Controversies in American Public Policy

Catalog description

Making policy is hard. There are no obvious answers to the most important disputes in modern America: policing, drugs, taxes, abortion, affirmative action, education, and welfare. Politicians, pundits, and the public all may disagree on what to do. Even if they agree on what to prioritize, they might disagree on how to accomplish that goal. And even once a policy is implemented, it is challenging to know if it worked. Yet, deciding how to address each challenge is an essential role of the government. In this class we will examine the most contentious policy disputes. And we will develop a framework for analyzing these policies including. We will develop analytic skills to address these contentious policy disputes and we will learn how to listen and respond to opposing arguments. Students' own views about the best policies will be challenged in this class, but they will leave the class better able to advocate for what they think is right.