Dr. Christopher Malone Director, Pforzheimer Honors College NYC Campus Associate Professor, Department of Political Science 212-346-1146 cmalone@pace.edu |
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Dyson College of Arts and Sciences Social Sciences Department
POL 222
Public policy may be defined as the study of government decisions and actions designed to deal with any matter of public concern. These decisions and actions are, of course, political in nature and reflect both the ideals and interests of the political actors engaged in the decision-making process. Yet, they are also a reflection of the larger polity, since in any democracy the choices of political actors are constrained by the constituencies that place them in office. To study public policy, then, is to study 1) the process by which issues get placed on the political agenda, 2) how policies are implemented and carried out, and 3) what impact they have on society. This course will examine various aspects of the field of public policy and will be broken down roughly in to two parts. The first part of the course will cover the basic concepts and methods of the policy process - how issues come in to being, how political actors make decisions based on a given set of ideas and interests, how policies are crafted and implemented, and what affect they have on the larger society. The second part of the course will be spent looking in depth at a set of contemporary issues in public policy. By the end of the semester, it is my ultimate hope that students will have an appreciation of what it means not only to think POLITICALLY, but also CONCEPTUALLLY and METHODOLOGICALLY about public policy. Course Requirements. Students will be asked to take one mid-term and one final exam. Each of these exams will consist of essay questions. In addition, students will be asked to write one term paper on a public policy issue and make a presentation on it in class at the end of the semester. Beyond this, dutiful attendance, careful preparation, and a willingness to participate in class are mandatory. Grading. The midterm and final exam will count for 50% of your grade (25% each). The term paper will count for 25%, and the class presentation 15%. Attendance and class participation will account for roughly 10% of the final grade. No student will receive a passing grade for this course that does not complete all assignments. I encourage you to work with one another and with me to further your understanding, but you must acknowledge all assistance you receive. Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and will be treated as such. Texts. The following texts have been ordered and can be found at the Pace University Bookstore.
Charles Cochran and Eloise Malone, Public Policy: Perspectives
and Choices, second edition (New York: McGraw Hill, 1999).
Below
is a list of lecture and topics for each class meeting, and the
required reading for each section of the course. Students should
complete the readings before coming to class.
January 31: Concepts and Methods in the Study of Public Policy
February 7: Rationality and Ideology in Public Policy
February 14: Economics and Inequality in Public Policy
February 21: Education and Health Care in the United States
February 28: MIDTERM March
7: Affirmative Action
MARCH 11-17: SPRING BREAK
March 21: Affirmative Action (cont'd)
March
28: Affirmative Action (cont'd)
April
4: Welfare
April
11: Welfare (cont'd)
April
18: Immigration
April
25: Class presentations
Final Exam: May 2nd |
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