This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of public policy. They will be familiarized with the purpose of public policymaking, the nature of the policy process, the positivist and post-positivist approaches to policy analysis, policy implementation, and evaluation. Students will be trained to apply the theoretical knowledge learned in class to the analysis of contemporary policy debates in the United States and beyond.After taking this course, students should be able to critically think about the implications of important policy decisions. They should also be able to compare and adjudicate among different policy outcomes. The final grade for this course will be determined by the frequency of class attendance and participation, critical reaction papers, and two exams (midterm and final). This course will be appealing to any student interested in how common people are affected by governmental decisions, and how common people can affect those decisions, in turn.
Frequency
Fall