinion about an issue. The goal of a position paper
is to convince the audience that your opinion is valid and worth listening to. Ideas that you
are considering need to be carefully examined in choosing a topic, developing your
argument, and organizing your paper. It is very important to ensure that you are addressing
all sides of the issue and presenting it in a manner that is easy for your audience to
understand. Your job is to take one side of the argument and persuade your audience that
you have well-founded knowledge of the topic being presented. It is important to support
your argument with evidence to ensure the validity of your claims, as well as to address the
counterclaims to show that you are well informed about both sides.
To take a side on a subject, you should first establish the debatability of a topic that interests
you. Ask yourself the following questions to ensure that you will be able to present a strong
argument:
Is it a real issue, with genuine controversy and uncertainty?
Can you distinctly identify two positions?
Is the issue narrow enough to be manageable?
With this information, you need to explain the issue. What is the issue you want to write a
bill about? What are the two major positions of the issue? Do not at this point give us your
viewpoint or your solution; just explain the issue and the two major sides of the issue.
At this point, it is important to identify the key interest groups for your issue. These are
most likely going to be the special interest groups discussed previously.
