This course surveys the political, legal and social context of natural and cultural resource policies and programs with an emphasis on their impacts on indigenous nations. Students will become familiar with the processes and administrative requirements for implementing federal and state laws in various actions and planning processes including global contexts. The relationship between administration and science in organizations will be explored as well as the intricate relationships between indigenous science and formal scientific approaches that come about in implementing this suite of laws and policies.

This class explores the legal and historical contexts of nonprofit organizations as they play an ever-expanding role in the public arena in public policy processes and service provision. The focus is on the study of collaboration, and intergovernmental approaches to problem-solving through partnerships, alliances and umbrella organizations. Class meetings and on-site visits are designed to encourage students to pursue questions regarding the role and effectiveness of nonprofit organizations and partnerships with local, state and federal government through applied research. The emphasis is on the design and preparation of a research proposal and the preparation of a research paper.

The course introduces students to the basic issues in public administration while recognizing issues of social justice. It is designed to provide a framework for understanding U.S., state and tribal political and economic history with an emphasis on how different levels of government work and interact. Globalization is critically examined, along with its roles in economic and political policy-making; the resulting impacts and relevance to governance are key areas.