MPA Public Policy Core Program

     This program examines how public policy is created, implemented, evaluated and held accountable in the current social, economic and political environment. Building on theoretical foundations that deconstruct common assumptions we will examine how public policy is made, implemented and evaluated through case examples in various policy arenas.
 

Our learning objectives include:

Critical Thinking: Build on established knowledge and skills to deconstruct and deterritorialize common assumptions about politics and policy in order to reconstruct policy perspectives that are just, equitable, and democratic. Build(from last quarter) to examine the role of public administrators and public administration in the policy process.

Reflective Thinking: Develop reflection skills for professional growth and development.  Gain an awareness of how values and beliefs affect the ways public policy is conceived and executed. Through examining agency and political authority, we will become more aware when boundaries blur and policy arenas become fields of play for our personal, institutional, national and global values and beliefs. As such, in order to maximize policy effectiveness, we will seek to be more conscious of our personal worldviews and the intersections of our worldviews with issues of class, race and gender and other forms of difference and "otherness" in policy arenas.

Clarify a Trajectory: Become comfortable with various public policy perspectives, their paradoxical political cultures, and critical issues in order to clarify personal and professional roles and responsibilities in the public policy arena.

Writing: Develop the skills to formulate, analyze, write, present, and critique policy perspectives.

Technologies: Develop proficiency with web-based communication tools.
 
 

Expectations and Evaluation

The program is designed as an active/experiential learning community. Much of what will be learned in this program comes from what the myriad guest speakers bring and the work we do together to weave this knowledge with the readings. Therefore, attendance and engagement are required.
 

Credit for the program and a positive evaluation are contingent upon the following:

1. Attending and participating fully in every class session;
2. Submitting assignments on time;
3. Demonstrating progress on learning objectives, as evidenced by classroom and assignment performance.

Credit denial decisions are by the faculty team. Plagiarism (i.e., using other peoples’ work as your own), failing to complete one or more assignments, completing one or more assignments late (without having made arrangements before the due date), or multiple absences may constitute denial of total credit.

In turn, students can expect the faculty members to be prepared for classes and seminars, to be available for office hours as posted and for scheduled meetings outside of office hours, to respond to telephone or email messages in a timely manner, and to provide timely feedback on assignments.

All students will receive a written evaluation of their academic performance by their seminar leader. Each student is expected to participate in the end of quarter evaluation conference with faculty. For the end of quarter conference, each student is expected to complete and bring to the conference a written self-evaluation – no conference will be conducted without the self-evaluation. Students are also expected to provide a written evaluation of their seminar faculty member. These two evaluations are part of the requirements of the course and must be completed to obtain full credit.

In furtherance of our learning community, we expect students and faculty to:

• Act in accordance with the Evergreen Contract and Student Conduct code.
• Promote a cooperative, supportive atmosphere within the community; give everyone opportunity for self-reflection and expression.
• Use high standards in reading the text and preparing our papers, lectures, and comments in seminar.
• Handle all disputes in a spirit of goodwill.

Active participation in class and seminar activities.

Policy Framing and Analysis Exercise: in a series of steps, you will write a cumulative policy analysis paper throughout the quarter. Each of the sections of the paper will be posted to Web Crossing and students will peer review each others’ work. Each section of the paper should be relatively short (no more than 4-6, double-spaced pages) with a goal of the final paper not exceeding 25 double-spaced pages (excluding bibliography and appendixes). As usual, follow APA (American Psychological Association) citation style.

Students are expected to revise (based upon peer and faculty review) and resubmit all sections in a final, seamless paper, at the end of the quarter.

More information on each individual assignment will be distributed in class one week prior to due dates.

DUE: (Post to Web Crossing)

Part I – Defining/Framing the Policy Arena/Problem: January 18

Peer Review – January 25

Part II – Stakeholder Analysis: February 8

Peer Review – February 15

Part III – Race/Gender/Class Analysis: February 22

Peer Review – February 29

Part IV/All – Implementation Analysis: March 8

Policy Briefing: 5 minutes total, including Q&A: March 6
 
 

1. Application Project Prospectus/Proposal – as already discussed (work with your first reader and seminar faculty). While your readers ultimately accept or reject your AP proposal, you must complete a satisfactory proposal in order to meet the requirements for this program.

Stone, Deborah A. (1997).  Policy Paradox:  The Art of Political Decision Making.  W. W, Norton & Co.  (continuing Stone from Fiscal Policy)

Kingdon, John (1995). Agendas, Alternatives and Public Policies (3nd Edition).  Addison-Wesley; ISBN: 0673523896.

Wildavsky, Aaron and Jeffrey Pressman (1984).  Implementation. (3rd Edition)  University of California Press; ISBN: 0321121856.

Fischer, Frank (2000). Citizens, Experts and the Environment: The Politics of Local Knowledge.  Duke University Press;  ISBN: 0822326221.

Durning, Alan Thein (1996). The Car and the City: 24 Steps to Safe Streets and Healthy Communities (New Report, No. 3).  Northwest Environment Watch; ISBN: 1886093032.

McFarlane, Deborah R. and Kenneth J. Meier (2000).  The Politics of Fertility Control:  Family Planning and Abortion Policies in the American States.  Chatham House; ISBN: 1889119393.

Other readings, either articles or materials from websites, to be arranged.
 
 

SCHEDULE

Week 1 Topic: Framing Public Policy and Policy Problems	1/7 – Framing Public Policy, Policy Arenas and Public Administration Facilitators: Cheryl and Joan	1/9 – Framing Policy Problems  Lecture/Workshop: Cheryl
	ASSIGNMENTS: No Seminar: Web Crossing Training	ASSIGNMENTS: Read and Seminar: Shone and Rein (handout) and Stone (from last quarter)
Week 2 Topic: Theories and Praxis	1/14 – Theories and Praxis of Public Policy Lecture: Joan	1/16 –  Workshop
	ASSIGNMENTS: Read and Seminar: Kingdon (front matter, Chapters 1-5)	ASSIGNMENTS: Read and Seminar: Kingdon (Chapter 6-10) DUE 1/18: POST:  Part I – Defining/Framing the Policy Arena/Problem
Week 3 Topic: Roles and Responsibilities – Citizens and Public Policy	1/21 – Roles and Responsibilities Lecture: Cheryl	1/23 – Roles and Responsibilities – Transportation Policy and Social Engineering Guests: WSDOT TEAM
	ASSIGNMENTS: Read and Seminar: Fischer (front matter, Part I & Part II)	ASSIGNMENTS: Read and Seminar: Fischer (Part III & Part IV) DUE 1/25: POST: PEER REVIEW OF PUBLIC POLICY FRAMING/ANALYSIS – PART I
Week 4 Topic: Policy Analysis	1/28 – Policy Analysis in Theory Lecture: Joan	1/30 – Policy Analysis in Practice Guest: David Schumacher, Senate Ways and Means Analysis Workshop (Joan and Cheryl)
	ASSIGNMENTS: Read and Seminar: Articles (TBA)	ASSIGNMENTS: No Seminar
Week 5	2/4 – 5th Week meetings with Faculty	2/6 – Application Project Group Meetings
	ASSIGNMENTS: No Seminar	ASSIGNMENTS: DUE 2/8: POST:  Part II – Stakeholder Analysis

Week 6 Topic: Public Policy Arenas	2/11 – Corrections, Environmental and Education: Deconstructing the "Other"  Lecture: Cheryl	2/13 - Transportation Policy Deconstructed  Guests: WS DOT Team
	ASSIGNMENTS: Read and Seminar: McFarlane (front Matter, Chapters 1-5)	ASSIGNMENTS: Read and Seminar: Durning (all) DUE: 2/15 POST: PEER REVIEW OF PUBLIC POLICY  FRAMING/ANALYSIS – PART II
Week 7 Topic: Public Policy Arenas	2/18 – Applied Policy Analysis Lecture/Workshop: Cheryl	2/20 – Health Policy  Lecture: Joan In Lecture Hall
	ASSIGNMENTS: Read and Seminar: McFarlane (Chapters 6-end)	ASSIGNMENTS: Read and Seminar: Roberts  Article and deLeon & deLeon Article (in Classroom) DUE 2/22: POST: Part III – Analysis Race/Gender/Class
Week 8 Topics: Policy Implementation and Policy Accountability	2/25 – Implementation and Accountability Workshop: Joan and Cheryl	2/27 – Field Trip "Bowling for Columbine" Capitol Theatre: 6:30 PM
	ASSIGNMENTS: Read and Seminar: Wildavsky	ASSIGNMENTS: NO Seminar/Field Trip DUE: 2/29 POST: PEER REVIEW OF PUBLIC POLICY FRAMING/ ANALYSIS – PART II
Week 9 Topic: Bringing it all Together	3/4 – American Democracy and the Fragmentation of Consensus: Getting Things Done. Lecture: Cheryl	3/6 – Policy Presentations Students Policy Briefings: 5 Minutes Each
	ASSIGNMENTS: No Seminar: Application Project Team Meetings	ASSIGNMENTS: No Seminar DUE 3/8: Part IV Implementation Analysis and into Final Paper
Week 10	3/11 – Student Presentations:  AP proposals	3/13 – Student AP Presentations: AP Proposals
	ASSIGNMENTS: DUE: AP PROPOSALS	ASSIGNMENTS: DUE: AP PROPOSALS
	EVALUATION WEEK