Applied Policy Analysis

Catalog description

This course applies the theories and methods introduced in PST220: Foundations of Policy Analysis, specifically targeting the domain of environmental policy. Students will move beyond theoretical frameworks to act as policy analysts addressing real-world ecological challenges. We will systematically analyze how environmental "conditions" (such as shifting climates or resource depletion) are framed as political "problems" and evaluate the specific policy tools-including carbon taxes, regulatory mandates, and community-based conservation-used to address them. The course emphasizes evidence-based reasoning, requiring students to navigate the trade-offs between conservation efficiency, social equity, and political feasibility. Furthermore, there is a core focus on institutional diagnosis, utilizing the Institutional Analysis & Development (IAD) framework to conceptually analyze environmental problems and their potential solutions. By the end of the term, students will have produced a professional-grade institutional diagnostic report related to an environmental problem of their choice. Prerequisite: PST 220 or POL 220. STAFF.