"Social policy may be defined as any formal government enactment that affects the well-being of people, including laws, regulations, executive orders, and court decisions."
Source: Mizrahi, T., & Davis, L. (2008). Encyclopedia of social work (20th ed.). Washington, D.C. : New York]: NASW Press.
For the Policy Analysis Paper, it's easiest to focus on legislation (a bill = a proposed law). Talk with your professor if you'd like to focus on a different policy type such as a federal agency regulation or international agreement.
If selecting state-level legislation, focus only on the state where you are registered to vote.
What if I can't find opposition? Finding opposition for "no brainer" bills can be hard. For example, no one is going to come out and say we want to increase child abuse when there is a related bill introduced. But opposition may come from:
1) A funding argument. How will the proposal be paid for?
2) The "better solution" argument. Does the opposition think there is a more effective way?
3) The "someone else" argument. Does the opposition think someone else should be responsible (ie. states instead of the federal government or private organizations instead of a government agency).