Faculty Contact Information:
Archie J. Twitchell, DPA
Mailing Address: 18735 Martin’s Landing, Germantown, Md. 20874
Email Address: atwitchell@faculty.ed.umuc.edu, atwitche@cs.com
Telephone and fax: 301 528 7968 | |
Consultation:
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Required Texts and Readings:
Texts used exclusively in this course:
Anderson, J.E. (2000). Public policymaking (4th ed.). Houghton Mifflin.
Dye, T.R. (2002). Understanding public policy (10th ed.). Prentice Hall.
Text used in multiple courses: American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington DC: Author. | |
Supplementary Readings:
| Web sites: Reference will be made to several web sites where public policy is discussed at no cost to the student. Among them are Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, Brookings Institute, Congressional Budget Office, Office of Management and Budget and the Whitehouse. In addition, all graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library. The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students' research and writing skills. | |
Recommended Journals:
| A variety of full-text, online, free-of-charge and pay-per-view academic journals are listed on the PA Webboard (http://webboard.ed.umuc.edu/~pa). The Public Administration Review is the lead journal in the discipline and is especially useful for this course. | |
Course Description:
| Prerequisites: Undergraduate economics and American political science or American government, and PUAD 501 or PUAD 502, or permission of the Program Director. Focuses on the analysis of costs and benefits in the selection of public policy choices. Students analyze public policy alternatives, factors, and processes involved in policy development, including the rulemaking that occurs after legislative enactment of public programs. | |
Course Goals:
| As a required course in the policy track of the M.P.A., this course develops analytical skills necessary to the study of public policy. Students learn to apply a variety of common theoretical and conceptual approaches to policy development and policy analysis. | |
Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to:
- Analyze public policies using standard conceptual and theoretical models.
- Evaluate policy options based on various assumptions of policy formulation and implementation.
- Investigate the relationships between historical and current policy proposals on the public agenda.
- Utilize electronic and technological solutions to accomplish policy analysis.
- Utilize electronic resources to find primary source documents, data, statements on best practices, and research articles related to policy analysis.
- Develop and present viable policy recommendations or proposals.
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Grading Information:
GRADING SCALE:
- A = 400-360
- B = 359-320
- C = 319-280
- F = Below 280.
Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade F(a) is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog. Hard copies of the catalog are available in your local Education Center. | |
Course Requirements:
Grades for the course will be based on four performance criteria:
- Midterm examination 100 points
- Final examination 100 points
- Term paper 130 points
- Participation 70 points
- Total 400
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Description of Course Requirements:
Participate in classroom discussions: You are expected to come to class prepared to engage in all discussions in a professional and informed manner. Usually this requires two to three hours of additional for every hour of a face-to-face class and approximately ten hours of preparation per week for a DE class.
Write graduate level papers or case studies: You are required to conduct professional-level research, including appropriately citing works of others and avoiding plagiarism. Plan on committing approximately 50 hours over the duration of this course to producing professional level deliverables. Specific requirements for the term paper in the course include:
- Length: about 20 pages
- Topic: research subject selected for its learning value
- Standards: The APA manual
- Voluntary - submit a paragraph describing the topic accompanied by an outline. I will comment within the week.
- Paper due 9 May. Submitted online
Orally/visually present prepared material: You are required to present your research in a professional manner. In a face-to-face course, this typically means an oral presentation accompanied by appropriate visual material. In a DE class, this means creating a visual/textual presentation for your instructor and classmates.
Complete one or more written examination(s): The examination process in this class will assist you in developing the writing and critical thinking skills necessary to successfully passing the comprehensive exam required of all graduate students. The questions used for this course will either be taken directly from past comprehensive exams or written as though to be included on a comprehensive exam. | |
Course Schedule:
Course Schedule: Reading designated as follows:
D = Dye A = Anderson W = web site C = cases
Week #, Session Dates, Reading Assignments
- Jan 25-31 Getting organized, introductions, intro to public policy A-1, D-1,2
- 2 Feb 1-7 A-2,W-www.whitehouse.gov “The President’s Management Agenda
- 3 Feb 8-14 A-3, D-3,12
- Feb 15-21 A-4
- Feb 22-28 D-7,8
- Feb 29-Mar. 6 A-5 W- www.cbo.gov (Analysis of tax reduction proposals)www.omb.gov (Projected revenues, deficits)
- Mar 7-13 Midterm Exam
Term break Mar. 14-27
- Mar 28- Apr 3 D- 4
- Apr 4 - 10 D-5 Web site references on welfare -TBA
- Apr 11-17 D-6 Education policy
- Apr 18-24 A-7 D-14 www.census.gov (demographics)
- Apr 25-May 1 www.dod.gov (Explore strike first doctrine)
- May 2-8 A-8 Wrap up, paper due by midnight May 9
- May 9-15 Final exam due by midnight 16 May
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Academic Policies:
Please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Students with Disabilities
Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center. | |
Faculty Bio:
| Dr. Twitchell earned his BA in History/Government, and his Masters and DPA are in the field of Public Administration. Dr. Twitchell served as a city planner and then as city manger for a total of 15 years. As a consultant to the National Association of Counties he preapared an assessment of the Impact of State Energy Codes on county government. That was followed by a three year stint as the program manager for a federal program where the mission was to develop the impmentation program for a national energy code. Thus, he has more than 20 years experience drafting local, state and national policies and assessing there impact. | |