PA 460: Administration and Public Policy Development Spring 2014
Where and When: Calexico Campus Room A-003; T 4:10 – 6:50 p.m.
Professor: Kelley Crockett PhD.
Office: East Faculty Bldg Calexico Campus 109/ E-Mail: kcrockett@mail.sdsu.edu
Office hours: T 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. or by appointment
Course Description and Purpose
Description from SDSU General Undergraduate Catalog: “Process of formulating public policy with
emphasis on the role of public agencies.” This course is an undergraduate level survey of the
development processes, implementation strategies and ongoing administrative challenges of public
policies at the federal, state and local levels. Students will consider different policy areas and develop an
understanding of what elements make for policy successes and failures in terms of whom and what
affects those outcomes. Students will analyze the role of the public administrator in the policy cycle,
especially in terms of democratic participation, accountability and decision-making.
Course Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course students will have:
1. Applied written skills to communicate a policy problem at a state level
2. Surveyed literature that provides an overview of policy strategies used at all levels of government
in both designing and implementing policy
3. Analyzed a state or federal policy arena in depth
4. Utilized critical thinking skills via application of knowledge of the policy cycle to understand the
influence of propaganda or special interest group activism on web-based sites
Text
Dye, Thomas, Understanding Public Policy, 14th edition, Longman Publishing, Boston 2013
Course Requirements
Student preparation and participation is mandatory. Excessive absences, late arrivals or leaving early,
lack of reading, lack of participation during class discussions or distracting others will result in an inability
to satisfactorily master the content of the class. Students are expected to be prepared for every class.
This expectation includes reading the material assigned for that week before the scheduled class.
The instructor reserves the right to change or supplement the reading assignments or schedule as the
situation dictates.
Assessment
A final exam, a 4-5 page research paper, 5 open book T/F multiple choice quizzes, an in class closed
book quiz, a team written presentation posted online and an in-class discussion of a policy area along
with participation in general and specifically in at least five other team presentations in class and online
are required for this course. Please note that this is a technology-integrated course in which we will use
Blackboard (http://blackboard.sdsu.edu to access additional lecture materials and where students will turn
in all quizzes, the team written presentation and the final paper.
1
Team Presentation and Discussion Comments
In teams of three, students will discuss a particular policy area and its relationship to special interest
groups, the controversy that prompted it to be a policy area and how ongoing evaluation of the policy
area’s development affects further legislation.
Specifically each member of the team will present one of the following parts to the presentation: 1)
introduction and background of the policy area and discussion of three controversial questions 2) identify
and describe groups that would be interested in affecting this policy area and how these interest groups
use existing or pending policy in their fundraising efforts and 3) categorize which federal and state agency
(s) regulate this policy area and discuss how they might affect legislation in this policy area.
Each team will be assigned a certain policy area and will present their findings in writing online via
Blackboard under their discussion thread and in person to the class. All students must also read and
make a thoughtful comment on at least five of the policy presentations (not on their own policy
presentation). A thoughtful comment may include, for example, reference (s) to the policy generation
cycle, actors in the process, failure or success in reaching the targets of the policy and/or future
implications.
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Higher points are given to presentations that document their discussion with either the book or
additional sources.
Higher points are given to discussion comments that show knowledge gleaned in this course
and/or add either additional information through additional links or confirm the information
presented through further documentation. Comments are not given more points for volume of
expression but rather for relevance of content.
Higher points are given in oral presentation for demonstrating knowledge and engaging the class
(not reading the material).
Quizzes and Final Exam
There will be an in class quiz (5 short answer, closed book) on the first three assigned chapters. There
are 5 online quizzes. During the week that an online quiz is due you will have 24 hours (Tuesday at 7:00
p.m. to Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.) in which to log onto Bb and take the quiz. Each quiz has 5 questions, is
open book and is timed to 15 minutes. The quizzes are not collaborative; giving answers to quiz
questions can result in a zero. The final exam is comprehensive and the format is in short answer,
true/false and multiple-choice questions.
Paper
Students will be responsible for a four to five page paper (this includes a cover sheet (no abstract
needed) and reference page) that discusses a problem in a public policy area. Policy areas and problems
can be self selected but they may not be on the same policy topic as the student’s discussion
presentation area. A policy area may be one also found in the textbook but the paper must not plagiarize
that – or any other- source. A sign- up sheet will be available online in Bb to reduce redundancy of topic
and problem. Students must use at least one peer reviewed journal article in their paper on their policy
area. The journal article must be uploaded to Bb no later than February 11, 2014. This journal article
should be current (written after 2010) and should serve as resource information for your paper, not form
the basis of an article summary in lieu of a well-researched paper. The final paper is due on April 15,
2014 at 3:30 p.m.
2
An examination of a policy area should include: background leading to the policy, specific federal or state
policy and whether it contradicts other state or federal policies, implementation strategies and who is
responsible for oversight, funding issues, basic principles – desired outcomes and controversial issues,
process of its passage, the problem (s) generated with the policy and future recommendations for change
or continuation. Higher points will be given to those papers that reflect:
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An analysis of the policy arena in general and currently.
An understanding of the policy cycle as it is applied to your policy area.
Discussion on challenges and support that your policy area receives and from whom.
Final persuasive paragraph that suggests or generalizes in what direction the policy for your area
is going.
An integration of some of your journal article’s salient points in your paper.
Adherence to the format of no more than three to four pages long, double spaced using 12 pt font
with 1 inch margins all around.
Use of academic language and third person narrative (no “I” or “We”).
Course Grading
Final Exam
5 online quizzes
In class quiz
Paper
Team presentation/discussion of policy area
At least five discussion comments
Participation
20%
25%
5%
15%
10%
15%
10%
Plagiarism and Cheating
You must cite (use APA style) the author and the source of any quotes or any paraphrase of someone
else’s work in your paper. Those who do not cite quoted work may receive a fail on the paper and a
warning or referral for possible suspension, probation or expulsion.
Accommodations
Students with disabilities should email me to discuss specific accommodations for which they have
received prior authorization from the Student Disability Services at 760.768.5509.
Course Outline and Reading Schedule
Jan 28: Introduction to Public Policy
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Syllabus review
Class Expectations
PowerPoint in Class “Introduction” and “Policy Context”
Feb 4: Analyzing Policy
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Read Chapter 1 “Policy Analysis” in Dye
PowerPoint in class “Policy Analysis”
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Feb 11: Models of Politics
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Read Chapter 2 “Models of Analysis” in Dye
PowerPoint in class “Models for Policy Analysis”
Online Quiz 1 due by February 12 at 7:00 p.m.
Journal Article due (post article in Bb)
Feb 18: Special Interests
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Read Chapter 11 “Tax Policy” in Dye
PowerPoint in class “The Role of Special Interests in Policy Making”
Online Quiz 2 due by Feb 19 by 7:00 p.m.
Feb 25: The Policymaking Process
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Read Chapter 3 “Policymaking Process” Dye
PowerPoint in class “Decisions, Decisions, Who Gets to Make the Decisions?”
Presenting Policy Area Team 1, Online presentation/ in class discussion
Presenting Policy Area Team 2, Online presentation/ in class discussion
Mar 4: Rationality and Irrationality in Public Policy
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Read Chapter 6 “Criminal Justice” in Dye
PowerPoint in class “Rationality and Irrationality in Public Policy”
Online Quiz 3 due on Mar 5 by 7:00 p.m.
Presenting Policy Area Team 3, Online presentation/ in class discussion
Presenting Policy Area Team 4, Online presentation/ in class discussion
Mar 11: Defining the Problem
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Read Chapters 7 and 8 “Welfare and Healthcare” in Dye
PowerPoint in class “Defining the Problem”
Presenting Policy Area Team 5, Online presentation/ in class discussion
Presenting Policy Area Team 6, Online presentation/ in class discussion
Mar 18: Dealing with Multiple Goals
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Read Chapters 5 and 9 “Federalism and Education” in Dye
PowerPoint in class “ Intergovernmental Interference”
Online Quiz 4 due by March 19 at 7:00 p.m.
Presenting Policy Area Team 7, Online presentation/ in class discussion
Presenting Policy Area Team 8, Online presentation/ in class discussion
Mar 25: Policy Incrementalism
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Read Chapter 10 “Economic Policy” in Dye
PowerPoint in class “Incremental and Non-incremental Policymaking”
Presenting Policy Area Team 9, Online presentation/ in class discussion
March 31st to April 4th: Spring Break
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Apr 8: The Role of the Elite in Policy Making
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Read Chapter 12 “International Trade and Immigration” in Dye
PowerPoint in class “Elitism and Representation”
Comments (at least five on the online presentations other than the your own presentation)
due by 12:00 p.m. April 8
Apr 15: Public Choice
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Read Chapter 13 “Energy and the Environment” in Dye
PowerPoint in class “Public Choice”
Online Quiz 5 due on April 16 by 7:00 p.m.
Paper due tonight online by 3:30 p.m.
Apr 22: The Role of the Courts in Policy
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Read Chapter 14 “Civil Rights” in Dye
PowerPoint in class “The Role of the Courts in Policy”
Apr 29: Policy in Times of Emergency
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Read Chapters 15 and 16 “Defense and Homeland Security” in Dye
PowerPoint in class “Policy in Times of Emergency”
May 6: Policy Evaluation
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Read Chapter 4 “Evaluation” in Dye
PowerPoint in class “Policy Evaluation and Impact”
In Class Quiz over Courts, Times of Emergency and Evaluation
Review for Final
May 15: Final Exam
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