I’ve been looking for example good position papers that are simple and direct.
Finding a needle in a hay stack, blindfolded, is easier.
If you are tasked with writing a position paper, I’d recommend reading and applying the recommendations of Jacques Barzun in Simple & Direct. A Rhetoric for Writers.
Barzun’s 20 Principles.
Principle 1: Have a point and make it by means of the best word – p.20.
Principle 2: Weed out the jargon – p.27.
Principle 3: Look for all the fancy wordings and get rid of them – p.35.
Principle 4: Make sure you know not only the meaning but also the bearing of the words you use – p.43.
Principle 5: Consult your second thoughts about slang, euphemisms, and “what everybody says”, so as to make sure your diction entirely your own choice – p.52.
Principle 6: Respect the integrity of set phrases, partitives, cliches, and complex modifiers – p.70.
Principle 7: Ideas connected in reality require words similarly linked, by nearness or by suitable linking words – p.81.
Principle 8: For a plain style, avoid everything that can be called roundabout – in idea, in linking, or in expression – p.87.
Principle 9: Agreement is as pleasant in prose as it is in personal relations, and no more difficult to work for – p.96.
Principle 10: Cling to your meaning. The tense or mood of a verb in a linked pair can destroy it – p.103.
Principle 11: Do not borrow plumes p.119.
Principle 12: To be plain and straightforward, resist equally the appeal of old fine and the temptation of smart novelties – p.127
Principle 13: The mark of a plain tone ia combined lucidity and force – p.140.
Principle 14: Trifles matter in two ways: magnified, they lead to pedantry; overlooked, they generate nonsense – p.155.
Principle 15: Make fewer words do more work by proper balance. matching parts, and tight construction – p.165.
Principle 16: Workshop no images and question the validity of all. … Take out all metaphorical language and recast in Plain,.. p.173.
Principle 17: In each portion of the work, begin from a point clear to you and the reader and move forward without wobble or meander – p.180.
Principle 18: The writing of a sentence is finished only when the order of the words cannot be changed without damage to the thought or its visibility – p.199.
Principle 19: In whatever paragraphs or essays you write, verify the sequence of ideas and take out or transpose everything that interrupts the march of thought and feeling – p.218.
Principle 20: Read and revise, reread and revise, keep reading and revising until your text seems adequate to your thought – p..249.
Source: 4th edition.
Why you should apply Barzun’s Principle when you prepare Position Papers
If Barzun’s thinking were applied, position papers would be a lot better.
From the position papers I reviewed, the following is clear:
- They appear to welcome the Commission proposal at start, but half way down, some doubts kick in 3/4 down the page or on page 2.
- There is not much use of data, evidence or solutions.
- A fair few turn up late in the day – the legislative process. I think you have at most 8 weeks after the proposal has come out the door to publish a position paper. You can ignore this if your telepathy skills are enhanced. You can transmit your ideas and solutions to relevant politicians, advisors, and officials by enlightened means. For lesser people like me, I’d opt for a well crafted position paper.
- The language varies. Not much is direct and clear.
- The reader is often ignored.
Getting to the point is not rude. It is decency. Torturing the reader with abstraction and leaving them asking “do they support the proposal /provision, and for what reasons” is decency.
You can be direct with little impact. These are the position papers saying the proposal/ initiative is wrong, but offer no real evidence, backed by credible data, let alone solution to support the view. Such position papers just come across as be clear and uniformed.
You can opt to be plain rude. Now, I’m not sure what culture in Europe has found insulting people to be an effective means of persuasion. It must exist because rudeness is not uncommon. It may exist on the dark web for consenting adults. I don’t know. I’ve just never seen it work.
If you don’t support the proposal/provision, write it down. Explain why and provide the evidence. If your reasons are persuasive or not are persuasive or not is another matter. They’ll stand out by by being clear.
I find Business Europe’s paper, 68 Proposals for the Reduction of Regulatory Burden in 2025, a good example of a position paper that is simple and direct. It may well explain why it is having so much influence.
PS: Being simple and direct is an idea you should apply beyond writing position papers.