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Writing for the Government
Libby Allison, Texas State University
Miriam F. Williams, Texas State University

ISBN-10: 0321427017
ISBN-13: 9780321427014

Publisher: Longman
Copyright: 2008
Format: Paper; 320 pp
Published: 09/25/2007

Suggested retail price: $59.33
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Writing for the Government blends experience-based theory with actual workplace applications from a wide range of fields and documents to prepare readers for positions in government.

 

Taking a rhetorical approach to writing, the authors encourage students to consider every document’s audience, purpose, and cultural context and increase the effectiveness of their communication.  Writing is also presented as a process, particularly collaborative, in which authors have a stake in the outcome.  The purpose is to prepare students to become “adaptable” writers regardless of their job, their agency, or its writing tasks.

  • A broad scope of documents extends beyond rules and regulations to also include policy handbooks and manuals, policy memorandums and reports, and grants and proposals, as well as writing and designing government Web sites.
  • The Generous inclusion of examples throughout the text illustrates instruction and help students imagine the many writing scenarios they should prepare to encounter in their professional careers.
  • Chapter opening vignettes engage students immediately, show practical implications of government writing, and introduce the chapter genre.
  • Chapter ending activities and assignments ensure students practice applying concepts and theories to real scenarios, offering informal and formal writing opportunities, collaborative activities, and researched activities.
  • Three comprehensive case studies on the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Hurricane Katrina, and The National Multiple Sclerosis Society showcase the many different genres of government writing that can be generated by one agency or on one topic.
  • Extensive coverage of writing government Web sites addresses the ways that writing for the Web differs from writing print documents in terms of audience demographics and expectations, narrative style and structure, and duration of efficacy. 

Foreword by Series Editor Sam Dragga

Preface

 

Part One: Government Writing: Theory, Principles, and Ethics

 

Chapter One: Introduction

 

Principles and Approaches

    Audience, Purpose, and Cultural Context

    Knowing an Audience

    Demographics of an Audience

    Level of Knowledge and Expertise of an Audience

    Professional and Personal Needs of an Audience 

    How Government Writers Get to Know Their Audience(s)

Summary and Looking Forward

Activities and Assignments

Works Cited

 

Chapter Two: Purpose and Cultural Context

 

Process Writing, Social Interchange, and Cultural Contexts

    Purpose in Writing
    Purpose and Genres
Discourse Conventions in Government Writing
    Genres and Discourse Conventions
Ethical Issues in Cultural Contexts

     Social and Cultural Ethics

    Plagiarism, Copyright, and Other Ethical Matters
    Style Guides
    Technological Factors
    Organizational Culture and Ethics
    Personal Ethics and Government Writer Ethos

Summary and Looking Forward

Activities and Assignments
Works Cited

 

Part Two: Writing To Make Policy 

 

Chapter Three: Rules and Regulations

 

The Purpose of Rules

Rules or Laws?
Rule Writing in Cultural Contexts
Audience for Rules
Collaborative Nature of Rule Writing
Stakeholders in Rule Writing

    Subject Matter Experts

    Legal, Fiscal, and Technology Experts
    The Public
    Editors
Summary and Looking Forward
Activities and Assignments
Works Cited

 

Chapter Four: Policy Handbooks, Manuals, and Guides

 

The Purpose of Government Handbooks

Policy Handbooks and Manuals in Cultural Contexts
Audience for Policy Handbooks and Manuals
Style Guides and Organization of Policy Handbooks

    Handbook Cover
    Overview, Foreword, or Preface
    Body

    References, Glossaries, Appendices, and Indexes
    Government Agency Style Guides

Collaborative Nature of Handbook Writing
Writing, Editing, and Publishing Policy Handbooks
Summary and Looking Forward

Activities and Assignments
Works Cited

 

Chapter Five: Policy Memorandums

 

Purpose of Policy Memos
Policy Memos in Cultural Contexts
Memorandum of Understanding—“Across Jurisdictions”
Audience for Policy Memos

Components of Persuasive Policy Memorandums
Summary and Looking Forward
Activities and Assignments
Works Cited



Part Three: Writing to Communicate Policy Issues to Agencies and the Public

Chapter Six: Public Policy Reports

 

Purpose of Government Policy Reports
    Government Policy Reports Investigate a Problem

    Government Policy Reports Explain Past Events or Results of Inquiry
    Government Policy Reports Serve as Tools for Advocacy
    Government Policy Reports Prescribe Steps for Policy Implementation and Enforcement
Government Policy Reports in Cultural Contexts
    Economic Constraints
    Sociopolitical Constraints
    National Security Constraints
    Scientific and Technological Constraints
Audience for Government Policy Reports

Components of Government Reports
Summary and Looking Forward
Activities and Assignments
Works Cited



Chapter Seven: Government Grants and Proposals

 

Purpose of Government Grants and Grant Proposals

    Grants in Aid
    Funding the Public
    Grant Proposals

Proposal Writing in Cultural Contexts
    Adherence to Strict and Complex Guidelines
    Competitive Nature of Proposal Writing
    Length and Complexity of the Proposal Development Process
    Personal Accountability and Ethical Dilemmas

Audience for Government Proposals
Summary and Looking Forward
Activities and Assignments
Works Cited

 

Chapter Eight: Government Websites

 

Audience, Purpose, and Cultural Contexts
Genre and Purpose

    Genres of Websites
    Purposes
Writing Website Content
    How Users Read Websites
    Readability Analysis of Websites
    Plain Language Movement
    Languages Other than English
Writing Techniques for the Web
    Chunking Style of Writing
    Card Sorting as Organizing
    Chunking and Sorting Activity Example
    Content Writing, Visual Thinking, and Headings
Methods of Getting to Know Your Audience and Their Needs

    Feedback, Usability, and Personas

    Usability Testing

    Personas
    Applying Personas
Information Architecture
    Site Indexes and Maps
Content Inventory
    Content Management Systems (CMS)

Technology Inventory
    Code
    Reading HTML
Design Inventory
    The Homepage
    Visual Displays

        Charts
        Drawings
        Graphs
        Maps
        Tables
        Multimedia
Style Guides and Templates
    Style Guides
    Style Sheets
    Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
    Templates
Legal and Ethical Inventory
    Accessibility
    Other Requirements and “Best Practices” 
    Other Important Legal and Ethical Matters
Government Websites in the Future
Activities and Assignments
Works Cited

Part Four: Case Studies

Case Study One: Hurricane Katrina
    Activities and Assignments
    Works Cited

 

Case Study Two: Southwest Florida Water Management District
    Activities and Assignments
    Works Cited

 

Case Study Three: The Nonprofit Organization and Government Documents: The National Multiple Sclerosis Society
    Activities and Assignments
    Resource List for Nonprofits and Legislative Advocacy
    Works Cited
 

Appendix: List of Federal Departments and Agencies
Glossary
Index

 

 

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