Poli 401 Public Policy SeminarProf. Wilson
Fall 2014West 323
Office Hours: TTH 2:45-3:45; Wed. 12-1375-2415
and by appointmente-mail: wilson
CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME TO SEMINAR
Congrats on making it this far! This should be, we hope, your final hurdle to completing the political science major. I genuinely hope that you will find this course both challenging and rewarding. It could even be fun. Whoops, I didn’t really type that.
With a small group, we have some uncommon flexibility, and I am doing things a little differently. Yes, sometimes old dogs can learn new tricks. We are going to spend some time discussing and doing some things that have not been on my syllabus in the past. I’m removing some assignments (students never really liked them very much), and we will spend some time on…wait for it…your future. I’m also going to make you reflect a little on your RC, or at least your poli sci experiences. One big advantage for you is that the small class size allows you more time to work on your paper.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
There are three primary objectives in this course:
1. Deepen your understanding of the field of public policy and policy analysis.
2. Familiarize you with policies and alternatives in important issue areas.
3. Help you in the production of a major research paper in one specific
policy area.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the conclusion of this course, you will be able to do that following:
- Describe and explain at least one theory of public policy making and analysis
- Describe the importance of the federal budget
- Explain in significant detail policy-making and outcomes in one specific field
COURSE OUTLINE
This course is divided into two sections. First, we will review the field of public policy, including policy analysis and evaluation. We will discuss economic/budgeting policy in some depth. While at least some of this section will be lecture, it is expected that you will be prepared for discussion at each class meeting. It is essential that the readings be completed prior to the class meeting!! You will begin the research for your paper during this time as well.
The remainder of the course will be an in-depth exploration of several specific policy areas. Students will make presentations and lead discussions based on their papers. Attendance is mandatory!You get one unexcused absence. Anything beyond that will result in a two-point deduction from your final average in the course.
There will also be some time devoted to Career Services. We’ll discuss this on the first day of class. It will most likely focus on resume writing, networking, interviewing, etc. Our hope is that this will get you to both think about and prepare for your future. This component will be graded in lenient fashion, assuming you complete it.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Please keep current with the readings. Each of you will lead the class discussion one day (with some help from me). Paper topics are due in class on Sept. 3. An outline and annotated bibliography is due in class on Oct. 1. This will be returned to you prior to Fall break (when all of you will be writing diligently...right??). A first draft of your paper and the final draft will be due at different times. Students will draw for the time their papers are due. This will allow me to return your drafts quickly so that you will have the maximum time to write and revise. Each student will also make a presentation in class. The order of presentations will follow the order of drafts. (First draft due Nov. 5 (two of you) or Nov. 12 (three of you); presentations will be on Nov. 19 and Dec. 3; final drafts due on Dec. 1 or Dec. 10). There is also a 1-2 page reflection paper in which you will explain how the political science courses you have taken to date have helped shape or inform your paper in this course. Finally, each of you will serve as discussant for one other paper. Absence on the day of your presentation or discussant will result in a zero for that component. There will be a 5-point penalty for each day (including weekends) that any assignment is late.
Yes, this is a heavy workload, especially early in the semester. This is Seminar. Do not let yourself fall behind in this course. It is very difficult to catch up, and there will be temptation to cut corners.At best, that will negatively impact your grade; at worst it will become an academic integrity problem.I strongly suggest you begin to work on your paper as early as possible. It can’t be written in a short period of time. If you maintain a steady pace, you will be fine. Honest! No whining will be tolerated!
I know we are doing several different things in here with several smaller graded components. In the past I required students to write summaries of the books, which was, frankly, busy work that was designed to demonstrate that they read the books. I am using the class discussion that you lead and your participation in others classes as a substitute for that this time. Please help me make that a successful substitution!
GRADING COMPONENTS
Outline and bibliography10%
Leading class discussion5%
Poli reflection paper5%
Paper draft20%
Final paper25%
Presentation10%
Paper discussant5%
Career component10%
Class participation10%
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Students are expected to follow the integrity policy detailed in the handbook Academic Integrity at Roanoke College. Additionally, if you are ever uncertain as to how the College’s policy pertains to any assignment in this course, please ask me for clarification. It is not permissible to rely on the help of others in completing any assignment. The bottom line is that all work that a student submits for a grade must be solely the work of that student unless the instructor has given explicit permission for students to work together.Be sure to cite correctly in your papers!!
The Office of Disability Support Services, located in the Goode-Pasfield Center for Learning and Teaching in Fintel Library, provides reasonable accommodations to students with identified disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are provided based on the diagnosed disability and the recommendations of the professional evaluator. In order to be considered for disability services, students must identify themselves to the Office of Disability Support Services. Students requesting accommodations are required to provide specific current documentation of their disabilities. Please contact Rick Robers, M.A., Coordinator of Disability Support Services, at 540-375-2247 or e-mail .
If you are on record with the College's Office of Disability Support Services as having academic or physical needs requiring accommodations, please schedule an appointment with Mr. Robers as soon as possible. You need to discuss your accommodations with him before they can be implemented. Also, please note that arrangements for extended time on exams, testing, and quizzes in a distraction-reduced environment must be made at least one week before every exam.
The Writing Center @ Roanoke College, located on the lower level of Fintel Library, offers tutorials focused on written and oral communication for students working on assignments and projects in any field. Writers at all levels of competence may visit the Writing Center at any point in their process, from brainstorming to drafting to editing, to talk with trained peer tutors in informal, one-on-one sessions. The Writing Center is open Sunday through Thursday from 4 to 9 pm. Simply stop in, or schedule an appointment by going to where our schedule of writing workshops and creative writing playshops is also posted. Questions? Email or call 375-4949. Like our Facebook page for updates!
GRADING SCALE
A93 or higherC73-76.9
A-90-92.9C-70-72.9
B+87-89.9D+67-69.9
B83-86.9D63-66.9
B-80-82.9D-60-62.9
C+77-79.9F59.9 or lower
OUTLINE AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Your outline should be 1-2 pages long. I need enough information so I can follow your line of thinking and see where you are going and how you will get there. I don’t need to know every step you will take along the way, but I need to be able to see the direction of the path.
An annotated bibliography is a bibliography of each source you use, helpful or not, and a brief description of that source (major ideas, relevance, etc.). You must use a variety of sources. Suggestions include books, academic journals, news media, political journals, government documents, interest group sources, etc. They must NOT be all online sources. Libraries are still useful sources of material. At least five of your sources must be books and five must be from scholarly publications (many are available online).
Your outline must also include a one-page summary of the methods you will use.
Remember, this is a policy analysis paper. It is not just a review of popular literature on the topic. There is no “magic number” of sources, but your paper should not rely too heavily on just a couple of sources.
SEMINAR PAPERS
The paper's body must be 30-35 pages, typed (doublespaced) pages in length, and also include a title page, table of contents, works cited, and abstract (about 200 words). Margins should be one inch on all sides, and you should use a 12-point font. The goal of each project is to demonstrate understanding of the dynamics of the American public policymaking process by providing a policy analysis of a specific issue. You will be required to complete some type of original analysis and include tables, charts, graphs, etc. to demonstrate the results of your research.
Each analysis should address, therefore, the following questions: What is the scope and nature of the issue being examined? Why is government action or intervention seen as necessary to resolve this issue? Which actors (governmental and nongovernmental) are involved and why? What interests are at stake and what goals are to be accomplished? How are these interests articulated? What policy options are available? How would these decisions be implemented and evaluated? What is the likely effect of these decisions and actions? What are the most likely costs, both direct and indirect of the options? What is your policy recommendation(s) and why have you chosen it/them?
Students should consult with the instructor during all stages of the preparation of the seminar paper. Research notes, outline, and all drafts must be submitted with the completed paper. The format of the paper, textnotes, and works cited should conform to those found in the Scott and Garrison text.
Your first draft should NOT be considered a rough draft. Ideally, it should also be your final draft. The better it is, the better your grade on that component and the fewer revisions/additions will be necessary. I have had drafts that have received an “A” and have required very few revisions. Copies of the outline and first draft may be made available for review by other seminar participants. You must provide a copy of your draft to the discussant at the same time you submit it to me.
PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSION
The purpose of the project presentation is to both inform the other seminar participants of the specific findings of your own research and to educate them as to the general dynamics of the policy process relevant to the issue you have investigated. Presentations will not consist of the reading of formal papers. Rather, you will be expected to present your analysis and conclusions orally, logically, and concisely. Presentations must incorporate the use of PowerPoint applications. This is intended not only to enhance the quality of the presentation, but also to assist in the development of skills that should be of value to prospective employers. A training session on the use of power point technology is incorporated into the seminar.
The goal of the discussants is to examine the content of presentations. They should criticize the research technically, substantively, and practically. They should explore further ramifications and implications of the issue being presented.
TEXTS:
John Kingdon, Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies, 2nd ed.
Lewis and Hildreth, Budgeting: Politics and Power, 2nd. ed.
Scott and Garrison, The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual, 6th ed.
CLASS SCHEDULE:
Aug. 27 Introduction; Researching and writing your paper
Public Policymaking
Sept. 3 The Players in the Policy Game
Kingdon, Ch. 1-3
Paper topic due
Sept. 10 The Policy-Making Process I
Kingdon, Ch. 4-6
Sept. 17 The Policy-Making Process II
Kingdon, Ch. 7-10
Careers, Grad school, etc.
Sept. 24 Career services workshop
Poli reflection paper due
Oct. 1 Career services workshop
Outline, bibliography, methods due
The Politics of Budgeting and Deficits
Oct. 8 Introduction to Budgeting; Decision Inputs
Lewis, Introduction, Ch. 1-3
Oct. 22 Budgeting Choices, Taxes and Spending
Lewis, Ch. 4-7
Oct. 29 Individual appointments with Wilson
Nov. 5 Making Sense of a Budget
Lewis, Ch. 8-10
Mock interviews, resumes, etc.
Nov. 12 In-class interviews/sharing
Policy Papers and Presentations
Nov. 19 and Dec. 3
Paper Presentations