Seminar in Public Policy
California State University, Northridge 
MPA 650
Spring  1999

Professor:     Dr. Matthew Cahn
Tuesdays:     5:00 - 7:00 pm  & Saturday 4/10 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Phone:         (818) 667-6518
matthew.cahn@csun.edu

                        Philosophers have sought to understand the world... 
                        the point, however, is to change it.              (Karl Marx)

 

Seminar Description

 

Public Policy is the basis of democratic politics.  If it's public, it's made in our name; if it's policy, it regulates our very existence.  As a consequence public policy determines the core of our political, and often personal, lives.  Understanding public policy formation and implementation is essential for those involved in public agencies.  As we will see, public policy is the intersection of social, cultural, political, and economic demands.  A broad understanding of our diverse society is consequently critical for effective policy analysis.

 

At best, public policy is the articulation of common needs which have been stated in often competing voices.  At worst, public policy is the result of the manipulation of economic elites or a result of a rigid bureaucracy.  Breadth, skill, and knowledge allow policy analysts to develop the tools necessary for objective evaluation of public programs.

 

Seminar participants will work together to develop these tools.  Working groups of three to four people will focus on specific aspects of the policy process, researching, discussing, and sharing information with the seminar as a whole. 

 

The seminar will begin by reviewing the policy process on the federal, state, and local level, and through an analysis of dominant policy models.  Ultimately, working groups will begin researching state and local policy issues related to the current budget crisis.   Since all of the seminar participants are professionals in public or quasi-public agencies, personal experiences will help illustrate the policy areas.  The seminar will culminate with seminar participants writing an analytic policy paper related to the data collected by the working group.

 

Required Reading

            Theodoulou & Cahn:  Public Policy: The Essential Readings

B. Guy Peters:  American Public Policy,  3rd Edition

Deborah Stone:  Policy Paradox and Political Reason

Supplement with Reading for RESEARCH PROJECT    

Grading

            Seminar Participation   30%                 Policy Paper                             70%

 

The course employs the traditional +/- grading system.  Requirements include participation in working groups, discussion, and completion of research paper (policy analysis).  There are no midterms and there is no final exam.   The policy paper will be the culmination of the semester's work, and must include a clear discussion of the policy issue, a review of the relevant literature (including both scholarly literature and comparative policies from related agencies), summation of data, and most importantly, analysis of that data.  The papers must use proper citation and bibliographic format.  (see the APSA Style Guide, or the Chicago Manual of Style)

 

Semester Outline

PART ONE:   The Policy Environment

Week I (2/2): The Policy Structure

- Plan of Semester

- The Nature of Public Policy

! What is Public Policy

! The Policy Process

- The Nature of Public Policy

! The Policy Structure:  Federal, State, Local  

! Rdg Due:    Peters, chs. 1-2;  Theodoulou & Cahn, ch. 1

Week II (2/9): Policy Models:   Accounting for the Subtleties

! Group Theory (Dahl)                        ! Incrementalism (Lindblom)

! Institutionalism                                  ! Process Model

! Bureaucratic Theory (Weber)            ! Elite Theory (Mills, Domhoff,  & Marx)                    

! Rational Model                                 ! Public Choice

! Game Theory                                    ! Systems Model

! Rdg Due:   Theodoulou & Cahn, chs. 2-10 & 28; Stone, chs. 1-3

PART TWO:   Policy Formation and Implementation

Week III (2/16) Policy Formation and Legitimation

- Formation, Legitimation, Agenda Setting

! Rdg Due:    Peters, chs. 3-4; Theodoulou & Cahn, chs. 11-15

Week IV (2/23):  Policy Implementation

! Rdg Due:    Peters, chs. 5-7; Theodoulou & Cahn, chs. 16-18

Week V (3/2):  The Policy Game

! Rdg Due:    Theodoulou & Cahn, chs. 37-46; Stone, chs. 6-10

Week VI (3/9):  Players in the Policy Game

! Rdg Due:  Theodoulou & Cahn, chs. 22-36

PART THREE:  Substantive Issues

Week VII (3/16):  Economic Policy;  Health Policy

Week VIII (3/23):  Entitlements; Education

! Rdg Due:  Peters chs. 10-11

Week IX:  Spring Break: 3/30

Week X (4/6): Energy & Environment; Defense

! Rdg Due:  Peters chs. 12-13

PART FOUR:  Policy Evaluation

Week XI (4/13):  Traditional Policy Analysis

- Cost-Benefit Calculations

- Qualitative Calculations

Rdg Due:        Peters, chs. 14-15

 Theodoulou & Cahn, chs. 19-20

Week XII (4/20):  Normative Policy Analysis

- Winners and Losers in Policy Outcomes

! Normative Issues

Rdg Due:   Stone chs. 11-15 & Conclusion

PART FIVE:  Working Groups

Week XIII (4/27): Working Session

- Meet by Group to work on research;

Week XIV (5/4): Presentations

- Present Papers

Week XV (5/11):  Final Session

- Final Discussion

 
** Final Papers Due **

(please include self addressed stamped envelope with papers)

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Matthew Cahn
Department of Political Science
California State University Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA  91330-8254
(818) 677-3488
matthew.cahn@csun.edu