MPA 650: Public Policy Process

Course Description & Learning Objectives

"Public policy often determines the core of our political and personal lives. This course examines the development of legislative and regulatory policies and the role of public administrators as active participants in the policymaking process by studying problem identification, agenda setting, policy proposal and adoption. Students develop the breadth, skill and knowledge, as well as the understanding of our diverse society, needed for comprehensive analyses of public programs"

This course will introduce students to public policy approaches, processes, and theories by focusing on the following:

• When and why are policies made? (Agenda Setting)
• How and who makes policies? (Policy Formulation)
• How are the policies put into action? (Implementation)
• Do/did the policies actually work? (Policy Evaluation)

Program Learning Objectives

"The educational goals of the MPA program focuses on the skills, abilities, and habits of mind that a public sector professional would need to act in a leadership role in public sector. Therefore, as an introductory class to the field of public administration, students will acquire the following skills:

1. Gain the ability to critically analyze, create or improve, and implement effective public policy in public sector programs and services.
2. Acquire the foundation knowledge needed to understand the distinctive character and responsibilities of public sector administration in a democratic society."

Course Schedule

Please note additional reading and case studies will be provided to you either in class or in Moodle.

Attendance and Participation

Attendance will be taken for every class meeting. Students will also be assigned to take the lead on weekly discussions. These individuals will be responsible for leading the case studies once we break into our groups.

In addition to our class meetings, there will also be weekly graded discussions in Moodle for 7 out of the 8 weeks where each student will respond to the question posed. Active students who participate and respond to fellow classmates’ posts will receive additional points.  

Proposal, Presentation, and Final Paper

For the final paper you will apply John Kingdon's Multiple Streams theory to your policy area of choice. Kingdon's theory is a good theory for policy formulation and agenda setting. By applying this theory you will learn how the policy problem was defined, what kind of policy solution was created and what role politics played in the formation of public policy.

Here are some areas you may consider for your paper: prescription drugs, social security, housing, disability, abortion, drug abuse, steroids, crime, foster care, etc. You may not select a topic that will be discussed in class such as welfare, environment, health, and food. If you wish to focus your research in the latter areas, please speak to me and we can figure out a specific area within the larger policy area for you.

Paper Proposal

A 1-2 page proposal for the final paper that outlines and describes your research area will be due on our third class meeting, February 3. The purpose of the proposal is to help prepare and guide you in your research. Once submitted, I will review each student’s topic and make sure you are on the right track before investing time and effort on the final research paper. This means I will review and approve each of the research topics and have them ready for you in class the following week.

The proposal should include the following information:

1. What policy area have you selected
2. Why have you chosen the specific area
3. Provide a very brief background and introduction to the policy area
4. Finally, explain the methods you will use for your final paper such as the kinds of research you will conduct whether it will be library research, interviews, site visits, etc.

Final Paper

The final paper should be 12-15 pages excluding the reference section. Please use 12-point font with the appropriate margins. A good way to make sure you do not miss any of the requirements listed below is to use sub-titles to guide you through the paper. It will be due on the last day of class, March 10.

1. You are able to conceptualize and specifically identify public policy issues discussed in class and the readings.
2. You have identified the actors/players and their interests both within and outside government. How does each view the problem and the policy solution based on their beliefs and values?What kind of indicators, persuasion or evidence did the players use to push their positions?
3. You are able to accurately apply and meaningfully discuss Kingdon's theory
a. How did the issue progress to the policymakers' agenda? In other words, how did the problem become a public problem needing immediate attention?
b. How was the problem defined?
What was the policy solution?
What was occurring in the political stream?
4. Finally, whether you think the policy created actually addressed the problem.

APA Style

Please utilize the APA style guide for your final paper. You may refer to the APA manual for formatting and citation requirements. Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab is a good source for general APA guidelines and can be found at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01. In addition, two useful Web-based tools that may be used to help generate citations include:

1. Son of Citation Machine - http://citationmachine.net/index2.php
2. The KniteCite Citation Service - http://www.calvin.edu/library/knightcite/index.php

 

Grading Criteria

Final paper grading rubrics (35 percent):

Presentation grading (15 percent):

At any time this syllabus may be amended or revised. Students will be notified if and when any changes are made.