Making Public Policy

Catalog description

Politics is about who wins, who loses, and why. Policy, by contrast, is often depicted as more "neutral;" policies are the means through which political decisions are carried out. In this class, we examine the notion that policy is the rational, impartial counterpart to the political arena. We will ask: How are public policies made? Why do some issues make it on to the agenda, while others do not? Can we separate facts from values, or are both always contested? We will examine how decision-making in a group introduces distinct challenges for policymaking. The course focuses on widely applicable themes of policymaking, drawing on both domestic and international examples. Offered as POSC 386 and POSC 486 .