position paper

position paper (plural position papers)

1. (philosophy, government, public policy) An essay or report which expresses a position, conclusion, or recommendation concerning a contested issue or undecided question and which usually contains arguments or reasons in support of this position.
   • 1972 Feb. 28, "The Supporting Cast in Peking," Time (retrieved 30 Oct 2016):

     He headed the China-watching Consulate General, and in 1963 drafted a position paper for President Kennedy that recommended rapprochement with China.

   • 2001, Robert C. Solomon, "Review of Alchemies of the Mind: Rationality and the Emotions by Jon Elster," The Philosophical Review, vol. 110, no. 1, p. 104:

     The first chapter is a position paper on explanation in the social sciences, a plea for "mechanisms" as opposed to law-like principles.

   • 2016 Aug. 26, Mark Landler, "Clinton and Trump Campaigns Are Buzzing About the Race . . . for the Cabinet," New York Times (retrieved 30 Oct 2016):

     They oversee groups that are churning out position papers on counterterrorism, cybersecurity, democracy and human rights, and global development.