Policy Development: Policy and Process
One of the primary purposes of government is to serve the public good by developing and executing policies that benefit society. However, the process of determining what is best for society often generates debates and controversy. This course is concerned with the give and take, bargaining, competition and compromise that arise from the politics of policy development. This course introduces students to the mechanics of policy change through the stages of agenda-setting, policy adoption, policy design, policy feedback, and policy implementation. This course explores: How are public policies formulated and how are they implemented? How are problems defined, agendas set, information deployed, decisions reached, and decisions put into effect? What is the role of the analyst in this process? In short, how does the public policy process work? With this understanding, students will gain tangible professional skills by writing evidence-based client memos, short policy briefs, and in-depth policy reports on issues they are passionate about. In doing so, students will critically analyze social, political, and/or economic problems and leverage course content as a foundation to develop solutions and affect policy change.