Course Description

Public Policy is fundamentally a discipline interested in identifying public problems and implementing successful solutions. Several courses focus on the identification of common problems and review potential policy solutions (e.g., MPA 650). This course focuses exclusively on policy solutions and strategies for successful implementation of these solutions, utilizing environmental regulation as a case study.

Clearly, public policy represents a contested terrain. Policy outcomes represent benefits to some and pain to others. Hence, policy implementation is typically a political, and often passionate, discourse. Successful policy implementation, therefore, requires rational strategies.

This course will include the use of strategy games in order to expose the hidden interests of policy agendas, and to develop the policy strategy skills of the seminar participants. Game theoretical analysis has traditionally been applied in the field of international relations. Increasingly, such analysis has become useful in domestic policy strategies, at all levels of government. Finally, the course will examine program evaluation (post-implementation analysis). How public agencies assess their success says as much about their quality as the programs they operate.

Required Reading

Implementing Public Policy (Hill and Hupe: Sage, 2002)

Program Evaluation: An Introduction (Royse, et al., Wadsworth, 2006)

Course Requirements

This course will be conducted as a policy clinic. That is, we will be operating in a hands-on manner, actually developing policy implementation strategies. The quality of the clinic depends upon the active participation of each member. As a consequence of our intensive weekend format, each clinic member is expected to do advance reading.

Participants will join workgroups in which they will create implementation strategies for policies of interest. Workgroups will culminate with the collective research and creation of a collective policy paper. The strategy paper will be based on a single policy chosen by the group. The group will research that policy (focusing on a specific program), and will collectively develop an implementation strategy (e.g., considering all the obstacles, how can this program best be implemented). Finally, the group will develop an evaluation tool to measure the success of the implemented program. In addition, as a second policy clinic, workgroups will design and implement a program evaluation on a program/ policy of their choice.

Participation: 25% Workgroups: 25% Implementation Analysis: 25% Program Evaluation:25%

(Note that Participation includes attendance, active participation in class discussion, and Final Presentation; Workgroups includes workgroup participation)

Course Outline: (note -- reading is assigned within >> arrows << and due the day noted.)

1/11: Introduction: The Role of Implementation Theory in Public Policy

- What is the Role of Public Policy?

- Defining Implementation

- Problems in Policy Implementation

- Policy Design: Aligning Policy Goals with Policy Tools

>> Hill & Hupe 1-2 <<

1/18: Critical Issues in Policy Implementation

- Implementation Analysis

- Top Down vs. Bottom Up Implementation Analysis

- Synthesizers

>> Hill & Hupe 3-5 <<

1/25: Policy Clinic A

- Create Working Groups;

- Research Policy Area;

- Policy Strategy Session;

- Strategy Design

>> Hill & Hupe 6-9 <<

2/1: Program Evaluation

- Evaluating Policy Success

- Needs Assessment

- Quantitative vs. Qualitative Evaluation

- Formative and Process Evaluation

>> Royse et al., 1-7 <<

2/8: Program Evaluation

- Research Design

- Cost-Analysis Designs

- Measurement

- Data Collection and Analysis

>> Royse et al., 8-14 <<

2/15: Policy Clinic B

- Methodology: Define Goals, Evaluative Measurements, Collect Data, Analysis

- Working Groups;

- Apply evaluative analysis to Policy Area;

- Create Policy Evaluations Reports;

2/22: Integrating Implementation Analysis and Program Evaluation

- Process Designs for Improving Implementation

- Aligning Policy Goals with Policy Tools

3/1: Evaluation Reports Due & Final Presentations;

Home Vitae Classes Special Programs Eco-Literacy Project Applied Policy Areas
Research Politics and Policy Environmental Policy and Management California Studies

Matthew Cahn
Department of Political Science
California State University Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8254
(818) 677-4797
matthew.cahn@csun.edu