Class Resources

Introduction

Course introduction

Overview Part A

Policy overview part A

Overview Part B

Policy overview part B

Overview Part C

Policy overview part C

Process Models

Policy process models

Environments

Policy environments

Change

Policy change dynamics

History & Structure

Historical and structural foundations

Federalism

Federalism in policy making

Official Actors Theory

Theories of official actors

Official Actors

Official actors in practice

Unofficial Actors I

Unofficial actors part I

Unofficial Actors II

Unofficial actors part II

Letter from Birmingham Jail

Individual actors and civil rights

Agenda Setting: Problems

Agenda setting and problem identification

Agenda Setting: Levels

Agenda setting at different levels

Agenda Setting: Power

Power and agenda control

Policy Types: Distributive & Redistributive

Distributive and redistributive policy

Policy Types: Regulatory & Constituent

Regulatory and constituent policy types

Policy Types: Alternatives

Alternative policy typologies

Rational Decision Making

Rational decision-making models

Bounded Rationality & Incrementalism

Bounded rationality and incrementalism

Dysfunctional Decision Making

Dysfunctional decision-making models

Policy Analysis Fundamentals

Introduction to policy analysis

Policy Analysis Methodologies

Policy analysis methods and applications

Design Foundations & Goals

Policy design foundations

Goal Conflicts & Tradeoffs

Managing competing policy goals

Designing for Implementation

Implementation-focused design

Transforming Policy into Practice

From policy to practice

Implementation Challenges

Overcoming implementation barriers

Failure and Learning Part 1

Understanding Policy Failures

Failure and Learning Part 2

Lessons from Policy Failures

Evaluation and Science Part 1

Policy Evaluation Fundamentals

Evaluation and Science Part 2

Connecting Policy Evaluation to Science

Evaluation and Science Part 3

Methodologies in Policy Evaluation

Evaluation and Science Part 4

Science and Change

Wrap Up

Course wrap-up and reflections

Introduction

Course introduction and Ch. 1: The Foundations of Public Administration

Accountability

Ch. 2: Core values and the administrative process

What Govt Does

Ch. 3: Government functions and roles

Govt Functions

Ch. 3: Core government functions

What Is PA?

Ch. 4: Defining public administration

Eras of PA

Ch. 4: Historical eras of public administration

Org Theory

Ch. 5: Organization theory

Executive

Ch. 6: Executive leadership

Org Problems

Ch. 7: Organizational problems

Reform

Ch. 8: Administrative reform

Civil Service

Ch. 9: Civil service systems

Human Capital

Ch. 10: Human capital management

Decision Making

Ch. 11: Administrative decision making

Budgeting

Ch. 12: Public budgeting

Performance Implementation

Ch. 13: Performance management

Regulation and Courts

Ch. 14: Regulation and judicial review

Accountability

Ch. 15: Administrative accountability and oversight

Wrap-up

Course conclusion

Who Are the Poor?

Week 1: Introduction — What Is the American Welfare State? (Rank et al.)

The Kind of Problem Poverty Is

Week 2, Monday: Why Are So Many Americans Poor? (Desmond ch. 1)

The Policy in the Room

Week 2, Wednesday: Why Are So Many Americans Poor? (Howard ch. 2; Desmond ch. 2)

American Exceptionalism?

Week 3: How the U.S. welfare state compares (Howard ch. 1; Desmond chs. 3–4)

Slides coming soon

Political Development of the Welfare State

Week 4 (Async): Policy feedback and development (Howard ch. 3; Pierson)

Slides coming soon

Social Security and Medicare

Week 5: The big social insurance programs (Howard ch. 4; Oxford Handbook chs. 15, 17)

Slides coming soon

The Safety Net, Part 1

Week 6: TANF, SNAP, and the EITC (Howard ch. 5; Campbell chs. 1–3; Desmond ch. 5)

Slides coming soon

The Safety Net, Part 2

Week 7: Housing, Income, and Medicaid (Howard ch. 8; Who Cares chs. 5–7)

Slides coming soon

Midterm Review and Midterm Exam

Week 8: Monday review; Wednesday in-class midterm

Slides coming soon

Welfare Reform

Week 9 (Async): The 1996 reform and its aftermath (Campbell chs. 4–5; Béland & Waddan; Rank et al.)

Slides coming soon

Health Care Reform and the ACA

Week 10: How health reform happened (Jacobs & Skocpol chs. 1–4; Hacker)

Slides coming soon

Documentary Screening and Synthesis

Week 11: Poverty, Politics and Profit and synthesis across Parts I–III

Slides coming soon

Race and the Welfare State, Part 1

Week 12: Racial attitudes and welfare politics (Howard ch. 9; Gilens ch. 3)

Slides coming soon

Race Part 2 and Gender and the Welfare State

Week 13: Race, gender, and program design (Michener; Mettler chs. 1, 5–6)

Slides coming soon

Public Opinion and Interest Groups

Week 14 (Async): Public support and organized interests (Howard chs. 6–7; Desmond ch. 6)

Slides coming soon

Solutions and Course Synthesis

Week 15: Change versus progress (Howard ch. 10; Campbell ch. 6; Desmond chs. 7–8)

Slides coming soon

Finals Week

Week 16: Final exam Monday, December 14, 1:00–2:50 p.m., GH 305