PolicyEngine style guide

Blog post rules:

• Must be a (proposed) change in law, not just policy
• Must be a single actor changing the law- don't do an analysis of reforms by multiple legislatures

Structure and formatting

• Use ## for section headings, ### for subsections
• Use sentence case (not title case) for all headings
• Keep paragraphs short (3-5 sentences) and focused
• Remove title, description, and cover image from Markdown files (handled separately)
• Keep URLs short without query parameters

Tone and language

• Use factual, objective language throughout
• Avoid qualitative judgments ("significantly," "slightly," "progressively")
• Present data without value judgments - let numbers speak for themselves
• Use "would" rather than "could" or "might" for modeled outcomes UNLESS they are of current policy, in which case use "will"
• Avoid value-laden terms:
  • Use "higher-income" not "rich" or "wealthy"
  • Use "lower-income" not "poor"
  • Avoid "burden," "benefit," "progressive," "regressive"

Data presentation

• Present exact percentages/numbers rather than qualitative descriptions
• When describing change, specify baseline and reform values (e.g., "from 12.20% to 12.23%")
• Don't round numbers unnecessarily; indicate precision level when rounding
• Focus on "what" rather than "why" in result descriptions
• Ensure chart titles are self-contained with specific reform names

Images and charts

• Use clear, self-contained chart titles that could stand alone when quoted
• Include the specific reform name in chart titles
• Image file paths should match the blog post filename in posts.json
• Use relevant policy images (politicians, government buildings, etc.)

Citations and references

• Use standard Markdown link format text for sources
• Use proper Markdown footnote syntax ([^1]) not superscript
• Clearly state model version and data sources used for analysis

Content flow

• Brief introduction (1-2 paragraphs)
• For policy analysis, consider starting with key findings
• Include background/context section
• Present detailed analysis with logical subsections
• End with a brief conclusion
• Include link to try the policy on PolicyEngine website