Spring 2023 - 60110 - PA 383C - Policy Development

In order to understand, critically examine, and make recommendations about public policies, we need to understand how the public policy process works and why it works the way it does. This course is designed to provide students with an overview of different theories of the policy process, historical and contextual factors shaping the policy process (especially within the United States), and a more in-depth knowledge of different stages of the policy process. Throughout the course of the semester, students will examine how certain issues gain attention on national policy agendas, the different policy tools and alternatives available to policymakers, the factors that influence decision-making, the myriad variables that influence how policies are implemented, and the role that policy evaluation plays in the policy process. Additionally, students will explore how globalization and changes in the international context influence policymaking in the United States and in other countries, with a special focus on lower and middle-income countries.