Group Activities for 9/8

Activity #2  (you did this on 9/3; we'll report out today on 9/8)

• What type of tool is a soda tax? What mechanism(s) does it use?
• Can you think of other ways to reduce obesity (try to come up with 2 or 3)? What type of tool is each of these ideas? What mechanism does each use?
• What would liberals and conservatives think about each of your alternatives?

Activity #3 

• What advocates and interest groups were active in the Philadelphia soda tax case?
• How did supporters of the soda tax frame/characterize the problem and the solution? What was their causal story? How did they view cause and effect? Who did they identify as the villains and victims?
• How did opponents of the soda tax frame/characterize the problem and the solution? What was their causal story? How did they view cause and effect? Who did they identify as the villains and victims?

Activity #4

• With regard to BLM and calls for police reform, what advocates or interest groups are on either side of the issue? What are their causal stories? How do they view cause and effect? Who do they identify as the villains and victims?
• With regard to the BLM protests this summer and calls for police reform,
  • What was the problem stream? Why did this problem come to public attention?
  • What is the politics stream? What political conditions are in place that affect this issue?
  • What does the policies (alternative specification) stream look like? What policies are on the table?
  • Do you think a window of opportunity is open/will open?