Unintended Consequences

At a Glance:

Standards / Framework:

Students will learn how to evaluate a public policy in terms of unintended outcomes and consequences.

Students should be familiar with issues impacting their community.

Have students imagine they are a member of a town council tasked with making decisions about the town's budget allocation. One of the proposals on the table is to increase funding for after-school programs for local youth. The intended outcome is to provide a safe and enriching environment for children.
Ask students:
- "What could be some unintended consequences of this policy.?"
- "What could happen as a result of this increase in funding, both positive and negative?”
- "How might this decision impact the broader community?”

Have students brainstorm examples of public policies in their community and then create a visual representation of the consequences of a hypothetical public policy using a concept map considering both intended and unintended outcomes.
- Policy Examples: plastic bag ban, soda tax, minimum wage increase, public transportation expansion, affordable housing, curfew laws, beautification projects
In small groups, have students explore a recently proposed or accepted policy in their community by accessing their local news outlets and finding a news article or report. The policy can cover a wide range of topics, such as education, public health, transportation, housing, or the environment.
Have students take notes and highlight the intended and unintended consequences of the policy in a T-Chart, then present their T-Charts to the class, explaining the connections they made between the policy and its consequences.
Using the sample comic as a guide, have students create a comic to evaluate a public policy in terms of unintended outcomes and consequences.

Have students share their comics with the class or in small groups.
Emphasize the importance of evaluating public policies in terms of intended and unintended outcomes and consequences.
Encourage students to think critically about policies they encounter in the future and how they can contribute to informed discussions and decision-making.