The science and craft of professional problem-solving, analysis, and advice. Economic and political approaches and techniques for analysis of costs, benefits, and risks.
- Evaluate claims that a problem is reasonably the business of government
- Use policy analysis tools to compare the merits and disadvantages of different policy approaches to a particular problem and estimate the likely consequences of proposed policies
- Develop and strengthen skills in data analysis and problem-solving
- Translate these skills into a written and oral argument on a policy (both individually and in a group setting)
- Provide exposure to a wide variety of contemporary public policy controversies
- Bellinger, William (2016) (2nd Edition). The Economic Analysis of Public Policy. Routledge.
- Weimer, D. L., & Vining, A. R. (2017) (6th Edition). Policy analysis: Concepts and practice. Routledge.
- Stone, Deborah. (2012). Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making, 3rd edition. W.W. Norton.
- Tullock, G., Seldon, A., Brady, G.L. (2002). Government Failure, A Primer in Public Choice. Cato Institute.
- Salamon, Lester, ed. (2002). The Tools of Government: A Guide to the New Governance. Oxford University Press.
Market Failure/Tool Presentation 25%
Case Study Discussion Lead 10%
Exercises 10%
Reading Assignments in Perusall 10%
Participation (e.g., in-class discussion & discussion board posts) 10%
Policy project 35%
Final grades will be assigned as a letter grade according to the following scale (there is no rounding):
A 90-100%
B 80-89%
C 70-79%
D 60-69%
F 0-59%
Because of the hands-on nature of this course, active participation is critical for each student to achieve the course outcomes. You are expected to attend all class sessions in person unless you have a compelling reason not to do so. Outside of class participation is equally as important as inside of class participation, and we will regularly use the discussion board feature on Canvas.
Georgia Tech aims to cultivate a community based on trust, academic integrity, and honor. Students are expected to act according to the highest ethical standards. For information on Georgia Tech's Academic Honor Code, please visit http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/policies/honor-code/ or http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/rules/18/. If you are struggling in this class please come see me so that we can work together to identify those elements where you may need additional guidance and instruction. My goal is to create a learning environment that is challenging and encouraging. You are responsible for knowing what plagiarism is (see this link for more: https://www.onlinecolleges.net/for-students/avoid-plagiarism/). Note: plagiarism includes the use of AI, such as ChatGPT and others, to generate original content. Cheating and/or plagiarizing on an assignment denies you the opportunity to learn. It also puts you in jeopardy since any student suspected of cheating or plagiarizing on a quiz, exam, or assignment will be reported to the Office of Student Integrity, which will investigate the incident and identify the appropriate penalty for violations.
Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help students master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals. This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question: How do I understand human experiences and connections? Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome: Students will effectively analyze the complexity of human behavior, and how historical, economic, political, social, or geographic relationships develop, persist, or change. Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies: Intercultural Competence, Perspective-Taking, Persuasion