Administrative Law – PAD 4603
Critical Thinking Exercise

In this exercise, you will be focusing on developing your investigatory skills and critical thinking skills. You will read the below scenario and respond to the questions in the Investigatory Process Section and the Critical Thinking Section.

You are an administrator of a Florida Gulf Coast beach city and are called into the city manager's office. The city manager explains that because of the recent BP oil spill, commissioners were concerned that if oil were to wash up on their city beaches it would devastate the tourism industry and ruin the city financially. The city manager further explains that they have no policies or procedures concerning an oil spill. Therefore, the city manager asks that you prepare a research paper that thoroughly addresses:

Investigatory Process Should Answer These Questions in Detail:

1) What, if any, state and/or federal regulations, codes or administrative rules govern an oil spill of this nature?

2) Who or what entity would be responsible for protecting the beach if an oil spill was headed their way?

3) Who would pay for protecting the beach and who would pay for any of the cleanup?

4) Who would pay for lost revenues to the city and local businesses should they suffer because of oil on the beach?

5) What, if any, legal remedies (lawsuits) could the city take advantage of should the oil reach the beach?

6) Any other issues you feel are important and relevant.

In addition to researching the above issues, your research should involve the following:

1)  What federal and state administrative agencies would be involved and what their function is, and how would they interact with the city?

2)  What internal policies and procedures would you develop to satisfy the concerns of the city? Provide a thorough reasoning of what these policies and procedures would accomplish and why the city should implement the policies and procedures.

3)  Would there be any related costs associated with the implementation of the policies and procedures?

4)  Any and all other concerns that you feel are important and relevant.

Critical Thinking Process Should Answer in Detail:

1.  Define the problem.

2.  Compare and contrast the available solutions within the scenario.

3.  Select one of the available solutions and defend it as your final solution.

4.  Identify the weaknesses of your final solution.

5.  Suggest ways to improve/strengthen your final solution.

6.  Reflect on your own thoughts as to what you have learned and what you would do differently next time in this process.

The research paper should be formatted in Microsoft Word, double-spaced, paginated, and in number 12-point font using Times Roman. Your research paper should be between 5-7 pages in length, exclusive of the introduction and reference page. Also, if you quote any of the applicable statutes/codes, it will not count as part of the 5-7 page content requirements.

The form and style will be found in the Sixth Edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). Be sure to spellcheck all written material. Please save the document in RTF format in Microsoft Office Word. The paper must be submitted within ANGEL Learning software (drop box).

You will be graded utilizing the below rubric:

Public Safety Administration Program’s Critical Thinking Rubric

Student’s name: ______Assignment: ______Date: ______

Performance
Element / Exemplary
(4) / Proficient
(3) / Developing
(2) / Emerging
(1) / Not Present
(0) / Score
I. Communication
Define problem in your own words. / Identifies the main idea or problem with numerous supporting details and examples which are organized logically and coherently. / Identifies the main idea or problem with some supporting details and examples in an organized manner. / Identifies the main idea or problem with few details or examples in a somewhat organized manner. / Identifies the main idea or problem poorly with few or no details or states the main idea or problem verbatim from the text. / Does not identify the main idea or problem. / 4 3 2 1 0
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Comments:
II. Analysis
Compare & contrast the available solutions. / Uses specific inductive or deductive reasoning to make inferences regarding premises; addresses implications and consequences; identifies facts and relevant information correctly. / Uses logical reasoning to make inferences regarding solutions; addresses implications and consequences; Identifies facts and relevant information correctly. / Uses superficial reasoning to make inferences regarding solutions; Shows some confusion regarding facts, opinions, and relevant, evidence, data, or information. / Makes unexplained, unsupported, or unreasonable inferences regarding solutions; makes multiple errors in distinguishing fact from fiction or in selecting relevant evidence. / Does not analyze multiple solutions. / 4 3 2 1 0
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Comments:
III. Problem Solving
Select & defend your chosen solution. / Thoroughly identifies and addresses key aspects of the problem and insightfully uses facts and relevant evidence from analysis to support and defend potentially valid solutions. / Identifies and addresses key aspects of the problem and uses facts and relevant evidence from analysis to develop potentially valid conclusions or solutions. / Identifies and addresses some aspects of the problem; develops possible conclusions or solutions using some inappropriate opinions and irrelevant information from analysis. / Identifies and addresses only one aspect of the problem but develops untestable hypothesis; or develops invalid conclusions or solutions based on opinion or irrelevant information. / Does not select and defend a solution. / 4 3 2 1 0
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Comments:
Performance
Element / Exemplary
(4) / Proficient
(3) / Developing
(2) / Emerging
(1) / Not Present
(0) / Score
IV. Evaluation
Identify weaknesses in your chosen solution. / Insightfully interprets data or information;
identifies obvious as well as hidden assumptions, establishes credibility of sources on points other than authority alone, avoids fallacies in reasoning; distinguishes appropriate arguments from extraneous elements; provides sufficient logical support. / Accurately interprets data or information;
identifies obvious assumptions, establishes credibility of sources on points other than authority alone, avoids fallacies in reasoning; distinguishes appropriate arguments from extraneous elements; provides sufficient logical support. / Makes some errors in data or information interpretation; makes arguments using weak evidence; provides superficial support for conclusions or solutions. / Interprets data or information incorrectly;
Supports conclusions or solutions without evidence or logic; uses data, information, or evidence skewed by invalid assumptions; uses poor sources of information; uses fallacious arguments. / Does not evaluate data, information, or evidence related to chosen solution. / 4 3 2 1 0
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Comments:
V. Synthesis
Suggest ways to improve/strengthen your chosen solution. / Insightfully relates concepts and ideas from multiple sources; uses new information to enhance chosen solution; recognizes missing information; correctly identifies potential effects of new information. / Accurately relates concepts and ideas from multiple sources; uses new information to enhance chosen solution; correctly identifies potential effects of new information. / Inaccurately or incompletely relates concepts and ideas from multiple sources; shallow determination of effect of new information on chosen solution. / Poorly integrates information from more than one source to support chosen solution; Incorrectly predicts the effect of new information on chosen solution. / Does not identify new information for chosen solution. / 4 3 2 1 0
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Comments:
VI. Reflection
Reflect on your own thought process.
“What did you learn from this process?”
“What would you do differently next time to improve?” / Identifies strengths and weaknesses in own thinking: recognizes personal assumptions, values and perspectives, compares to others’, and evaluates them in the context of alternate points of view. / Identifies strengths and weaknesses in own thinking: recognizes personal assumptions, values and perspectives, compares to others’, with some comparisons of alternate points of view. / Identifies some personal assumptions, values, and perspectives;
recognizes some assumptions, values and perspectives of others; shallow comparisons of alternate points of view. / Identifies some personal assumptions, values, and perspectives;
does not consider alternate points of view. / Does not reflect on own thinking / 4 3 2 1 0
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Comments:
Performance
Element / Exemplary
(4) / Proficient
(3) / Developing
(2) / Emerging
(1) / Not Present
(0) / Score
VII. Mechanics / Well organized with complete sentences, correct spelling and appropriate grammar. / Well organized with complete sentences, minimal spelling errors and appropriate grammar. / Complete sentences, minimal spelling errors and minimal grammatical mistakes. / Minimal incomplete sentences, minimal spelling errors and grammatical mistakes. / Not well organized, numerous incomplete sentences, major spelling and grammatical errors. / 4 3 2 1 0
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Comments:
VIII. Timeliness / Submission was prior to the closing of the module/unit/lesson. / Submission was after the closing of the module/unit/lesson. / 4 3 2 1 0
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Comments: