Political Science 2223: Making Public Policy
Fall 2012
Professor Deven Carlson
219 Dale Hall Tower
decarlson@ou.edu
405-325-8893
Tuesdays 3:00-5:50
251 Nielson Hall
Office Hours: 12-1pm Tues. & Th.
Other times by appointment
Course Description:
This course provides an introduction to the important components, relevant concepts, and
dominant theories of the policymaking process in the United States. The course will focus
primarily on the federal level, but policymaking at the state and local levels will also be
discussed when appropriate.
Along with promoting a theoretical and conceptual understanding of the policymaking process,
the course will require students to apply the theories and concepts to specific policy domains,
such as education, health care, and tax policy. These applications will promote critical thinking
skills as well as a deeper understanding of the relevant theories and concepts.
The format of the course will be a combination of lecture and discussion. In each class I will
begin by introducing the relevant concepts and theories and then we will discuss their important
features and consider interesting applications. Consequently, students are expected to come to
class having completed all readings listed on the syllabus for the relevant date and be ready to
contribute to a class discussion.
Course Requirements and Basis of Course Grading:
Attendance, Participation, and Policy Briefing-15%
Students are expected to attend class meetings, participate in class discussions, and turn in
assignments on time. Attendance and participation comprise 10% of the total course grade. In
addition, beginning with the class on September 25 I will randomly select a few students each
class period to give a 5-7 minute briefing on the topic of their policy paper (described in greater
detail below). These briefings should consist of a brief description of the topic, identification of
the relevant actors and their views on the issue, and a brief summary of the current status or stage
of the issue. You may have to answer a few questions after the briefing. Presentations will be
graded on accuracy, style, and students’ ability to relate their topic to the concepts covered in
class. The grade on the policy briefing is worth 5% of the total course grade.
The policy briefing is intended to simulate a scenario routinely faced in professional settings.
When working on a major long-term project, workers are often called upon to provide an oral
status report of the project with little notice. It is important to be able to provide such a report in
a clear, concise manner and answer questions about the topic.
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Library Skills-5%
Due to its status as a gateway class, this course is required to have a library skills component.
Along with reading a couple articles, you will be required to complete a tutorial and complete a
quiz based on that tutorial. Your grade on the tutorial-based quiz will be worth 5% of your total
course grade. If you have taken the tutorial/quiz previously, then you are excused from this
assignment and I will use your previous quiz grade as the grade for the assignment. If you are
not satisfied with your previous quiz grade, then you are free to retake it and I will use your new
quiz grade.
Midterm exam-25%
This exam will assess students’ mastery of the concepts and theories relevant to the
policymaking process that have been covered in class prior to the exam date.
Policy Paper and Related Assignments-30%
By the third class meeting of the semester (September 4), everyone will have selected the topic
of the policy paper that you will work on throughout the semester and will have sent that topic to
me via email for approval. The topic must be submitted in the form of a question that can be
answered Yes or No (e.g. Should a teacher’s pay be affected by the test scores of his or her
students?). Students should select a topic in a policy area in which they are interested. The topic
can be at the federal, state, or local level, but topics are constrained to issues within the United
States.
The final paper will end up being 12-15 pages in length, but three major components of the paper
will be submitted as separate assignments throughout the semester. Each of these separate
assignments will be worth 5% of the total course grade and the final paper will be worth an
additional 15%. Together, the assignments related to the policy paper are worth the 30% of the
total course grade listed above.
Assignment 1- Policy introduction
Due as a hard copy in class on September 18, this 2-3 page assignment will provide an
introduction to the policy topic you have selected. The assignment should provide a clear
statement of the issue being examined and a description of why the issue is important. The
description of the issue’s importance can take a variety of forms, but it should include a
description of societal problem(s) to which the policy may be relevant.
Assignment 2- Policy Background and Context
Due as a hard copy in class on October 9, this 3-5 page assignment will provide background and
context on the policy issue. Specifically, it should provide a brief history of the policy topic,
identify important groups and actors in the policy debate, and describe the policy positions of
these groups and actors. Completion of this assignment will require the citation of academic and
professional sources. These citations should be in APA style. Visit the OU Writing Center or
look online if you need to learn the format of APA style citations. There is no formal rule on the
number of sources you must cite, but you should consult enough sources to ensure that the
assignment is well done. Practically, at a very minimum this means you should probably
consult at least 5 sources.
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Assignment 3- Analysis of Policy Issue
Due as a hard copy in class on November 6, this 5-7 page assignment will provide an analysis of
your policy issue. This assignment will describe each side of the policy issue and provide an
analysis of that issue; it should present the arguments in support of and in opposition to that
issue. This assignment is not designed as a forum for you to present your opinions on the topic.
Rather, it is designed as an exercise that allows you to demonstrate your analytical and research
skills.
Final Paper
Due as a hard copy in class on November 27, the final paper should introduce the policy topic,
provide background and context on that topic, and provide an analysis of that topic. That is, it
should consist of the components of the three assignments that have been turned in previously.
However, the paper should not simply consist of the three assignments copied and pasted
together. Rather, as you assemble the paper, you should revise the assignments in response to
my comments on them. In addition, you need to make sure that the paper smoothly transitions
from one section to another and that it contains a proper introduction and conclusion. In short,
the paper needs to have all the components of a high-quality research paper.
Style and Formatting Guidelines
All assignments should:
• Be typed with double-spacing;
• Have one-inch margins on all sides;
• Contain page numbers on each page; and
• Use reasonable fonts and font sizes.
Final exam-25%
This exam will assess students’ mastery of all the concepts and theories relevant to the
policymaking process that we covered in the course. The exam will also assess students’ ability
to apply the theories and concepts to specific policy areas.
Text and Readings:
Required Texts
Thomas A. Birkland. 2011. Policy Analysis: Concepts and Practice, 3rd Edition. Armonk, NY:
M.E. Sharpe.
Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and Alan S. Murray. 1988. Showdown at Gucci Gulch: Lawmakers,
Lobbyists, and the Unlikely Triumph of Tax Reform. New York, NY: Random House.
Additional Readings
Other readings on the syllabus will be available electronically at Desire2Learn.
Students are expected to come to class having completed all readings listed for that date.
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Relevant University Policies:
Reasonable Accommodations
The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all
students with disabilities. Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him
or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact the instructor personally as
soon as possible to discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate
your educational opportunities. Students with disabilities must be registered with the Office of
Disability Services prior to receiving accommodations in this course. The Office of Disability
Services is located in Goddard Health Center, Suite 166, phone 405-325-3852 or TDD only 405325-4173.
Religious Holiday Policy
It is the policy of the University of Oklahoma to excuse absences of students that result from
religious observances and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations and
additional required class work that may fall on religious holidays. Please see the instructor
immediately if you will need to miss class any time during this semester.
Academic Misconduct
See http://integrity.ou.edu/ for information on student rights and responsibilities with regards to
academic misconduct.
Tentative Schedule:
Week 1 (August 21)- Course Introduction: Why Public Policy?
Readings:
Birkland, Chapter 1
Week 2 (August 28)- Elements of the Policymaking System
Readings:
Birkland, Chapter 2
Week 3 (September 4)- The Context of Policymaking
Readings:
Birkland, Chapter 3
Stone, Chapter 1 (D2L)
Policy topics due via email prior to class
Week 4 (September 11)- Actors in the Policymaking Process
Readings:
Birkland, Chapters 4-5
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Week 5 (September 18)- Agenda Setting & Problems
Readings:
Birkland, Chapter 6
Kingdon, Chapters 1 & 5 (D2L)
Assignment 1 Due- (Policy Introduction). Bring hard copy to class
Week 6 (September 25)- Policies and Policy Types & Library Skills
Readings:
Birkland, Chapter 7
Library skills readings, tutorial, & quiz must be completed prior to
the beginning of class
Week 7 (October 2)- Policy Design and Policy Decisions
Readings:
Birkland, Chapter 8
Stone, Chapter 11 (D2L)
Week 8 (October 9)- Policy Implementation
Readings:
Birkland, Chapter 9
Assignment 2 Due- (Policy Background & Context). Bring hard copy
to class
Week 9 (October 16)- Midterm Exam
Readings:
None
Midterm Exam in class
Week 10 (October 23)- Education Policy: School Accountability
Readings:
Eric A. Hanushek and Richard Rothstein. 2005. Should the Federal
Government Be Involved in School Accountability? Journal of Policy
Analysis and Management 24(1): 167-178. (D2L)
Week 11 (October 30)- Health Care Policy: The Affordable Care Act
Readings:
Douglas Holtz-Eakin and Jonathan Gruber. 2011. What Can
Massachusetts Teach Us About National Health Insurance Reform?
Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 30(1): 177-195. (D2L)
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Week 12 (November 6- VOTE!)- Tax Policy & Illustration of Policymaking
Readings:
Birnbaum & Murray, Chapters 1-4
Assignment 3 Due-(Analysis of Policy Issue). Bring hard copy to class
Week 13 (November 13)- Tax Policy & Illustration of Policymaking
Readings:
Birnbaum & Murray, Chapters 5-9
Week 14 (November 20)- Tax Policy & Illustration of Policymaking
Readings:
Birnbaum & Murray, Chapters 10-11
Week 15 (November 27)- Course Review and Final Paper Due
Readings:
None
Final Paper Due- Bring hard copy to class
Final Exam- Tuesday, December 4 at 3pm in 251 Nielson Hall
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