778/835-202 - Spring, 2002
Email: phoenixl@uwgb.edu
Office Hours: MTWThF 11-12
or
by appt.
Course Description
This course examines the major aspects and institutions involved in the development of public policy. In addition, the course is a survey of contemporary issues in American public policy such as energy and the environment, education, health care, welfare programs, crime, and the economy. The course will develop your potential to formulate, assess and evaluate public policy. It will also provide you with the knowledge of substantive policy issues being discussed and debated in government today. As such, relevant examples and discussions of the current political and policy environment are encouraged and will constitute part of the class. Students are therefore strongly encouraged to read newspapers and news magazines for information about current issues.
The first part of the semester will address the policy process and the major actors associated with it. The second part will examine substantive policy areas and issues.
Books Required
Web Readings from Public Policy: Politics, Analysis and Alternatives by Furlong and Kraft
Sandra Stencel, editor. Issues for Debate in American Public Policy, Second Edition
Other readings as assigned
Grading
Your
grade will be based on three exams given during the semester and one group
presentation on a current topic of public policy. The dates for the first two exams, as listed on the syllabus, are
approximate and may be changed at the discretion of the instructor. An exam may be made up if the student has a legitimate
reason for missing it at the scheduled time.
Except under extreme emergencies, the student wishing a make-up exam
must call or stop in my office, in advance, to provide the reason for
not taking the exam at the scheduled time.
The student is not guaranteed the opportunity to take a make up
exam. The decision is up to the
professor. The final exam will be given
on Monday, May 20th, 8:00 –
10:00 a.m. No one may take the final exam early.
Each of you will be part of a group of 4-5 students responsible for providing a 10-15 minute presentation on a proposed alternative to a particular public policy problem. The presentation should focus on the viability of the alternative based on the major analytical issues that we will discuss in class (economics, moral/ethical, political, and others). Your presentation should be from the perspective of supporting the alternative (in other words, why is this a good option). The group will hand in a 3-5 page paper on the day of your presentation summarizing your presentation. Each group will also be responsible for critiquing and raising questions of another group’s presentation. The issues and their alternatives are provided at the end of the syllabus.
The weights for each exam and assignment are listed below.
|
First Exam 25% Second Exam 30% Final Exam 35% Presentation 10% |
A = 93% or above A/B = 88-92% B = 82-87% B/C = 78-81% C = 70-77% D = 60 – 69% F = below 60% |
A Public Policy Home Page has been created for you by Dr. Furlong to access. It is not exhaustive, but can provide you with information, points of view, data, that may be useful for you both for the presentation assignment as well as the class. The site is located at http://weba.uwgb.edu/furlongs/pubpol.htm. The Furlong and Kraft web readings are also on this site.
My syllabus looks similar to Dr. Furlong’s, but is slightly different, so do not expect that the exams will be alike, nor that they will be on the same day as his.
Tentative Class Schedule and Readings
|
Class – Week of… |
Topic |
Readings |
|
|
|
|
|
Jan 21 |
What is public policy? Role of Policy Analysis Instruments of Public Policy |
Furlong
and Kraft, Chapter 1, “What is Public Policy?” (draft) – located on the
Furlong’s Public Policy Home Page |
|
Jan 28 |
Why Governments get Involved |
|
|
Feb 4 |
· Structure of Policymaking · Fragmentation · Actors in the Process · Political Institutions: Roles of Congress, Executive, interest groups, etc. ·
Policy Subsystems: What are
they? Impact on policy |
Furlong and Kraft, Chapter 3, “Actors, Institutions,
and Decisionmaking” (draft) – located on the Furlong’s Public Policy Home
Page |
|
Feb 18 |
Stages of the Policy Process |
|
|
Feb 25 |
· Implementation and Regulation · Delegation of Power · Bureaucratic Discretion · Presidential and Congressional Oversight ·
Rulemaking |
|
|
Feb 27, Wed |
Catch up and review for first exam |
|
|
Mar 1, Fri |
FIRST EXAM |
|
|
Mar 4 |
Budgeting |
|
|
Mar 11 |
Economic and Budgetary Policy Surplus Presentations ______ |
Furlong and Kraft, Economics chapter on Furlongs
Public Policy home page. |
|
Mar 25 |
Health Care Policy Health Presentations _______
|
Stencel, Chp. 3
and 4 |
|
Apr 1 Apr
10 |
Social Security & Welfare Social Sec. Presentations____Review on Wednesday |
Stencel, Chp. 7 and 6 |
|
Apr 12 |
SECOND EXAM |
|
|
Apr 15 |
Education Policy Education Presentations____ |
Furlong and Kraft, Chapter 10 – “Education Policy” (draft) located on Furlong’s Public Policy home page Stencel, Chp. 1 and 2 |
|
Apr 9 |
Energy and Environmental Policy Energy Presentations_______Environmental Pres.________ |
Stencel, Chp. 9 and 10 |
|
Wed. Apr 24 |
Crime Policy Crime Presentations_______ |
Stencel, Chp. 11 |
|
May 7 |
Review for Final |
|
|
May 20, Monday |
FINAL EXAM at 8:00 a.m. |
|
Presentation Issues and Alternatives
1. Economic Policy – What should we do with our surplus?
Alternative #1 – Provide an across the board
tax cut
Alternative #2 – Increase government
discretionary program spending
2. Health Care Policy – How do we
improve quality in health care?
Alternative
#1 – Implement a national health insurance program
Alternative #2 – Expand the use of
managed care programs
3. Social Security Policy – How do we make Social Security last?
Alternative #1 – Privatize the
Social Security system
Alternative #2 – Tie Social Security eligibility to need
4. Education Policy – How do we improve our schools?
Alternative #1 – Implement some form
of national school voucher program
Alternative #2 – Implement national standards for student
promotion and
graduation
5. Energy Policy – How do we keep up with our energy needs?
Alternative #1 – Increase the development and use of nuclear power
Alternative #2 – Increase the development and use of renewable energies
6. Environmental Policy – What direction now for the environment?
Alternative
#1 – Government is too invasive; need to promote wise use policies and trust
the general public and private business to do the right thing.
Alternative
#2 – Need to change our philosophies and promote sustainable
development/community type programs
7.
Crime Policy – How do we control violent crime?
Alternative #1 – Expand the use of the death penalty
Alternative #2 – Strengthen gun control
laws
General Education Statement
This course meets the SS-2 general education requirements. As such, the following general education learning outcomes will be addressed in this course. Students who complete this course (along with other general education courses) will:
C Have the ability to communicate effectively through listening, speaking, reading, writing, and the use of computers.
C Have the ability to think critically.
C Have the ability to exercise problem solving skills--such as problem identification and analysis, and solution formulation, implementation, and assessment--using an integrated, interdisciplinary approach.
C Have a fundamental understanding of the Social Sciences.
C Have a fundamental understanding of the causes and effects of stereotyping and racism, and an appreciation of cultural diversity within the United States (partial)