Competency Two
To participate in and contribute to the policy process
To participate in and contribute to the policy process
In POLI 7360, I analyzed the Essential Air Service Program and examined the challenge of balancing access to air transportation in smaller communities. The assignment required me to examine the history of the program, identify the policy problem, evaluate its effectiveness, and consider potential reforms. Through this project, I strengthened my ability to analyze a public policy from multiple perspectives rather than focusing solely on its costs or benefits. I gained a greater understanding of how policymakers must balance competing priorities such as efficiency, equity, and fiscal responsibility. Developing recommendations, including performance-based funding and alternative transportation options, also helped me understand how policy analysis can lead to practical solutions. This experience will help me approach future transportation and public-sector decisions by considering both the effectiveness of a policy and the communities affected by it.