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Canyon College

COURSE SYLLABUS: PA554 - Public Policy Analysis

Course Title:	PA554 - Public Policy Analysis
Department:	School of Political Science & Public Administration
Instructor:	Marvin Tanner, MPA, E-Mail -- Vita
Phone:	(510) 463-8900

Course Description:

Public Policy Analysis covers a systematic analysis of public policy alternatives, factors, and processes involved in policy development, including development of agency goals and objectives.

Goals / Objectives:
Upon the successful completion of the course, students should have an understanding of the:

• Most common approaches to policy development
• Major theories, models, and concepts of policy analysis
• Role of government in American life
• Impact of the internal and external environment of policymaking
• Role of legislation and agency regulations on policy development
• Impact of the budget process on policy development
• Role of evaluation and revision in policymaking

Required Texts  Online Bookstore

Lester, James P. and Joseph Stewart, Jr. Public Policy - An Evolutionary Approach, , (2nd Edition). Wadsworth. (August 1999)
ISBN: 0534550088

General Conduct of Class:

1. At the time of registration, please send the instructor an email message with the following information: Name, e-mail address, phone number, professional work experience, educational background, and anything else you would like to share.
2. This course consists of 8 one week modules.
3. The class week starts on Monday and ends on Sunday.
4. Readings and written assignments are assigned for each class week.
5. Students are required to complete each module within a one-week time frame. All written assignments are due on the last day of each class week.
6. Electronic mail is the preferred method of communication for this course. Please resort to telephone contact only in the case of an emergency.
7. In that the class is structured in an asynchronous format, students may complete course assignments anytime during the week in which they are assigned. Nevertheless, please check the classroom and your email frequently for announcements or feedback.

Academic Requirements:

1. Students are expected to complete course assignments in a professional manner reflecting quality academic work.
2. All written assignments must be in APA format. Grading is based upon application of course concepts and professional presentation. Grammar, punctuation, spelling and composition are grade components.
3. Written assignments are to be emailed to the instructor as attachments in MS WORD format.
4. Academic honesty is non-negotiable. All assignments submitted in fulfillment of course requirements must be the student's own work. Plagiarism and/or any other form of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will result in a grade of zero on the assignment.
5. Written assignments must be submitted by Sunday of the week assigned. Late assignments will be penalized. Assignments late less than 7 days will be penalized 50% of their original value. Assignments more than 7 days late will receive no credit. No work received after the last Sunday of the course term will be accepted. Students will not be permitted to resubmit papers to improve a grade.

Written Assignments:

Weekly Summary
Public policy analysis pertains to thinking your way through policy issues with an eye toward the development of alternatives and potential solutions. To develop this perspective, each week students are to submit a summary of their primary discovery for the week, provide a contemporary example related to those discovery, and offer ideas about the real-life applications of the primary concepts presented by the text. Each weekly summary should be 1000 – 1250 words in length. (Note: You may find the discussion questions at the end of each chapter a useful guide to help you decide what to address in your weekly summary.)

Grading Criteria
Weekly Summaries:

Weeks 1 & 2 - 5%
Weeks 3 & 4 - 10%
Weeks 5 & 6 - 15%
Weeks 7 & 8 - 20%


Grade Structure

A = 90 - 100%
B = 80 - 89%
C = 70 - 79%
F = < 69%

Course Schedule

Week 1
Readings:
1. The Nature of Public Policy.
Written Assignment:
Weekly Summary 1

Week 2
Readings:
2. The Evolution of Public Policy and Policy Studies. 3. Approaches to Public Analysis.
Written Assignment:
Weekly Summary 2

Week 3
Readings:
4. Models and Public Policy Studies. 5. Agenda Setting.
Written Assignment:
Weekly Summary 3

Week 4
Readings:
6. Policy Formulation. 7. Policy Implementation.
Written Assignment:
Weekly Summary 4

Week 5
Readings:
8. Policy Evaluation. 9. Policy Change and Termination
Written Assignment:
Weekly Summary 5

Week 6
Readings:
10. Educational Policy. 11. Welfare Policy.
Written Assignment:
Weekly Summary 6

Week 7
Readings:
12. Crime Policy. 13. Environmental Policy.
Written Assignment:
Weekly Summary 7

Week 8
Readings:
14. Utilizing Policy Analysis. 15. Taking Stock: The Evolution of Policy Studies.
Written Assignment:
Weekly Summary 8