CONSULTATION HOURS: Before/After class by appointment or by email boyd@infonie.fr

COURSE DESCRIPTION:  This course introduces the student to the literature and analytical tools of public policy analysis. Through the in-class application of various conceptual models (analytical tools) to various policy arenas, as well as the application of a chosen conceptual model to a chosen policy arena or issue, the course is designed to further develop the student's critical thinking and writing skills.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Anderson, James E. Public Policymaking 4th Edition.  Houghton Mifflin Company (Boston: 2000).

Dye, Thomas R. Understanding Public Policy, 9th Edition.  Prentice Hall (Upper Saddle River, NJ:1998).

HANDOUTS: Additional materials including journal articles and news reports will be handed out during class meetings.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

• define and explain the four phases of the policy process;

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Quizes: A series of review/preparatory questions will be distributed at the end of the first three weekends. You will write a one page (2-3 paragraph) essay on each question. At the beginning of each weekend I will randomly select three questions for which you are required to submit the essays. The essays will be graded and returned to you the same weekend.

Discussions: My teaching method places a great deal of emphasis on participation and in-class discussions. The quizes will be structured in such a way so as to assist you in preparing for the discussion.  I will ensure that you have ample opportunity to expand upon your ideas through active discussions. Listening to and asking relevant questions or making observations on your classmates presentations is a vital part of this process.

Presentation: The ability to prepare and deliver a coherent presentation in 10 minutes is an important professional skill, as is the ability to anticipate and field questions from an interested audience. You'll have the opportunity to further hone this particular skill by presenting your research paper to the class the last weekend.

Paper: The first day of class we will spend a considerable amount of time discussing the research paper assignment. In brief, your research paper will be an analysis of a particular public law, policy issue or arena. The paper will introduce the topic, identify and discuss the conceptual model chosen for the analysis, present the analytical findings, and conclude with a statement on both the policy area and the conceptual model. The first weekend of the course I will distribute a list of suggestions on style guides, format, length, etc.

Item

Points

Due Dates

Comments

Quiz

20

Beginning of class Sep 9, Sep 23, Oct 7

The quizes on Sep 9 and 23 will include questions on both discussed and preparatory material.

Discussion

20

Every class period

Note that if you are not in class, you can't participate

Presentation

20

Oct 7 and 8

10-15 minutes, followed by 10-15 minutes of discussion

Paper

40

Oct 7

Note that late papers automatically lose one letter grade

90-100

  A

This student performed at a graduate level on all fronts; prepared coherent, precise quizes; participated fully and intellegently in all discussions; prepared, delivered and defended a well organized presentation; and wrote a well researched, documented, and argued paper on an important topic.

 80-89

  B

This student performed at a graduate level on most fronts but occasionally turned in poorly prepared quizes; participated in most discussions but was occasionally unprepared; prepared, delivered or defended a presentation which was a bit of the mark but acceptable; and wrote a research paper with minor problems.

 70-79

  C 

This student often arrived in class unprepared; failed to turn in a least one quiz; appeared unprepared to engage in the discussions or made frequent comments suggesting a failure to read or understand the texts; delivered an underdeveloped presentation or failed to adequately explain or defend the relevant points; and wrote a paper with important grammatical problems or which demonstrated a failure to adequately research the topic.

  0-69

  F

This student either stopped coming to class altogether; failed to deliver the final paper; or systematically failed to meet the requirements of the class. 

SUPPLEMENTAL READING LIST:

The first weekend of the course, I will distribute a list of materials on reserve for your use. In addition, there is a wide range of materials/documents/websites available by internet. Each chapter of the Anderson textbook ends with a list of suggested websites. In addition, I will provide you with a list of websites associated with specific policy arenas. Some of them could be used in conjunction with the required readings for each weekend; some of them are more interesting as support materials for your research projects. I encourgage you to review them early in the term so as to have a better idea how you might want to use them.

Saturday, Aug 26:

9:00-12:00 - Introduction

Review syllabus, discuss requirements and evaluation methods, introductions and interests.  Review basic vocabulary of the course, i.e. policy, analysis, conceptual model, policy maker, political environment, etc;

Dye, Preface, Chapter 1, pp vii-viii, 1-12
Anderson, Preface and Chapter 1, ix-xi, 1- 84

13:00-16:00 - Conceptual Models

READ Dye, Chapter 2, pp 13-38 but SCAN the entire book

Discuss various conceptual models of policy analysis, attributes, strengths/weaknesses, utilization, etc. Identify term paper topics.

Sunday, Aug 27:

9:00-12:00 - Policy Process - Overview

Discuss the various stages of the policy process

Dye, Chapter 14, pp 316-336

13:00-16:00 - Policy Formation

Discuss agenda setting, problem definition, policy design.

Anderson, Chapter 3, pp 85-126

Saturday, Sep 9

QUIZ DUE

9:00-12:00 - Policy Adoption and Budgeting

Discuss various decision making models as they relate to the adoption of and budgeting for policy initiatives.

Anderson, Chapters 4-5, pp 127-199

13:00-16:00 - Policy Implemention and Evaluation
 
Discuss the various administrative and judicial implications of policy implementation, as well as the politics and practices of policy and program evaluation

Anderson, Chapter 6-7, pp 201-259, 261-308
Dye, Chapter 15, pp 337-355
.
Sunday, Sep 10:

9:00-12:00 - Policy Analysis - Systems Theory

Dye, Chapter 13, pp 302-315

13:00-16:00 - Policy Analysis - Elite Theory

Dye, Chapter 3 and 11, pp 39-72, 262-282

Saturday, Sep 23:

QUIZ DUE

9:00 -12:00  - Policy Analysis - Rationalism

Dye, Chapters 4 and 5, pp 74-108, 109-144

13:00-16:00  - Policy Analysis - Incrementalism

Dye, Chapter 9, pp 218-239

Sunday, Sep 24:

9:00-12:00  - Policy Analysis - Game Theory

Dye, Chapter 8, pp

13:00-16:00  - Policy Analysis - Public Choice

Saturday, Oct 7:

Research Papers Due

9:00-12:00 - Student Presentations

13:00-16:00  - Student Presentations

Sunday, Oct 8

9:00-12:00 - Student Presentations

13:00-16:00 - Course Summary and Evaluation

Anderson, Chapter 8, pp 309-318