Download my Spring 2024 Syllabus

Course Description

What is more important, clean water or jobs? Should a policy maximize effectiveness or efficiency? Is is possible to balance these things? How do we systematically analyze and solve problems? This course examines the struggle over competing values and ideas during the policy making process. It explores how the selection and definition of policy goals (i.e., equity, efficiency, welfare, liberty, and security), problem definitions, and solutions shape our evaluation of public policy. Furthermore, the course will help students build skills in policy research and the writing skills required of policy analysts. Finally, students will work in teams to conduct policy research on pressing problems facing Harrisburg and Pennsylvania. Given that this is a W course, writing is a major aspect of student assessment.

Course Schedule

Week 1: Introduction

• January 9: Introduction to the class and each other (Slides)
• January 11: What is Public Policy? (Slides)
  • Birkland Chapter 1
  • What is Public Policy paragraph due
• January 13: Regular Drop Deadline

Week 2: The Policymaking System

• January 16: Learn About PA-104
  • No In-class session
  • Complete assignment on the District on Canvas
• January 18: The Policy Process as a System (Slides)
  • Birkland Chapter 2

Week 3: Structure and History of Policymaking

• January 23: Structure and History (Slides)
  • Birkland Chapter 3
    
  • Systems Theory Homework Due
• January 25: Structure and History
  • Birkland Chapter 3

Week 4: Policy Analysis

• January 30: Policy Analysis in Principle (Slides)
  • Bardach and Patashnik Chapter 1 (See Canvas)
  • Erdman, Jeremy. 2018. “An 8-Step Process to Making Well-Informed Decisions and Opinions.” Post Grad Survival Guide. February 27.
    
• February 1: Policy Analysis in Practice
  • Meet in teams in class
    

Week 5: Policy Writing

• February 6: Policy Writing (Slides)
  • Smith Chapter 4 (See Canvas)
  • Writing the Executive Summary
  • Complete and upload the certificate for the Penn State Academic Integrity training
• February 8: Team Meeting Day
  • We’ll meet in teams in class
  • Project Questions Due

Week 6: Research Week

• February 13: Snow Day
• February 15: Representative Madsen Visit

Week 7: Official and Unofficial Actors

• February 20: Librarian Presentation
  • Library Resources Page
• February 22: Official and Unofficial Actors (Slides)
  
  • Birkland Chapter 5
    
  • Annotated Bibliography Due

Week 8: Agenda Setting and Social Construction

• February 27: News Literacy Guest Speaker – Dr. Melissa Tully
  
  • Tully, Melissa, Dani Madrid-Morales, Herman Wasserman, Gregory Gondwe, and Kioko Ireri. (2022). “Who is Responsible for Stopping the Spread of Misinformation? Examining Audience Perceptions of Responsibilities and Responses in Six Sub-Saharan African Countries.” Digital Journalism 10(5): 679-697.
• February 29: Agenda Setting (Slides)
  • Birkland Chapter 6
  • Chapter Outline Due

Week 9: Spring Break

• March 5 and 7
  • No class

Week 10: Research Week

• March 12: Social Construction (Slides)
  
  • Birkland Chapter 6
    
  • Agenda Setting Assignment Due
• March 14: Work on Rough Draft in Teams
  • I will be in the classroom to answer questions
    
  • Social Construction Assignment Due

Week 11: Policy Types

• March 19: Policy Types (Slides)
  • Birkland Chapter 7
  • First Rough Draft Due
• March 21: Policy Types
  • Birkland Chapter 7

Week 12: Policy Design and Tools

• March 26: Design and Tools (Slides)
  • Birkland Chapter 9
• March 28: Team Workday
  • Work on your second rough draft. I will be in the classroom to answer questions.
    
  • Peer Review Due

Week 13: Implementation, Failure, and Learning

• April 2: Implementation (Slides)
  • Birkland Chapter 10
• April 4: Guest Speaker
  • Second Rough Draft Due

Week 14: Science and Theory

• April 9: Policy Failure and Learning (Slides)
  • Birkland Chapter 10
  • Public goods assignment due
• April 11: Policy Science and the Profession (Slides)
  • Birkland Chapter 11
  • Education for Public Service
  • Professional Masters
  • PhD

Week 15: Presenting Policy

• April 16: Presenting Policy (Slides)
  • Smith Chapter 9 (See Canvas)
    
• April 18: Briefing Day
  
  • Prepare a 10-15 minute presentation for Representative Madsen

Week 16: Research Week

• April 23: Work on Final Copy in Teams
  • I will be stop in the class to answer questions
    
  • Executive Summary Due
• April 25: Work on Final Copy in Teams
  • I will stop in the class to answer questions
    

Week 17: Finals Week

• April 30: Final Team Chapter, Reflection Essay, and Peer Evaluation Due