POL S 303 A: Public Policy Formation in the United States

Course Description:

This course provides an overview of the actors and institutions involved in creation and implementation of U.S. federal, state, and local public policy. We will draw on literature and concepts from political science and economics to help explain the incentive structures, constraints, and rules that shape public policy outcomes. Wherever possible, the course will make use of contemporary and relevant policy examples to illustrate key concepts and help students understand the political landscape of American public policy.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the primary actors and institutions involved in the U.S. public policy process
2. Develop capacity to Identify key stakeholders invested in and affected by public policies
3. Practice clearly articulating and framing policy issues in ways that can mobilize action
4. Apply critical thinking skills to evaluate policies aimed at addressing specific problems
5. Gain confidence in creating and communicating policy recommendations

Required Texts:

All required texts are open source (you do not need to purchase anything).

The main texts we will be using are the following:

• Martin, Kimberly, Keith E. Lee Jr., John Powell Hall (2023). Public Policy: Origins, Practice, and Analysis. University of North Georgia Press.
• Gehl, Katherine M., and Michael E. Porter (2017). Why Competition in the Politics Industry is Failing America. Harvard Business School.

Assignments & Grading:

You grade in the course will be based on weekly engagement through discussion posts or reading quizzes as well as a series of small assignments. You’ll receive feedback on each assignment and will ultimately combine these components into the policy brief project.

Grades are used as a tool for assessing both the effort and quality of your work. They are not a reward or punishment and do not represent your capacity or value in any way. The weekly assignments are intended to incentivize active engagement in the course and help you build the skills necessary to produce a policy brief at the end of the course. Grades are used to provide information so that you can make decisions about where and how to improve these skills. With regular active engagement in the course and its material everyone can succeed in this course.