Theories of Public Policy Political Science 330

Transcription

1 Theories of Public Policy Political Science 330 Winter SWKT, 3:00-4:50, MWF Instructor: Sven E. Wilson Phone: Office: 722 SWKT Hours: TuTh, 4-5 pm, and by appointment Course Objectives The four central aims for this course are to improve students 1. understanding normative theory: How are different alternative ethical frameworks used to rationalize public policies? 2. understanding positive theory: How do political forces (identities, interests and institutions) determine the types of public policies that actually occur? 3. application of policy theories: How are the theoretical ideas discussed in the class used to support real policy positions? 4. ability to engage in civic discourse: Can students participate intelligently in three vital areas?: a) critical reading; b) persuasive writing: c) public speaking Pre-Requisites As noted in the University Catalogue, the pre-requisites for this class are: PLSC 110: American Government and Politics PLSC 200: Political Inquiry (Concurrent enrollment in Econ 110 and PLSC 110 are acceptable to satisfy the pre-requisite, but students should have completed PSLC 200 prior to enrollment in this course). Required Texts I have tried to select texts that 1) are very high quality and 2) won t break your budget. The required texts are: 1. Michael J. Sandel Justice: What s the Right Thing to Do? (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) ISBN-13: Charles Wheelan Introduction to Public Policy (Norton) ISBN13: Additional Required Readings

2 Throughout the Course there will be other required readings. These will all be available on Learning Suite. Some of these will be research articles and book chapters put up well in advance of the due date, but some will be analysis of and opinion on current policy topics, which means it may be posted only a day or two before class (these will typically be short, and I will always give you at least 12 hours advance warning). You are also required to bring an iclicker to class every day. Course Requirements: (Weights for grading are given in parentheses) Reading Responses (15%): There is a reading assignment for every session of the course, and for each session you must complete a written Reader Response. For each session, you will respond to a few questions based on your readings. The following policies apply to the Reader Response assignments: o All assignments must be submitted on Learning Suite. o Assignments are due at 3 pm on the day the assigned reading is due. o No late assignments will be accepted. o To get full credit, the reader response must be at least 250 words. o Reader responses are not intended to be well-crafted essays, but they should be thoughtful and reasonably well-written (spelling and grammar must exceed textmessage quality ). o NOTE: Because this class is being taught on the block, you will have 2 reading responses each day, since there are 2 class sessions each day. Persuasive Essays (30%) During the term we will write 4 short essays. These are expected to be highly polished short essays. Sloppy, hastily written and poorly constructed arguments will not receive high grades. A grading rubric for the essays is provided on Learning Suite. The following policies apply: o Each essay must be submitted on Learning Suite o Each essay must be between 800 and 1,200 words. o Late papers will be assigned a penalty of 5% each calendar day they are late up to a total of a 30% reduction. After that, no additional penalties will be assessed. o No late papers will be accepted after midnight on the last day of class, except with prior approval for reasons such as serious illness. o One of the papers can be re-written for a higher grade Specific assignments for essays will be provided on Learning Suite. The due dates are: o Essay 1: Mar. 6 o Essay 2: Mar. 20 o Essay 3: Apr. 3 o Essay 4: Apr. 13

3 o Re-write: Apr. 22 The re-write assignment provides you with the opportunity to improve your grade on one of the essays. This re-write is not required. You can only re-write one of the essays 1-3. You can use a re-write to make up for an essay not submitted previously. INTERNS: Note that the first essay is due BEFORE the end of the legislative session. You will want to get started on it soon so that you are not doing it during the busiest part of the session. Policy Brief (30%) A policy brief is a document whose purpose is to provide the rationale for taking a particular course of action. Your assignment is to write a convincing brief on a policy issue of your choice. The brief should be concise (2,000-2,500 words), highly professional, and effective. It should be both intellectually and visually appealing something that an intelligent person would want to pick up and read if she stumbled across it. This brief should be research-based (but note that it is not a research paper). The grade for the policy brief consists of the following 3 parts: Statement of Intent (March 23): this is a 1-2 paragraph statement of your topic, including why you think it is important and a brief rationale for the position you think you will be taking (you can switch positions later if you convince yourself to take another viewpoint). First Draft (April 8): This is a completed draft of your brief. It will be graded according to the same criteria as the final draft. Final Draft (April 22): The criteria for the final policy brief are found on Learning Suite. INTERNS: It makes a lot of sense to pick for a topic a policy issue you are working on as part of your internship. Civic Discourse (10%) As noted above, improving our civic discourse is a major aim of the course. We practice this in the classroom. Class time will be devoted to discussion, group activities and presentations and writing exercises. Grades in civic discourse will consist of the following: 1) You are expected to participate thoughtfully in class discussions. 2) You are expected to read the essays on the Civic Discourse page on Learning Suite. Any essay that is posted at least 24 hours before class will be fair game for discussion/quiz that day. 3) In-Class Assignments and Quizzes: You will need an iclicker to take quizzes. Please bring it every day. No scores will be dropped. Exams (30%) There will be a final exam: o Final Exam: Wed., April 22, 3-6 pm, in class (240 SWKT)

4 You are responsible for knowing the hours and policies of the Testing Center. Also, per university policy, NO EARLY FINAL EXAMS WILL BE GIVEN. Grades I will assign grades according to the standard scale (A:95%+; A-: 90-94%; B+: 87-89%, B: 83-86%, etc.) based on the course requirements listed above. I anticipate that grades will be approximately normally distributed. It is very likely that I will curve up the grades (meaning you will get a better grade than your raw percentage entitles you too). I will not curve down the grades. This means, for example, if you get 88% you are guaranteed at least a B+, but you may get a higher grade depending on the curve. Managing the Workload Time Management I value your time. There is a lot of work in this class, but hopefully no busywork. I always appreciate student input on how class-time and out-of-class-time can be used more effectively. The BYU Undergraduate Catalogue says, The expectation for undergraduate courses is three hours of work per week per credit hour for the average student who is appropriately prepared; much more time may be required to achieve excellence. The Catalogue also states that excellence is required to achieve an A grade in the course. Given that this is a 3-credit course taken on the block, an average performance will require approximately 18 hours per week. Because there is tremendous variation in the intellectual preparation and background of students, some students may do well with less effort, while some will require significantly more. My estimation of how you will need to allocate this outside class time is as follows (for an average week): o Attending Class: 5 hours o Reading: 5 hours o Reading Responses: 2 hours o Writing Papers: 4 hours per week o Studying Material: 2 hour per week Strategies for success: o Always read before class. The productivity of class discussion both for you and for other students is greatly reduced if you are not prepared. o Review readings immediately following class. Class discussion will help you see what you read in a different light. o Take notes in class. The act of writing something down makes it more likely you will remember it. Some class notes will be made available to you electronically, but these shouldn t be a substitute for taking your own notes. Keep in mind, your instructor often says brilliant and insightful things that are not on any of the Powerpoint slides. o Start papers early. Writing is better if you have time to think in between your writing sessions. All-nighters rarely produce good papers.

5 o Get feedback on your writing. Read each others papers. Visit the FHSS Writing Center for help. Talk with your instructor. o Review your class notes regularly. Regular study is far more effective and efficient than cramming and you might actually remember something after you take the exam. o Utilize office hours. I m here to help. Please come see me. o Study with classmates. As long as you don t spend too much time flirting or watching You-Tube together, study groups can be very effective means of helping one another master the material. University Policies Honor Code In keeping with the principles of the BYU Honor Code, students are expected to be honest in all of their academic work. Academic honesty means, most fundamentally, that any work you present as your own must in fact be your own work and not that of another. Violations of this principle may result in a failing grade in the course and additional disciplinary action by the university. Students are also expected to adhere to the Dress and Grooming Standards. Adherence demonstrates respect for yourself and others and ensures an effective learning and working environment. It is the university's expectation, and my own expectation in class, that each student will abide by all Honor Code standards. Please call the Honor Code Office at if you have questions about those standards. Sexual Harassment Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds. The act is intended to eliminate sex discrimination in education and pertains to admissions, academic and athletic programs, and universitysponsored activities. Title IX also prohibits sexual harassment of students by university employees, other students, and visitors to campus. If you encounter sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination, please talk to your professor or contact one of the following: the Title IX Coordinator at ; the Honor Code Office at ; the Equal Employment Office at ; or Ethics Point at or (24-hours). Student Disability Brigham Young University is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that reasonably accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have any disability which may impair your ability to complete this course successfully, please contact the University Accessibility Center (UAC), 2170 WSC or Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified, documented disabilities. The UAC can also assess students for learning, attention, and emotional concerns. Services are coordinated with the student and instructor by the UAC. If you need assistance or if you feel you have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of disability, you may seek resolution through established grievance policy and procedures by contacting the Equal Employment Office at , D-285 ASB. Academic Honesty

6 The first injunction of the Honor Code is the call to "be honest." Students come to the university not only to improve their minds, gain knowledge, and develop skills that will assist them in their life's work, but also to build character. "President David O. McKay taught that character is the highest aim of education" (The Aims of a BYU Education, p.6). It is the purpose of the BYU Academic Honesty Policy to assist in fulfilling that aim. BYU students should seek to be totally honest in their dealings with others. They should complete their own work and be evaluated based upon that work. They should avoid academic dishonesty and misconduct in all its forms, including but not limited to plagiarism, fabrication or falsification, cheating, and other academic misconduct. Plagiarism Intentional plagiarism is a form of intellectual theft that violates widely recognized principles of academic integrity as well as the Honor Code. Such plagiarism may subject the student to appropriate disciplinary action administered through the university Honor Code Office, in addition to academic sanctions that may be applied by an instructor. Inadvertent plagiarism, which may not be a violation of the Honor Code, is nevertheless a form of intellectual carelessness that is unacceptable in the academic community. Plagiarism of any kind is completely contrary to the established practices of higher education where all members of the university are expected to acknowledge the original intellectual work of others that is included in their own work. In some cases, plagiarism may also involve violations of copyright law. Intentional Plagiarism-Intentional plagiarism is the deliberate act of representing the words, ideas, or data of another as one's own without providing proper attribution to the author through quotation, reference, or footnote. Inadvertent Plagiarism-Inadvertent plagiarism involves the inappropriate, but non-deliberate, use of another's words, ideas, or data without proper attribution. Inadvertent plagiarism usually results from an ignorant failure to follow established rules for documenting sources or from simply not being sufficiently careful in research and writing. Although not a violation of the Honor Code, inadvertent plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct for which an instructor can impose appropriate academic sanctions. Students who are in doubt as to whether they are providing proper attribution have the responsibility to consult with their instructor and obtain guidance. Examples of plagiarism include: Direct Plagiarism-The verbatim copying of an original source without acknowledging the source. Paraphrased Plagiarism-The paraphrasing, without acknowledgement, of ideas from another that the reader might mistake for the author's own. Plagiarism Mosaic-The borrowing of words, ideas, or data from an original source and blending this original material with one's own without acknowledging the source. Insufficient Acknowledgement-The partial or incomplete attribution of words, ideas, or data from an original source. Plagiarism may occur with respect to unpublished as well as published material. Copying another student's work and submitting it as one's own individual work without proper attribution is a serious form of plagiarism. Respectful Environment "Sadly, from time to time, we do hear reports of those who are at best insensitive and at worst insulting in their comments to and about others... We hear derogatory and sometimes even defamatory comments about those with different political, athletic, or ethnic views or experiences. Such behavior is completely out of place at BYU, and I enlist the aid of all to monitor carefully and, if necessary, correct any such that might occur here, however inadvertent or unintentional. "I worry particularly about demeaning comments made about the career or major choices of women or men either directly or about members of the BYU community generally. We must remember that personal agency is a fundamental principle and that none of us has the right or option to criticize the lawful choices of another." President Cecil O. Samuelson, Annual University Conference, August 24, 2010 "Occasionally, we... hear reports that our female faculty feel disrespected, especially by students, for choosing to work at BYU, even though each one has been

7 approved by the BYU Board of Trustees. Brothers and sisters, these things ought not to be. Not here. Not at a university that shares a constitution with the School of the Prophets." Vice President John S. Tanner, Annual University Conference, August 24, 2010 Inappropriate Use Of Course Materials All course materials (e.g., outlines, handouts, syllabi, exams, quizzes, PowerPoint presentations, lectures, audio and video recordings, etc.) are proprietary. Students are prohibited from posting or selling any such course materials without the express written permission of the professor teaching this course. To do so is a violation of the Brigham Young University Honor Code. Deliberation Guidelines To facilitate productive and open discussions about sensitive topics about which there are differing opinions, members of the BYU community should: (1) Remember that we are each responsible for enabling a productive, respectful dialogue. (2) To enable time for everyone to speak, strive to be concise with your thoughts. (3) Respect all speakers by listening actively. (4) Treat others with the respect that you would like them to treat you with, regardless of your differences. (5) Do not interrupt others. (6) Always try to understand what is being said before you respond. (7) Ask for clarification instead of making assumptions. (8) When countering an idea, or making one initially, demonstrate that you are listening to what is being said by others. Try to validate other positions as you assert your own, which aids in dialogue, versus attack. (9) Under no circumstances should an argument continue out of the classroom when someone does not want it to. Extending these conversations beyond class can be productive, but we must agree to do so respectfully, ethically, and with attention to individuals' requests for confidentiality and discretion. (10) Remember that exposing yourself to different perspectives helps you to evaluate your own beliefs more clearly and learn new information. (11) Remember that just because you do not agree with a person's statements, it does not mean that you cannot get along with that person. (12) Speak with your professor privately if you feel that the classroom environment has become hostile, biased, or intimidating. Adapted from the Deliberation Guidelines published by The Center for Democratic Deliberation. ( beration%20guidelines)