James M. Rogers, Associate Professor Office Hours:
459 Gladfelter Hall T/TH, 10:30–11:30 a.m.
jrogers@temple.edu T/TH, 1:30–2:30 p.m.
http://astro.temple.edu/~jrogers/ & by Appointment
NATIONAL PUBLIC POLICY
PS 505 -Fall 2004
This course surveys salient areas of U.S. public policy and policy theory. It covers environmental, health care, drug control, labor, telecommunications, immigration, science and technology, and national security policy. Theories of American politics concerning institutions, interest groups, the policy process, and policy outcomes are considered along the way. The journey will begin with an overview of the American policy system from a structural perspective that stresses the consequences of fragmentation of authority on policy output.
The purposes of this venture are to familiarize students with significant areas of policy substance and theory and to aid their development as policy researchers. To further these objectives students will (1) read and discuss assigned readings, (2) write three 4-page critiques of books from the assigned reading list, and (3) plan and execute a research paper. Students are encouraged to adapt the research project to their particular policy interests and developmental needs. Class sessions will adopt the seminar format wherein time is devoted to discussion of issues or questions that emanate from the reading assignments and related matters. For this to work well everyone must complete readings as assigned and come to class with issues for discussion and questions in mind.
Grades for the course are based and weighted as follows:
Class Participation Research Paper Proposal Critiques (3) Research Paper |
20% 10% 30% 40% |
The books listed below encompass all of the assigned readings except that for week two. They are listed in the order in which they are taken up and should be available at the Temple University Bookstore. Be advised that shortly after midterm the bookstore returns all books not yet purchased to the publisher.
Baumgartner, Frank R., and Bryan D. Jones. 2002. Policy Dynamics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Marmore, Theodore. 2000. The Politics of Medicare: Social Institutions and Social Change. 2nd Edition. New York: Aldine De Gruyter.
Gonzalez, George A. 2001. Corporate Power and the Environment: The Political Economy of U.S. Environmental Policy. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Donovan, Mark C. 2001. Taking Aim: Target Populations and the Wars on AIDS and Drugs. Georgetown University Press.
MacCoun, Robert J., and Peter Reuter. 2002. Drug War Heresies: Learning from Other Vices, Times, and Places. Cambridge University Press.
Robertson, David Brian. 2000. Capital, Labor, and State: The Battle for American Labor Markets from the Civil War to the New Deal. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.
Course Outline & Assignments
1. September 2: Introduction to the Course.
2. September 9: The Political Economy of Policy Restraint in the United States.
Robertson, David B. and Judd, Dennis R. 1989. The Development of American Public Policy: The Structure of Restraint. New York: HarperCollins, Chapters 1, 2, & 6.
3. September 16: Policy Dynamics I.
Baumgartner, Frank R., and Bryan D. Jones. 2002. Policy Dynamics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, pp. vii-95.
4. September 23: Policy Dynamics II.
Baumgartner and Jones, pp. 96-204.
5. September 30: Policy Dynamics III.
Baumgartner and Jones, pp. 205-306.
Critique Due for Group A
Research Paper Proposal Due September 30. Critique Group A can submit on October 7 without penalty. |
6. October 7: Medicare & it’s Origins.
Marmore, Theodore. 2000. The Politics of Medicare: Social Institutions and Social Change. 2nd Edition. New York: Aldine De Gruyter, Introduction & Part I.
7. October 14: The Politics of Medicare, 1966-2004.
Marmore, Part II.
Critique Due for Group B
8. October 21: Environmental Policy.
Gonzalez, George A. 2001. Corporate Power and the Environment: The Political Economy of U.S. Environmental Policy. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, entire.
Critique Due for Group A
9. October 28: AIDS, Drugs, and Policy Targeting.
Donovan, Mark C. 2001. Taking Aim: Target Populations and the Wars on AIDS and Drugs. Georgetown University Press, entire.
Critique Due for Group B
10. November 4: Drug Control Policy I.
MacCoun, Robert J., and Peter Reuter. 2002. Drug War Heresies: Learning from Other Vices, Times, and Places. Cambridge University Press, pp. xv-127.
11. November 11: Drug Control Policy II.
MacCoun and Reuter, pp. 128-299.
12. November 18: Drug Control Policy III.
MacCoun and Reuter, pp. 300-409.
Critique Due for Group A
13. November 23*: Labor Market Policy I.
Robertson, David Brian. 2000. Capital, Labor, and State: The Battle for American Labor Markets from the Civil War to the New Deal. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, pp. xi-124.
*Tuesday follows Thursday schedule by order of the University.
14. December 2: Labor Market Policy II.
Robertson, pp. 125-279.
Critique Due for Group B
Research Paper Due December 9 |