Course Schedule*
Class
Topics
Readings
Assignments
Introductions
Review syllabus & assignments
Assign teams & cases
Policy analysis - Art or science?
Development of the field
Working with clients and the public
Ethical issues and value conflicts
RES #1
6/25
6/26
6/30
Public Policy Process
Public policy process
Role of policy analysts in the policy process
Steps in the policy analysis process
P & S: 1 - 73
L & D:
RES #2
7/1
7/2
7/3
Policy Problems
Problem definition
Agenda setting and policy making
Problem framing & dispute resolution
P & S: 74 - 185
RES #3
Library tour (7/1)
7/7
7/8
7/9
Rationales for Public Policy
What govt does & why it does it?
Public goods vs. private goods
Market failures
Externalities
Monopolies
Information asymmetries
RES #4 & #5
7/10
7/14
Identifying Alternatives
Finding alternatives
Lesson drawing & best practices research
Diffusion of innovations
Policy instruments
P & S: 227 - 256
7/15
7/16
Evaluative Criteria
Efficiency
Equity
Economic, financial, technical, political feasibility
Optimization & constraints
P & S: 186 - 226
RES #6
Presentations & Memos for Case #10 & #14 are Due (7/16)
7/17
Evaluating Alternatives
Finding & analyzing data
Goals, alternatives, outcomes matrices
Sensitivity analysis
Forecasting
Trend extrapolation
Decision trees
P & S: 257 - 361
Presentations & Memos for Case #13 are Due (7/17)
7/21
7/22
Benefit-Cost Analysis
B-C Analysis vs. cost effectiveness analysis
Opportunity costs
Tangible vs. intangible costs Discount rates & time
Valuing inputs & outcomes
Present vs. future value
P & S: 257 - 331
RES #7
Presentations & Memos for Case #12 & #15 are Due (7/21)
7/23
7/24
Present Policy Analysis Projects (7/23 & 24)
Policy Analysis Papers are Due (7/24)
Spots and peer evaluations
7/25
Take Home Final Exam is due at 12:20 PM
RES = Reading is on reserve in the library; P & S = Patton & Sawicki, Basic Methods of Policy Analysis and Planning; L & D = Levitt & Dubner, Freakonomics
*Subject to Change
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