Public Policy Syllabus

The syllabus is designed for an introductory course that focuses on the basics of public policy. The course is composed of three modules. In Module I, The Study of Public Policy, the basics of public policy and the key actors and institutions involved in the policymaking process are introduced and discussed. In Module II, Public Policy Analysis, students are introduced to theories concerning the process through which policy is developed, implemented, and changed, a framework for analyzing and assessing public policy decision-making, and the tools that are used to address policy problems. In Module III, Substantive Areas of Public Policy, students will receive a broad overview of six policy areas: economy and budget, healthcare, welfare and social security, and environmental policy. For each area we will discuss: 1) the rationale for government intervention; 2) how problems have been defined and measured; 3) key participants and stakeholders inside and outside government; 4) major policy developments; and 5) significant impediments to policy change. In exploring each area, we will consider the extent to which each exhibit theories of the policy process in action, and illustrate the process of policy analysis