PST 101: Introduction to Analysis of Public Policy
PST 101
Introduction to Analysis of Public Policy
(3 credits)
Class Size: 15-25
Faculty: Richard Barton, Assistant Teaching Professor, Syracuse University
Administrative Contact: Eric Young, Senior Associate Director, Project Advance
Course Catalog Description
Develop research and problem solving skills to create government policies that address current social and economic problems facing the United States. Students study policy problems of their choice. Shared Competencies Critical and Creative Thinking; Information Literacy and Technological Agility.
Course Overview
The overall goal Public Affairs 101, Introduction to the Analysis of Public Policy is provide the two most important goals of all undergraduate programs—to give the students the skills and perspectives to do well and do good or to be more formal, to prepare for careers and to be effective citizens.
It provides students with basic research, communication, and decision-making skills used in public policy analysis. In addition, students are required to read and analyze newspaper articles on local, state, and federal public policies. Students chose a public policy topic of interest to them and come up with a policy they would support.
The content coverage of the course, while important, is secondary to the development of a range of applied social science skills that will help the student make more informed choices as a citizen, worker, and consumer. These include the ability to: define and identify the components of public policy issues; communicate ideas and findings with respect to public policy issues; collect information on public policy issues, use graphs, tables and statistics to analyze public policy, examine the use of surveys and informal interviewing procedures; identify a social problem and come up with a proposed public policy to deal with it; list the benefits and costs of a proposed public policy; forecast the impact of the policy on societal conditions; analyze the political factors and develop strategies to implement a proposed public policy; identify essential features of major current public policy issues; and work in teams effectively.
Students complete five Modules (highly structured papers) over the semester covering:
1. Introduction to basic concepts required in the analysis of public policy
2. Acquiring information: surveys, use of the library, and use of experts
3. Formulating public policy
4. Evaluating public policy
5. Implementing public policy
Pre- / Co-requisites
N/A
Course Objectives
Students improve skills in the following 10 basic skill sets throughout the course:
- Taking Responsibility
- Developing Physical Skills
- Communicating Verbally
- Communicating in Writing
- Working Directly with People
- Influencing People
- Gathering Information
- Using Quantitative Tools
- Asking and Answering the Right Questions
- Solving Problems
Students will be able to define and apply the following concepts required for public policy analysis.
- Become willing and able to “do-good” effectively.
- Define and identify the components of public policy issues.
- Identify a social problem and come up with a proposed public policy to deal with it.
- List the benefits and costs of a proposed public policy.
- Develop benchmarks to assess the impact of your policy on societal conditions.
- Analyze the political factors and develop strategies to implement a proposed public policy.
- Identify essential features of major current public policy issues.
Laboratory
N/A
Required Materials
Public Policy Skills In Action: A Pragmatic Approach
Publication Date: May 1, 2017
Hard Text – ISBN: 9781538100196
eText – ISBN: 9781538100202
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How to win friends & influence people : updated for the next generation of leaders (Gallery Books trade paperback edition. Revised). (2022). Gallery Books an imprint of Simon & Schuster.