Delegation Resource Manual: Preparing for the Model Legislature
Page 82
YMCA PA Youth & Government Program
Get organized: Give each separate idea or proposal its own paragraph. Make sure
each paragraph starts with a topic sentence.
Cite your sources: Use footnotes or endnotes to show where you found your facts
and statistics. If you are unfamiliar with bibliographic form, look up the Modern
Language Association (MLA) guidelines at your school’s library.
Read and re-read: Leave time to edit your position paper. Ask yourself if the
organization of the paper makes sense and double-check your spelling and grammar.
Speech! Speech! Do you plan to make an opening statement at your conference? A
good position paper makes a great introductory speech. During debate, a good
position paper will also help you to stick to your country’s policies.
Let the bullets fly: Try not to let your proposals become lost in a sea of
information. For speechmaking, create a bulleted list of your proposals along with
your most important facts and statistics so that you will not lose time looking for
them during debate.
4.
Writing the Bill
Once you have completed your position paper, bill writing is very easy. The position paper
components can be used in development of the bill.
There are several major parts to a PA Youth and Government bill. Before you write your own,
review the outline of one below, with the comments in the side boxes to guide you in what
components you need to have in your bill.
Identify Current Events Issues and Research the Topic
Discuss Issues in
Small Groups
Choose one Topic and do In Depth Research
Take a Stand
on the Issue
Write a Position Paper
(Identify the Pros
and Cons)
Write the Bill
(Using the “Plan
of Action” as the
basis)
Practice Presenting your Bill
