THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT PEMBROKE
| PSPA 219 Section: 01 Introduction to Public Policy and Analysis |
Fall 2003
3 Hours Credit
Alfred L. Dial Humanities Building Room 237
William Albrecht, Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science
& Public Administration
The
instructor pledges to teach this course under the university guidelines for
the academic honor code. UNCP has a commitment to maintaining an atmosphere
of intellectual integrity and academic honesty. Students of the university
pledge to knowingly neither give nor receive any inappropriate assistance
in academic work, thus affirming a personal commitment to honor and integrity.
You are requested to read UNCP’s Honor Code as found in the 2003-2004 Student
Catalog. Included in that publication are rules and regulations governing
student rights and responsibilities, the university judicial system, disciplinary
sanctions, penalties, violations, and types of offenses.
This
course introduces the student to public policy analysis utilizing a political
economy approach. Political economy is a branch of the social sciences that
studies the interrelationships between political and economic institutions
and processes. Throughout the semester students will examine a) the ways in
which various forms of government affect the allocation of scarce resources
in society through their laws and policies and b) the ways in which the nature
of the economic system and the behavior of people acting on their economic
interests affects the form of government and the kinds of policies that get
made (Johnson, 2000).
Students
are expected to be active participants in class by being prepared to discuss
current topics pertaining to current political and public policy issues. Therefore,
members should review websites, newspapers, magazines, journals, etc., that
will facilitate this process.
1.
To communicate the
central insight of the political economy approach to policy analysis.
2.
To illustrate the
tensions between individual preferences and collective outcomes.
3.
To describe the range
of institutions that can be utilized in formulating public policy choices.
4.
To utilize the political
economy approach in analyzing the American political system.
5. To encourage critical thinking about implications
on an individual and societal level.
6. To develop effective analytical, written,
and oral communications skills.
Textbooks (Required)
Bickers,
K.N. and William, J.T. 2001. Public Policy Analysis: A Political Economy
Approach.
Miller,
R.L., Benjamin, D.K., and North, D.C. 2003. The Economics of Public Issues
13th edition.
In
addition students will need to have access to a computer and the internet.
TEACHING METHODS
Teaching
methods will primarily involve class lectures and discussions as well as oral
and written work. On some occasions groups will be formed in order to allow
course participants to gain experience with “collective work” and to practice
combining a variety of perspectives and skills in confronting issues, events,
and personalities seen in the economic and political arenas.
Final
grades will be based on three exams, three quizzes, two homework assignments,
a policy journal, and class participation.
| Evaluation
Method |
Proportion
of Final Grade |
|
|
Examinations |
Exam
1 |
10% |
|
|
Exam
2 |
20% |
|
|
Exam
3 |
25% |
|
Quizzes |
Three
Quizzes at 5% Each |
15% |
|
Policy
Journal |
Analytical
Thinking Exercises |
15% |
|
Homework |
Two
Assignments |
10% |
|
Class
Participation |
|
05% |
*NOTE: No late work will be accepted under any conditions.
This includes exams and quizzes. However, if either of the first two exams
or quizzes are missed the following exam or quiz score will be counted as
80% in replacing a missing score. No student may miss more than one exam or
quiz. No replacement grade will be given for the final quiz or the final exam.
You are responsible for any and all announcements made in class. Any student
requiring special assistance should notify the instructor at the beginning
of the semester.
Grading Scale
94
-100= A
90
- 93 = A-
87
- 89 = B+
84
- 86 = B
80
- 83 = B-
77
- 79 = C+
74
- 76 = C
70
- 73 = C-
60
- 69 = D
< 60 = F
Examinations
There
will be three examinations in this course. The first exam will be approximately
1.25 hours in length of time and consist of multiple choice questions (50%)
and short answer questions (50%). The second exam will also be approximately
1.25 hours in length of time and consist of multiple choice questions (50%)
and short answer questions (50%). The final exam will be comprehensive, 2
hours in length of time, and consist of multiple choice and fill in the blank
type of questions (50%) and short answer/essay questions (50%).
Quizzes
Throughout
the semester students will complete a word
processed policy journal analyzing a series of short readings by Gary
S. Becker and using Patterson’s format for Analytical Thinking as a guide.
In addition, the journal should incorporate concepts from political economy
and other aspects relevant to the class. A list of readings is attached to
this syllabus and they may be accessed through Blackboard or UNCP’s library.
Handwritten answers will not be accepted!
Homework
Students
will complete two homework assignments. Further instructions will be given
in class.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Dr.
William G. Albrecht
244
Alfred L. Dial Humanities Building
Office Hours
Monday
05:00 – 06:00
Tuesday
10:00 – 11:00
Thursday
10:00 – 11:00
And
by Appointment
Voice:
521-6822
Fax:
521-6446
Email:
william.albrecht@uncp.edu
The
course schedule lists the lectures, discussion topics and required readings
for each week. This schedule also includes due dates for assignments and exams.
The instructor reserves the right to alter the course schedule if necessary.
Class |
Dates |
Readings |
Lectures & Discussions/Exams
& Assignments Due Dates |
|
1 |
Aug 26 |
Begin
Class |
Course
Introduction |
|
2 |
Aug
28 |
Bickers,
Ch. 1; Becker, “The Best Reason to Get People Off the Dole”** |
Political
Economy & Policy Analysis |
|
3 |
Sep
09
|
Bickers, Ch. 2; Miller “The Foundations of
Economic Analysis”; Becker, “The Economic Approach to Fighting Crime.”** |
Economics |
|
4 |
Sep
11 |
Miller “Killer Airbags” Sowell,
“What is Economics?”*; Sowell, “The Role of Prices”* |
Economics |
|
5 |
Sep
16 |
Theodolou,
“The Nature of Public Policy.”* |
Economics |
| 6 |
Sep
18 |
Bickers, Ch. 3; AP, “Legislators to Restore Pork Barrel
Spending in State Budget”** |
Tradeoffs |
|
7 |
Sep
23
|
Sowell,
“Price Controls”* |
Democracy, Governance,
& Public Policy |
| 8 |
Sep
25 |
Bickers, Ch. 4; Becker, “ Stiffer Jail Terms Will Make
Gunmen More Gun-Shy”**; Becker, “A Higher Cost of Giving is no Cause
for Low Spirits”** |
Forms of Democracy & Policy Implications |
| 9 |
Sep
30
|
Bickers, Ch. 5; Becker, “Revamp Welfare to Put Children
First** |
Exam 1 |
|
10 |
Oct
02 |
Sowell,
“An Overview”*; Miller, “Supply & Demand”;
Miller “Sex, Booze, & Drugs” |
Supply & Demand |
|
11 |
Oct
07
|
Bickers,
Ch. 6; Miller, “Slave Redemption in the Sudan”;
Miller, “Choice & Life”; Becker, “Democracy is the Soil Where
Capitalism Flourishes Best”** |
Supply &
Demand
|
| 12 |
Oct
09 |
Miller, “Rationing Health Care” Miller, “The Effects of Minimum Wage
|
Supply &
Demand |
|
13 |
Oct
14 |
Beard,
“An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution”* |
No Class |
|
14 |
Oct
21
|
Bickers,
Ch. 7; Miller, “Political Economy” Miller,
“Killer Cars & the Rise of The SUV”; Becker, “More People are Saying
Yes to Legalizing Drugs”** |
The Problem of Collective
Action
|
|
15 |
Oct
23 |
Bickers
Ch. 8; Becker, “Your Tax Dollars are at Work on the Wrong Job”** |
Government & Collective
Action |
|
16 |
Oct
28
|
Bickers,
Ch. 9; Becker. “Change at the White House Plus CA Change.”** |
The Market as A Collective
Mechanism |
|
17 |
Oct
30 |
Miller,
“Property Rights & the Environment” Miller,
“Greenhouse Economics” |
Limitations of the Market
|
COURSE SCHEDULE: CONTINUED
Class |
Dates |
Readings |
Lectures & Discussions/Exams
& Assignments Due |
|
18 |
Nov
04
|
Bickers, Ch. 10; Becker, “To Root Out Corruption Boot Out Big Government”** |
Exam 2 |
|
19 |
Nov
06 |
Sabatier,
“Political Science & Public Policy”* |
Policy Analysis in American Context |
|
20 |
Nov
11
|
Becker, “Tax Free Bonds for Tuition, A Step in the Wrong Direction”** |
Politics & Policy Choice |
|
21 |
Nov
13 |
Friedman,
“Capitalism & Freedom”* |
Bureaucracy |
|
22 |
Nov
18
|
Bickers
Ch.12; Becker “How Bad Studies Get Turned into Bad Policies”** |
Analyzing Proposed Policies |
|
23 |
Nov
20 |
Bickers,
Ch 13 |
Evaluating Existing Policies |
|
24 |
Nov
25 |
Miller,
“Superfund Follies” Miller,
“Crime & Punishment” |
Reform of Public Policy |
|
25 |
Dec
02 |
Miller,
“The Graying of America” Miller,
“The Economics of Weather Forecasting” |
Policy
Journal Due |
|
26 |
Dec
04 |
Read
to Review for Exam |
Final Exam Review |
|
27 |
Dec
11 |
Final Exam: 1:00 – 3:00 |
Final Exam: 1:00 – 3:00 |
* On Reserve at the Library
** On Reserve at the Library and Posted on Blackboard
1. Becker, “The Best Reason to Get People
Off the Dole”
2. Becker, “The Economic Approach to Fighting
Crime”
3. Becker,
“ Stiffer Jail Terms Will Make Gunmen More Gun-Shy”
4. Becker,
“A Higher Cost of Giving is no Cause for Low Spirits.”
5. Becker, “Revamp Welfare to Put Children
First”
6.
Becker, “Democracy is the Soil Where Capitalism
Flourishes Best”
7. Becker, “More People are Saying Yes to
Legalizing Drugs”
8. Becker, “Your Tax Dollars are at Work
on the Wrong Job”
9. Becker. “Change at the White House Plus
CA Change”
10. Becker, “To Root
Out Corruption Boot Out Big Government”
11. Becker, “Tax Free Bonds
for Tuition, A Step in the Wrong Direction”
12. Becker “How Bad Studies Get Turned into
Bad Policies”
Format for Analytical
Thinking
Adapted From
Thomas E. Patterson (2002)
After
studying an assigned reading note down and list the major points made in each
paragraph of the essay. Summarize the main point that Gary S. Becker is making
in his commentary. Then, ask yourself the following questions about each essay:
A.
Can you discern a
particular point of view or value that Becker wants to convey?
B.
What evidence, data,
or arguments does Becker present to either illustrate his thesis or support
the
important points he made in
the essay?
C.
What was the most
convincing part of the essay for you? Least convincing?
D.
Are the arguments
(or points) in the essay presented logically? Does Becker make inappropriate
links between cause and effect?
The idea is to see if an author falls prey to typical logical fallacies such
as attributing that something is the cause of something that follows it simply
because it preceded it in time; finding that he or she makes an assertion
rather than confronting the argument itself; begging the question by making
a conclusion from an unfounded premise; generalizing improperly from a special
case to a general rule. These are just a few common fallacies.
E.
Is Becker guilty
of stereotyping groups, ethnocentrism, use of emotionalism, or propagandistic
techniques?
F.
How did Becker’s
essay support material presented in your textbooks? Are there any challenges
to the material presented in
the chapters?
G.
What new vocabulary
did you learn from the essay?
H.
Describe your own
position on the topic presented in the essay. Has your position been altered
as a result of reading the
essay?
Note: Your answers to these questions
need to be word processed and in paragraph form with complete sentences. Credit
will be given for honest efforts rather than purely correct answers. The instructor
retains the right to assess what is and is not an “honest effort.”
Suggestion: Download a copy of the Analytical
Thinking Exercises from Blackboard. Use the document as a template for answering
the questions.
Updated:
Monday, August 11, 2003
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