Messing-Mathie Course Syllabus p. 1 SCHOOL OF PUBLIC SERVICE International by Design Course Details Course Number & Title: Term: Course Date and Time: Instructors: Office Hours: Office Location: E-mail: MPS 542 Policy Design and Analysis Winter 2013 Monday 5:45-9:00 Andrea Messing-Mathie, Ph.D. Monday and Tuesday, 3:00-5:00 pm. I am also available by appointment as needed. 1618, 14 E. Jackson amessing@depaul.edu Course Description This course is designed to introduce students to the study of public policy and to provide students with experience in policy analysis and evaluation. Students are introduced to an analytical way of thinking that includes: defining and modeling policy problems, designing policy alternatives, evaluating policy alternatives using ethical, legal, economic, organizational and political criteria, and anticipating problems of policy implementation. Course Objectives By the completion of the course, you should be able to accomplish the following tasks with a degree of confidence, which matches your mastery of the materials covered during the term: 1) 2) 3) 4) Define and understand public policy and its development: Define, model, and analyze problems; Design or modify policy alternatives; Evaluate trade-offs among policy alternatives using a variety of criteria including economic, political, ethical; and 5) Communicate the analysis in a form which is understandable and useful to others. Course Reading Material Required Reading: Articles on the syllabus are considered required reading. There are 3 required texts. Weimer, D.L. and A.R. Vining. (2011). Policy Analysis: Concepts and Practice 5th Edition. Prentice-Hall. School of Public Service DePaul University, Chicago Syllabus MPS 542 Messing-Mathie Course Syllabus p. 2 Stone, Deborah. 2011. The Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision-Making. W.W. Norton. Bardach, E. (2009). A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: CQ Press. Other assigned readings will be available on the course D2L site or in our Course Reserves. Requirements Note: I reserve the right to alter this syllabus, particularly the reading assignments, after consulting with students. This graduate course is not a lecture based course; rather, it is a hands-on course where participation in and outside the classroom will determine your grade. Assignments must be completed and submitted on time to avoid a ½ letter grade penalty for each day it remains late. Class Participation (15%) (300 points): This course is designed as a workshop and inclass participation is crucial. Come prepared to contribute to class discussion by carefully reading the assignments and providing thoughtful feedback on the work of other students. Each student will be assigned specific readings from the syllabus in which they are required to submit 5 critical questions/comments that address or identify a strength, weakness, contradiction, or need for clarification in the reading. These questions should be submitted by 5:00 of the day the student is assigned. Because this class meets only once a week, missing class or part of a class can ultimately affect your final grade. Discussion Papers: (2 @ 10% each) (400 points): On weeks #3 and #8 and students are required to write a 1-2 page (single-spaced) response to a provided topic. It is expected that your response integrate course readings, external research and professional experience-if pertinent. In addition to submitting your paper for grade, students will be asked to provide a short presentation to the class (5-8 minutes) which highlights the points in your paper. The schedule for these presentations will be decided upon in the first week of class. Detailed instructions will be discussed early in the quarter and provided in written form on D2L. Case Studies (15%) (300 points): Two cases from the Kennedy School of Government will be examined. Prior to the class meeting, each student will do some library research and write up a brief literature review (2 pages, single-spaced, with at least 5 citations), summarizing the scope, causes, and potential solutions to the policy problem being addressed. Each student will present their findings and recommendations in class as part of a group project on the particular case. Public Policy Analysis Group Project (50%) (1000 points): This is a five-part project (two project memos (20% of grade); one final report (20% of grade); one group presentation, a peer evaluation and group reaction memo (10% of School of Public Service DePaul University, Chicago Syllabus MPS 542 Messing-Mathie Course Syllabus p. 3 grade). A variety of tools and concepts will be presented in this course with the intention of having you develop necessary skills in the area of policy analysis. This assignment is designed to demonstrate this particular skill development by requiring you to work with other student “analysts” to develop proposed policy solutions to problems affecting a specific constituency. Topic choices and detailed project instructions will be discussed early in the quarter and provided in written form on D2L. Instructor Policies Guidelines: Additional content and style guidelines for specific assignments are available on D2L. I will also review and expand on these guidelines in class. Please ask for clarification of instructions you do not understand. Written Work: To help students meet graduate-level and SPS standards, we pay morethan-usual attention to writing as an academic and managerial skill. We judge papers on the understanding they reflect as well as on their organization, clarity and use of language. We value clarity and an economy of words. If you need help on this matter, please ask for it. We also recommend an old standard, Strunk and White, Elements of Style available online: http://www.bartelby.net/141/ . I strongly encourage students to consider seeking help from the DePaul University Writing Centers (available in person at Loop and Lincoln Park Campuses and at http://140.192.1.66/~writing/). I will recommend you do so if I notice that you are struggling with a) basic grammatical structure and organization b) inadequate use of sources or c) a tendency to produce descriptive rather than analytical content. The writing assignments for this course, with the exception of your final paper or project, require a more professional and less academic style of writing than you may be familiar with. I have included a list of writing resources in the D2L site, under External Links. Grading Criteria Written assignments are to be turned in on the due date. Assignments must be completed and submitted on time to avoid a ½ letter grade penalty for each day it remains late. Papers will be graded on the following criteria: clarity of purpose and focus, understanding of content, quality of writing (including structure and organizations), analytical development of ideas, critical analysis and use of appropriate conventions. Public Services has adopted the Turabian Styles (6th edition). Other styles (MLA, APA, etc.) could be accepted as long as they are used consistently. The grading scale for the course is as follows: Grading Scale A 94-100 A90-93 B+ 87-89 B 84-86 BC+ C CD+ 80-83 77-79 74-76 70-73 67-69 D DF 64-66 60-63 Below 60 Academic Integrity: School of Public Service DePaul University, Chicago Syllabus MPS 542 Messing-Mathie Course Syllabus p. 4 Students in this course, as well as in all courses in which independent research and writing play a vital part in the requirements, should be aware of the strong sanctions against plagiarism as stated in the DePaul University’s Code of Student Responsibility (http://studentaffairs.depaul.edu/handbook). The instructor may check your papers with Turn-It-In: Plagiarism Detection Software. If proven, a charge of plagiarism could result in an automatic “F” in the course and possible expulsion from the program. If you have any questions or doubts about what counts as plagiarism or how to properly acknowledge source materials, please consult with the instructor and/or the DePaul writing center. Universal Design for Learning SPS is committed to helping students achieve to their full potential by removing barriers to learning and making reasonable accommodation when appropriate. Please help us by identifying barriers and suggesting ways we can diminish or remove them.Students with special learning needs or who are in circumstances which necessitate special consideration, must contact the instructor at the beginning of the course or earlier. Students with a documented disability who wish to discuss academic accommodations should contact the instructor as soon as possible and immediately contact the DePaul University’s Office of Students with Disability at http://studentaffairs.depaul.edu/studentswithdisabilities/ Course Outline Week 1: Monday, January 7 Introduction to the course and review of requirements and assignments Introduction to Public Policy Required Reading: (Please read before the 1st class) Weimer and Vining. 2002. “Introducing Policy Analysis Craft: The Sheltered Workshop,” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management. [Course Reserves] Romero, Francine Sanders. 2001. “The Policy Analysis Course: Toward a Discipline of Consensus,” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 20 (4): 771-779. [Course Reserves] Williams, David G., Max O. Stephenson Jr. and David J. Webber. 1991. “Teaching the Missing Pieces of Policy Analysis,” PS: Political Science and Politics 24 (2): 218-220. [Course Reserves] Week 2: Monday, January 14 Problem Definition The Eightfold Path for Policy Analysis Required Reading: Bardach, Introduction, Part I, Appendix A Weimer and Vining, Chapters 1, 2 and 3 School of Public Service DePaul University, Chicago Syllabus MPS 542 Messing-Mathie Course Syllabus p. 5 Week 3: Monday, January 21 Policy Objectives and Criteria Conceptual Foundations for Problem Analysis Required Reading: Bardach, Part II Weimer and Vining, Part II Assignment Due: Discussion Paper #1 due Week 4: Monday, January 28 Case Study #1, “Sound Move: The Debate over Seattle’s Regional Transit System.” Required Reading: “Sound Move: The Debate over Seattle’s Regional Transit System.” [Course Reserves] Suggested Reading: Button, Kenneth. 2006. “Transportation and Infrastructure,” in Peters, B. Guy and Jon Pierre (eds.). 2006. Handbook of Public Policy, Sage Publications: London. Pgs.323-338. Assignment Due: Brief Literature Review due Week 5: Monday, February 4 Policy Options Conceptual Foundations for Solution Analysis Required Reading: Bardach, Part III and Appendix B Weimer and Vining, Part III Assignment Due: Project Memo #1 Week 6: Monday, February 11 Evaluating and Identifying Tradeoffs Making Policy Under Uncertainty Required Reading: Weimer and Vining, Part IV School of Public Service DePaul University, Chicago Syllabus MPS 542 Messing-Mathie Course Syllabus p. 6 Week 7: Monday, February 18 Policy Adoption and Implementation Feasibility of Policy Factors affecting success Costs, bargaining costs, and opportunity costs Case Study #2: Pension Reform in California Required Reading: #C16-06-1837.0 2006. “Pension Reform in California.” Suggested Reading: Fawcett, Helen. 2006.” Social Policy: Pensions,” in Peters, B. Guy and Jon Pierre (eds.). 2006. Handbook of Public Policy, Sage Publications: London. Pgs.323-338. Assignment due: Brief Literature Review Week 8: Monday, February 25 The Politics of Policy Analysis Required Reading: Stone, Deborah. 2011. The Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making. Assignment due: Discussion Paper #2 Week 9: Monday, March 4 In class writing workshop (in groups) Comparative Approaches Required Reading: Campbell, Heather. 2010. “A Comparative Framework for Analyzing Urban Environmental Policy,” Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice Vol 12 (4): 373-394. Stone, Diane. 2001. “Learning lessons, policy transfer and the international diffusion of policy ideas,” CSGR Working Paper No. 69/01. Frank Baumgartner, Christoff Green-Pedersen, and Bryan Jones. 2006. “Comparative Studies of Policy Agendas,” Journal of European Public Policy, Vol. 13, no. 7 (September): 959-974. [Course Reserves] McDonagh, Eileen. 2010. “It takes a State: A Policy Feedback Model of Women’s Political Representation,” Perspectives on Politics. [Course Reserves] School of Public Service DePaul University, Chicago Syllabus MPS 542 Messing-Mathie Course Syllabus p. 7 Week 10: Monday, March 11 Course conclusions Doing well and doing good Student Presentations of Group Projects Required Reading: Weimar and Vining, Chapter 19 Assignment due: Final Project Report Week 11: Monday, March 18 (Finals Week) Assignment Due: Group Reaction Paper and Peer Evaluations due via D2L by 5:00 pm. School of Public Service DePaul University, Chicago Syllabus MPS 542