Spring 2020 - 58405 - PA 388K - Advanced Topics in Public Policy

This course will introduce students to major aspects of global environmental governance. We will begin by introducing essential concepts related to collective action and public goods. In the first part of the course, we will address the nature of global environmental problems, collective action theory, the leading international organizations dealing with environmental problems, the significant pieces of global rules governing the environment, the role of the United States, science, non-state actors, and private governance. In the second half of the course, we will look in detail at a few issues, including air quality and ozone depletion, climate change, oceans management and fishing, rainforest conservation, species protection, and the future of global environmental governance. The goals are to (1) familiarize you with the key debates and issues (past, present, and future) in global environmental governance, (2) provide you with a set of analytical tools to understand the scope for progress in this arena, (3) develop your sense of the landscape of organizations and information in this space, and (4) spur your creative engagement with global environmental issues in your subsequent professional career.