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What is policy analysis?  What do analysts do?

Topics

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Policy analysis as an extension of rational decision making

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Rational vs. nonrational decision making theories

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Steps in the policy analysis process

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Working for clients

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Working with the public

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Organizing your findings/Producing a professional report

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Ethical issues and value conflicts

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Policy analysis as a profession

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Introduction to the public policy process

  

Readings

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Patton & Sawicki: 1 - 73

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Bardach: 1 - 46, 97 - 102

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Mintrom: 175 - 196, 229 - 256, 324 - 362

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RES #2: Walters, Lawrence C., James Aydelotte, and Jessica Miller. 2000. "Putting More Public in Policy Analysis." Public Administration Review 60 (no. 4): 349 - 359. (Available Online)

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RES #10: Michael Kraft and Scott Furlong. 2004. Public Policy: Politics, Analysis, and Alternatives. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press. pages 101 - 124. 

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RES #12: Michael Kraft and Scott Furlong. 2004. Public Policy: Politics, Analysis, and Alternatives. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Press. pages 3 - 31.

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Handout - What is an expert

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Handout - Put a little science in your life

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Handout - Income & Poverty levels

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Handout - Article on the importance of communicating results effectively with PowerPoint presentations

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Handout - Dueling editorials on health care reform (6/09)

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Handout - Forecasting errors that matter (Bloomberg News 8/25/09)

 

Lecture Notes

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Download as an adobe acrobat file

 

Web Resources

There are a number of think tanks and nongovernmental organizations that hire policy analysts and are both clients for and generators of analysis.  Some notable organizations include:

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Urban Institute

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Heritage Foundation

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Brookings Institution

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American Enterprise Institute

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CATO Institute

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Resources for the Future

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John Locke Foundation

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National League of Cities

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National Association of Counties (NaCo)

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National Governor's Association

 

Books of Possible Interest

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Page last modified 11/17/05

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