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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Define the problem.
Compare and contrast the available solutions within the scenario.
Select one of the available solutions and defend it as your final solution.
Identify the weaknesses of your final solution.
Suggest ways to improve/strengthen your final solution.
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
I. Communication
Define problem in your
own words.
Exemplary
(4)
Identifies the main idea or
problem with numerous
supporting details and
examples which are organized
logically and coherently.
Proficient
(3)
Identifies the main idea or
problem with some supporting
details and examples in an
organized manner.
Developing
(2)
Identifies the main idea or
problem with few details or
examples in a somewhat
organized manner.
Emerging
(1)
Identifies the main idea or
problem poorly with few or
no details or states the main
idea or problem verbatim
from the text.
Not Present
(0)
Does not identify the main
idea or problem.
Score
4 3 2 1 0
    
N/A 
Comments:
II. Analysis
Compare & contrast the
available solutions.
III. Problem Solving
Select & defend your
chosen solution.
Uses specific inductive or
deductive reasoning to make
inferences regarding
premises; addresses
implications and
consequences; identifies facts
and relevant information
correctly.
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.
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,
Does not analyze multiple
unsupported, or unreasonable solutions.
inferences regarding
solutions; makes multiple
errors in distinguishing fact
from fiction or in selecting
relevant evidence.
4 3 2 1 0
    
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 Does not select and defend
one aspect of the problem but a solution.
develops untestable
hypothesis; or develops
invalid conclusions or
solutions based on opinion or
irrelevant information.
4 3 2 1 0
    
N/A 
Comments:
N/A 
Comments:
Performance
Element
IV. Evaluation
Identify weaknesses in your
chosen solution.
V. Synthesis
Suggest ways to
improve/strengthen your
chosen solution.
VI. Reflection
Reflect on your own
thought process.
“What did you learn from
this process?”
Exemplary
(4)
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.
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.
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.
Proficient
(3)
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.
Developing
(2)
Makes some errors in data
or information
interpretation; makes
arguments using weak
evidence; provides
superficial support for
conclusions or solutions.
Emerging
(1)
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.
Not Present
(0)
Does not evaluate data,
information, or evidence
related to chosen solution.
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.
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
Exemplary
(4)
Well organized with complete
sentences, correct spelling
and appropriate grammar.
Proficient
(3)
Well organized with complete
sentences, minimal spelling
errors and appropriate grammar.
Developing
(2)
Complete sentences,
minimal spelling errors
and minimal grammatical
mistakes.
Emerging
(1)
Minimal incomplete
sentences, minimal spelling
errors and grammatical
mistakes.
Score
4 3 2 1 0
    
N/A 
Comments:
4 3 2 1 0
    
N/A 
Comments:
4 3 2 1 0
    
N/A 
Comments:
“What would you do
differently next time to
improve?”
Performance
Element
VII. Mechanics
VIII. Timeliness
Submission was prior to the
closing of the
module/unit/lesson.
Not Present
(0)
Not well organized,
numerous incomplete
sentences, major spelling
and grammatical errors.
Submission was after the
closing of the
module/unit/lesson.
Score
4 3 2 1 0
    
N/A 
Comments:
4 3 2 1 0
    
N/A 
Comments: