This course will provide an introduction to key concepts in public policy formation and implementation.  Students will be encouraged to appreciate interdisciplinary aspects of the study of public policy by asking three questions about the effects of government programs:

These are simple questions with sometimes complicated answers.  The first, political question focuses on policy processes and concerns "who gets what, when, and how" from the U.S. political system, especially how they get it and why it works that way.  The second, equity question concerns whether burdens are fairly allocated among various sections of society.  The third, efficiency question concerns whether the costs of a policy are offset by benefits.  Policy analysts need to answer all of them.  Alternative methods of policy analysis will be applied to selected areas of current major policy concern.  The adequacy of these methods will be critically evaluated.

Required texts:  [check out campusbookswap.com for used book price; maybe save money?]

    James E. Anderson, Public Policy Making, 6th ed (2006).
    A. Lee Fritschler& Catherine E. Rudder, Smoking and Politics, 6th ed (2007).
    Political Science Style Guide for Writing Papers (handout).

Recommended (may be useful for research paper; not required for purchase):

    Charles O. Jones, An Introduction to the Study of Public Policy, 3d.ed (1984).
    R. Ripley & G. A. Franklin, Congress, Bureaucracy and Public Policy, 5th ed (1991).

Students will be responsible on exams for all assigned readings, including supplemental materials placed on reserve in Bonney library.

Course Requirements:

There will be a term paper, three short quizzes, a mid-term and a final exam with substantial emphasis on assigned readings.  The lowest quiz grade will be dropped; only two quiz grades will count towards the final grade.  If you miss a quiz, that one will be dropped.

Makeup exams are given only in extraordinary circumstances (rare).  Students should be prepared to discuss the readings on dates assigned.  Class discussion will earn extra credit for otherwise marginal grades.

Grades will be assigned on the basis of total points accumulated  (not on the basis of a curve) as follows:  A = 900 points, B = 800 points, C = 700 points, etc.  Grades of + and - will be issued for those near the boundary between letter grades.

A final grade will be determined as follows:

         2 quizzes                                  200 points (100 points each)
         Mid-term                                 200 points
         Final exam                               200 points
         Term paper reference list         100 points
         Term paper                             300 points
                                                      1000 points = 100% of final grade

At the end of the semester, if you are close to the line between two grades, the instructor reserves the right to exercise his discretion to issue the higher grade, based on class attendance and demonstrated student effort in the course. The instructor never exercises discretion to issue a lower grade. Thus, the instructor is biased in favor of your success, but you must earn the grade. Lobbying will not influence this decision, only performance matters.

A 15-25 page term paper will afford an opportunity for students to do an in-depth investigation of policy formation in an area of their choice, such as health, environmental, or housing policy. Using materials in the public record, students will prepare a "legislative history" of a particular national policy statute which analyzes how a public problem was identified, defined, and represented to Congress; how and what response was formulated to address this problem; how the response was reformulated and legitimated, and what the resulting policy was intended to accomplish. Or you may prepare a critical analysis of implementation experience with a particular policy, which advances recommendations for amending it. See the recommended Jones text above for chapters on each of the underlined terms above.

A printed (not by hand, please) reference list of at least ten references which may be used in the term paper must be submitted to the instructor in correct citation form by March 4, demonstrating sufficient library research has been done to find required materials. Include a sample parenthetical reference (author year, page) for each one. Early use of Interlibrary Loan is recommended.

To earn a passing grade, the paper must be professional in appearance, about 15-25 typewritten pages (double spaced lines) and must utilize at least TEN references not in the assigned readings, in correct citation form at the end of the paper (not at foot of page). This means you must cite at least ten sources, at least once each in the text of your paper, using parenthetical reference form:  (Hamilton 1990, 43). These sources must also appear at the end of the paper in an alphabetized Reference List. See Style Guide for guidance.

Read the previous paragraph again. When you prepare your paper, take it seriously. The instructor is the author of Hamilton's First Law of Laziness:  "Anything worth doing is worth doing well...the first time, so it doesn't have to be done a second time."  Learn it and practice what I preach. I try to. It will serve you well throughout your life.

References to books, journal articles and government documents are always preferred in a research paper over news articles or popular news magazines because they are more scholarly; no more than one-third of the references may be interviews or news articles or Internet web sites. Articles from encyclopedias, Editorial Research Reports or other "digests" are not acceptable. Emphasize learned, scholarly publications--e.g., does it include references?  If not, it's probably not "scholarly."  Knowledge is power:  Scholarship increases credibility of the source, including you as author of your research paper. That produces a more favorable evaluation by the reader.

See the Political Science Style Guide for correct form for references and format for the paper. No other citation form is acceptable; deviations from the Style Guide will cost points off your grade. Pay special attention to Style Guide items 9 and 10. Be meticulous when you write these references. It will make you look smarter than you are, which I've found is preferable than the alternative...

Term paper and reference list assignments will be discussed in class in greater detail. Due dates must be observed. Late papers will receive significantly lower grades (minus one letter grade per day late). Please remember:  The instructor has been teaching for many years, was a student for many years before that, and has either heard or used just about every excuse you can think up. Consider:  If I can schedule doctor's appointments so I don't miss class for them, so can you. Adult students don't need excuses. If reality intrudes, I'll be reasonable. You should be too.

All written assignments must be handed in to the instructor on paper on the date due. Due to lack of reliability of the USM email utility, written assignments will NOT be accepted via email. Handwritten papers are not acceptable. It is expected papers will be free from typographical, grammatical, and spelling errors, consistent with University standards for English composition. Take some pride in your work--it shows. Ask yourself: why are some words here underlined or in bold type? Are they important?

A Note on Civility

Arriving late for class is rude and a distraction for your classmates and the instructor. Likewise for falling asleep or talking in class while someone else is speaking. Likewise if your cell phone rings during class. These behaviors suggest one doesn't care about the class, the instructor, or one's fellow students--not a very clever message. An ounce of courtesy is worth a pound of excuses. Use a little common sense:  It's not very smart to irritate your class mates, or someone who must evaluate your performance for a grade, or might later write a letter of recommendation for your admission to graduate school or for a job. Show respect for others, and they will show respect for you. Remember:  friends don't let friends drive with cell phones...

Class meetings will include a mixture of lecture and discussion. It will be rewarding to keep up with reading assignments.

Academic Support for Students with Disabilities

Students who may need assistance due to a disability are encouraged to contact the instructor and the Office of Academic Support for Students with Disabilities, located in Luther Bonney 242. Phone number:  780-4706; TTY:  780-4395.  Everyone is welcome in this class, and reasonable accommodations will be cheerfully made.

Reading Assignments

Week               Lecture Topic                                         Reading Assignments
Jan 15-17         Introduction: What is public policy?         Read this syllabus!
                        Why study it? What is policy analysis?     Anderson, Ch. 1

Jan 22-24         Policy makers                                         Anderson, Ch. 2
                         Political systems and policy processes.    Political Science Style Guide

Jan 24              FIRST QUIZ:  everything, including Style Guide examples

Jan 29-31         Government as problem solver                  Anderson, Ch. 3

Feb 5-7            Responsive government:  policy adoption  Anderson, Ch. 4

Feb 7               SECOND QUIZ: everything since first quiz.

Feb 12-14       Setting priorities for policy                          Anderson, Ch. 5
                        implementation:  budgeting.

Feb 19-21       WINTER BREAK

Feb 26-28       Policy implementation: who?                      Anderson, Ch. 6
                                                                                        Review Style Guide item #10

Mar 4              REFERENCE LIST DUE (Late papers receive lower grades).
Mar 4-6          The "tobacco subsystem:" who?                 Fritschler, Ch. 1, 2

Mar 11           Policy implementation: advisory                  Fritschler, Ch. 3, 4
                      committees; delegations of authority.

Mar 13           MID-TERM: Everything to date.

Mar 18-20      Policy implementation: administrative           Fritschler, Ch. 5
                       procedures; strategies.

Mar 21           Last day to drop course with automatic W.

Mar 25-27     SPRING BREAK                                       Review Style Guide item #9, 10

Apr 1             TERM PAPERS DUE (Late papers receive lower grades).
Apr 1-3         Congressional oversight?                              Fritschler, Ch. 6

Apr 8-10       Balancing countervailing powers                    Fritschler, Ch. 7

Apr 10           THIRD QUIZ: Everything since the mid-term.

Apr 15-17     Judicial strategies and roles                           Fritschler, Ch. 8

Apr 22-24     Policy entrepreneurs; policy evaluation          Anderson, Ch. 7
                                                                                          Fritschler, Ch. 9

Apr 29-May 1  Feedback loops and policy cycles.             Anderson, Ch. 8
                     Bureaucracies and policy making                   Fritschler, Ch. 10

May 8   Thursday:  FINAL EXAM: everything to date, here, 1:30pm. Note different time!