PUBLIC POLICY FORMATION (790:305:01) FALL 2014
M/W 2:15 – 3:35 Art History 200 John Glascock, Instructor
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Office Hours: 404 Hickman Hall M 3:45 – 4:15/ W 1:30 – 2:00
The study of what we call public policy grew in the mid – to late 20th century into a formal subfield within the discipline of political science. It focuses on the behavior of various government institutions, and how those institutions interact among themselves and the broader political environment to produce laws and other manifestations of public policy
Thus, the institutions and processes created in the Constitution of the United States are at the core of the study of public policy, but an understanding of how governmental institutions are influenced by the contemporary political environ-
ment is also crucial to understanding. An impressive body of work has evolved which attempts to explain not only how policy is created, but also why or why not, and to what effect. Much to the consternation of many in the current period, government’s purview seems virtually limitless, as policy deals with every aspect of American life, and indeed, all of your courses of study at Rutgers. The textbook for the course addresses both of these aspects of the study of public policy. We will learn some analytical concepts and tools, and will do a quick overview of the substance of major areas of public policy. It is my hope that at the end of the semester, you will have some appreciation for the policy consequences of constitutional design, and some understanding of how institutional behavior has changed over time.
One other aspect of the course requires some comment. The essence of the study of public policy emerged during a period in our nation’s history when there was a broad consensus as to what government should undertake as policy and how it should relate to the society. Extreme policy disagreement tended to be at the very periphery of this broad consensus. In recent decades, and particularly since 2009, that broad consensus has largely evaporated in our governing institutions. It has been displaced by politics of antagonism, hostility, and on the part of some, a deep distrust of the federal government. Because of this, many of the general principles of public policy formation are often strained in their application to the contemporary political environment. We will also examine these tensions in class, and I hope in your questions and observations about contemporary politics and policy.
Lectures will frequently go beyond the assigned reading, and you will be responsible for that content on exams. Formal attendance is not taken, but I do get a good impression of patterns attendance; quite consistently, those with poor attendance records do poorly with their grades. This class serves a diverse group of students; some are new to American government and political science, others are majors with considerable back round in the subject. The course can serve everyone’s needs if you read, attend, and ask questions and offer opinions. I urge you to be active in class; it will greatly heighten your experience. Being active in class also means that you are expected to become abreast of current news about government and politics, particularly as it pertains to public policy choices. I very much hope you will bring to class for discussion relevant items from those pursuits.
REQUIRED READING:
PUBLIC POLICY: CONTINUITY & CHANGE, 2nd edition. C. Wilson, auth.
ECONOMICS, POLITICS, and PUBLIC POLICY, 2nd.ed. Gosling & Eisner, auths.
CLASS REQUIREMENTS:
Midterm30%
Paper 35% (Due near end of semester; to be discussed in class)
Final Exam35%
SEMESTER SCHEDULE:
WEEK OF:
September 3Course Introduction
Read the introduction in Wilson
September 8Read chs. 1 & 2, Wilson
September 15Read ch. 3, Wilson
September22Begin ch. 4, Wilson
September 29Finish ch. 4 of Wilson
October 6Begin reading Part II of Wilson, Redistributive Policy
October 13Finish reading Part II
October 20Read Part III of Wilson, Protective and Competetive
Regulatory policy
OCTOBER 22MIDTERM EXAM ON PARTS I & II OF WILSON
October 27Read Part IV of Wilson, Morality Policy
November 3Begin Part V of Wilson, Distributive Policy
November 4ELECTION DAY
November 10Finish Part V of Wilson
November 17Read chapters 1 – 4 of Gosling & Eisner
November 24Read chapters 5 – 7 of Gosling & Eisner
November 26NO CLASS - Friday classes scheduled
December 1 Read chapters 8 – 10 0f Gosling & Eisner
December 8Finish reading
December 10Last Class, Final Remarks
DECEMBER 12PAPERS DUE INPOLITICAL SCIENCE MAIL ROOM
Due by 3:00pm5th floor, Hickman Hall
LATE PAPERS WILL BE PENALIZED
FINAL EXAMDECEMBER 178am – 11am