Core Seminars
POL 6/70002 Approaches to Public Policy - This course introduces students to the philosophy of science and scientific inquiry within the context of the social sciences, and presents a broad survey of leading paradigms and debates within the
field of public policy.
POL 6/70003 Policy Methods I - This course provides a selective introduction to basic quantitative methods for the analysis of public policy dealing with basic descriptive and inferential statistics and an introduction to qualitative
techniques.
POL 6/70004 Policy Methods II - This course introduces students to multivariate quantitative techniques appropriate for the analysis of public policy and incorporates a broad array of advanced qualitative analysis.
POL 6/70006 Foundations of Public Policy - This course covers the development of policy studies as a field. As a broad survey, this course introduces general concepts and debates with applications within each field of specialization.
American Politics and Policy
POL 6/70101 Proseminar in American Politics and Policy - This course provides a broad survey of the policymaking process in the U.S. government. Coverage includes formal government structures as well as more informal networks of private groups that seek to influence public policy at the national level.
POL 6/70102 American Policy Process - This course emphasizes the politics of the policy process. Among topics covered are theories of policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation.
POL 6/70103 Congress, the Presidency, and the Courts - Focuses on the three branches of the U.S. government, specifically Congress, the presidency and the judiciary. Coverage includes institutional rules and procedures that shape the incentives of these political actors and ultimately policy outcomes.
POL 6/70104 Cultural Context of American Politics - This course examines the ideological foundations upon which the public policy process in the United States is constructed. Particular attention is given to the often conflicting societal attitudes toward the U.S. government and its conduct of public policy.
POL 6/70105 Federalism and State Policymakers - This course covers the theory and practice of federalism with emphasis on its consequences for policy outcomes. Students also examine the transformation of the policy role of state governments in recent years.
POL 6/70106 Urban Policy and Politics - Urban public policy takes place within the context of suburbanization and metropolitan sprawl. Issues raised in this course include poverty, race, and the role of business in local policymaking.
POL 6/70107 Conflict and Consensus in the Public Sector - This course introduces students to public sector conflict resolution processes such as environmental mediation, regulatory-negotiation, collaborative problem solving, and consensus-building. Of particular interest is the utility of these processes in specific arenas of public policy.
Policy Analysis and Administration
POL 6/70301 Proseminar in Policy Analysis and Administration - This course covers the systematic procedures for analysis of policy problems. Special attention is paid to economic concepts such as cost-benefit analysis and the role of multiple values in the policy process.
POL 6/70302 Bureaucracy and the Policymaking Process - This course provides students with a theoretical and practical understanding of the bureaucracy as a unit of analysis in policy studies. Of particular interest is the interaction of the bureaucracy with other policymaking institutions and non-state actors.
POL 6/70303 Regulatory Policy - This course examines the politics of regulatory policy from a variety of theoretical perspectives. These theories are applied to several domains of regulation, primarily those relating to public finance.
POL 6/70304 Analytic Techniques of Policymaking - This course covers the concepts, techniques, and conventions for assessing economic efficiency when this is one of the social and political goals relevant to public policymakers. Students are introduced to theories of cost-benefit analysis as they pertain to public policy.
POL 6/70305 State and Local Government Financial Analysis - This course provides an overview of the state and local sectors of government. Primary attention is paid to the financial role of the sub-national governments with regard to taxing and spending policies.
POL 6/70306 Leadership and Public Policy - This course exposes students to the role of leadership issues in shaping contemporary public policy. Students are introduced to contending theories of policy leadership in specific domains such as health care, the environment, and neighborhood governance.
POL 6/70307 Issues in American Public Policy - The primary purpose of this course is to apply the conceptual tools of public policy analysis to current issues facing the U.S. government. Students are introduced to the major policy debates
regarding these issues with reference to the historical, political-economic, and cultural context in which they occur.
Transnational and Comparative Politics and Policy
POL 6/70501 Proseminar in Transnational and Comparative Politics and Policy - This course introduces students to the primary concepts, theories, and subfields of comparative and transnational politics. Each field of study is reviewed along with the primary sub-fields of analysis.
POL 6/70502 Global Governance - This course examines issues, problems, and debates regarding global governance in the contemporary world. Of primary interest is the array of actors in this process, including nation-states, intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations.
POL 6/70503 Foreign Policy Analysis - This course provides an overview of the diverse analytic traditions and issues that relate to the study of foreign policy. Areas of coverage include theories of foreign policy decision-making, levels of analysis, and policy domains.
POL 6/70504 U. S. Foreign Policy - This course examines the dilemmas facing the U.S. government as it confronts a rapidly changing international system. Historical patterns are considered along with current issues regarding the formulation and conduct of U.S. foreign policy.
POL 6/70505 Comparative Public Policy and Administration - This course examines theoretical and substantive issues in comparative public policy and public administration. The various frameworks, approaches, and schools of thought are reviewed in each area of study.
POL 6/70506 International Political Economy and Development Policy - This course is designed to provide a variety of perspectives with which to make sense of the structure of the international economy and the policy options available to governments seeking to encourage domestic economic development.
POL 6/70507 Conflict Transformation and Reconciliation - Cross-cultural analysis of transition from mass violence to justice and from protracted conflict to democracy. Subjects of study include truth and reconciliation commissions, criminal tribunals, apologies, reparations, and other aids to conflict transformation.
Justice Politics and Policy
POL 6/70701 Proseminar in Justice Politics and Policy - A policy analysis of current issues in the legislative, policing, judicial, and correctional components of the justice system. Dr. Daniel Price and Dr. Edna Erez.
POL 70702 Justice Institutions - This course introduces students to various institutions related to the U.S. criminal justice system. Students examine techniques for conducting institutional analysis and apply these techniques to law enforcement,
judicial, and correctional institutions. Dr. David Kessler.
POL 6/70703 Community and Domestic Violence - This course explores the causes and implications of violence in our homes and communities. Conflict management strategies and techniques are reviewed to see how they have served as policy
solutions, as agents of change, or in maintaining the status quo. Dr. Jennifer Maxwell and Dr. Patrick Coy.
POL 6/70704 Theories of Crime and Delinquency - Examination of major theoretical concepts that have been used to explain criminal behavior and juvenile delinquency. Dr. Pam Tontodnato and Dr. Edna Erez.
POL 70705 Comparative Justice Institutions and Policy - Cross-cultural analysis of crime and the justice
institutions/justice policies of various countries. The developmental backgrounds, structure, and functioning of the systems are compared. Important issues in international justice are considered. Dr. Daniel Price and Dr. Nawal Ammar.
POL 70706 Victimology - Patterns of victim-offender relationship. Role of victims in the justice studies process. Problems of adjustment to victimization, compensating the victim. Dr. David Hussey and Dr. Nawal Ammar.
POL 70707 Law, Justice, and Society - Course reviews the origins, structure, and functioning of law in relation to social context and process. Topics to be covered include theories of law and society, law as a form of social control, and the use of law and legal institutions to address societal problems. Dr. Peter Ibarra, Dr. Nawal Ammar and Dr. Shannon Smithey.