Overview: Where do public policies come from? Why do they work or fail? Who is responsible for setting the agenda, implementing policies, and measuring the outcomes (intended or otherwise) of American public policy? These are a few of the questions that will guide our work in POLS 155. After reviewing the canonical literature, and learning the about institutional nuts and bolts, we will take a closer look at urban policy issues, with a particular focus on race, class, and the socio-, economic-, and ecological impact of sprawl.

Attendance: Required. You will be graded, in part, on your ability to incorporate material from the class that cannot be found in the readings. To do well, you need to both attend and participate in all classes.

Reading: Reading is to be completed for the day listed on the syllabus. The required books are listed below. Additional reading is found on-line and on reserve in the Cowles Library.

Listserv: Every student must subscribe to a class listserv. The listserv will be used for class announcements, such as schedule changes, as well as comments about how the class is going. You may also send a question to the listserv for further discussion or clarification. To sign up, send an E-mail to: mailserv@acad.drake.edu and in the text of the message type: subscribe pols155-l. See my home page for more details.

Extra-credit: Students who publish a letter "To the Editor" dealing with a class-related issue during the term will receive extra-credit. (5 points for the Des Moines Register and 15 points for the New York Times)

Exams: There are two scheduled exams in addition to the final. Each exam will ask you to answer two out of three 40-point long-essay questions. Exams are an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the central issues in the readings and lectures. (80 points per exam)

Term Paper: There is one required 10-page paper. The paper must follow a standard college citation style and obey the rules of academic honesty. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. There are mandatory outline and rough draft deadlines. A good paper will present theory and evidence, and it will make an original argument. It will also require significant time in the library over the course of the semester doing research. Term paper guidelines and suggested topics will appear on the class web site. The paper is due in class on April 16. (100 points)

Final Exam: There will be an in-class final exam. You will be asked to answer two out of three 20-point short-essay questions as well as two out of three 50-point long-essay questions. (140 points)

Grading: There are 400 possible points. Distinguished class participation or a published letter to the editor can raise your final grade. Unexcused absences will lower your final grade. Grades are calculated as follows:

Week One: (January 21-25) Introduction to Public Policy
T: Introduction
H: (T&C) # 42, pp. 372-376 & #46, pp. 393-402 {No class meeting: please join a listserv discussion of these readings during class time} Dr. Shulman is presenting the Digital Citizenship project at the annual meeting of the American Association of Colleges and Universities in Washington, DC.

Week Two: (January 28-February 1) Studying Policy
T: (A) Chapter 1, pp. ix-37 & (T&C) #1, pp. 1-9
H: (T&C) #2 & 3, pp. 10-33 & #45, pp. 389-393

Week Three: (February 4-February 8) Groups, Rules, and Power
T: (T&C) #37-40, pp. 333-368
H: (T&C) #8-10, pp. 58-85

Week Four: (February 11-15) Policy Makers and Assorted Other "Players"
T: (A) Chapter 2, pp. 39-84
H: (T&C) #22, pp. 201-211 & #35-36, pp. 317-332 {No class meeting: please join in the listserv discussion of these readings during class time} Dr. Shulman and six Drake student collaborators are presenting a new paper, Digital Citizenship: A Pathway to Environmental Justice, at an interdisciplinary conference titled Environmental Justice and Global Citizenship in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Week Five: (February 18-22) Agency Personnel
T: (T&C) #27-29, pp. 251-277
H: Guest Speaker: Lynn Richards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation

Week Six: (February 25-March 1) Exam #1 & Policy Formulation
T: Exam #1
H: (A) Chapter 3, pp. 85-126

Week Seven: (March 4-8) Muddling Through: Agenda-Setting & Incrementalism
T: (T&C) #11-13, pp. 86-113
H: (T&C) #14-15, pp. 113-137 -- Paper outline due date (E-mail a 1-page outline to me)

Week Eight: (March 11-15) Policy Adoption and the Congress
T: (A) Chapter 4, pp. 127-162
H: (T&C) #23-24, pp. 212-224

Spring Break (March 18-22)

Week Nine: (March 25-29) Budgets
T: (A) Chapter 5, pp. 163-199
H: Rough draft workshop -- Bring 2 copies of your draft term paper

Week Ten: (April 1-5) Implementation
T: (A) Chapter 6, pp. 201-259
H: (T&S) #16-17, pp. 137-153

Week Eleven: (April 8-12) Evaluation & Exam #2
T: (A) Chapter 7, pp. 261-308
H: Exam #2

Week Twelve: (April 15-19) Place, Segregation & Sprawl
T: (DMS) Preface-2, pp. xi-55 -- Term paper due in class
H: (DMS) Chapter 3, pp. 56-91

Week Thirteen: (April 22-26) The Road Less Traveled & Poverty
T: (DMS) Chapter 4, pp. 92-132
H: (DMS) Chapter 5, pp. 133-172

Week Fourteen: (April 29-May 3) Regionalism & 21st Century Metropolitics
T: (DMS) Chapter 6, pp. 173-200
H: (DMS) Chapter 7, pp. 201-229

Week Fifteen: (May 6-10) Crossing the City Line
T: (DMS) Chapter 8, pp. 230-260
H: Review Class