P ADM 507: Public Policy Analysis (3 credits). Introduction to the analysis of public policy within its organizational and political contexts, including an emphasis on an economic perspective.
Prerequisite: 3 credits of American government and 3 credits of basic economics
Overview | Objectives | Technical Specifications | Materials| Library Resources | Evaluation | Grading | Schedule | Academic Integrity | Policies
Course Overview
The course provides an introduction to the field of policy analysis that focuses on the process of public policy formulation, implementation, and modification. In this course, we will explore the process of policy analysis, including problem formulation, selection of evaluation criteria, comparison of alternatives, political and organizational constraints, and implementation and evaluation. Students will review basic economic and microeconomic principles, theories, and models, with an emphasis on justification for government intervention. Throughout the semester, students will apply these concepts and approaches to by developing a policy analysis of a relevant topic.
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Learning Objectives
This course is designed to increase your ability to:
- Compare models of the policy process
- Explain what policy analysis is
- Describe what policy analysts do [Leave it in at this moment]
- Explore the context of policy analysis
- Become familiar with basic microeconomic principles
- Identify economic rationale for government action
- Associate the application of concepts to public policy issues
- Develop a basic policy analysis
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Technical Specifications
| Operating System | Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version |
|---|---|
| Processor | 2 GHz or higher |
| Memory | 1 GB of RAM |
| Hard Drive Space | 20 GB free disk space |
| Browser | We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or
Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion,
and for advice on downloading a supported version,
please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers.
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses. |
| Plug-ins | Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe]
Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe] |
| Additional Software | Microsoft Office (2007 or later) |
| Internet Connection | Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required |
| Printer | Access to graphics-capable printer |
| DVD-ROM | Required |
| Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers | Required |
| Monitor | Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
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Course Materials:
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
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This course requires that you access Penn State library materials specifically reserved for this course. You can access these materials by selecting Library Resources in your course navigation, or by accessing the Library E-Reserves Search and search for your instructor's last name.
Many of Penn State's library resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Library Resources and Services for World Campus and Distance Education Web site, you can...
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep...or even your desktop
- ask a librarian for research help via e-mail, chat, or phone using the ASK! service
...and much more!
NOTE: You must have an active Penn State Access Account and be registered with the University Libraries in order to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and services. Registration and services are free!return to top of page
Course Requirements
Performance in the course is evaluated through your written work, presentation to the class of your progress on assignments and through your informed participation in class discussions. Active participation and timely completion of all readings and assignments is a precondition of successful completion of this course. Assignments throughout this course give you the opportunity to work as a policy analyst does.
The course consists of a variety of ways to engage you in learning as well as to assess your learning. Below are the graded activities:
- Group Research Project: there are several graded activities scheduled to be completed in three milestones.
- Peer Evaluation of the Presentations: your evaluation of other groups' work is a component of your own grade.
- Participation in P ADM 507 Course Blog: as a class, we will use the course blog to gather your analysis and responses to the questions in some of the lessons, and to gather your own opinions and reflections.
There are also some ungraded exercises to help you reflect on and examine your learning process, and apply to what you learn to your group project, which include Comprehension Checks, Reflection Questions, and Application of the Group Project.
Group Research Project
Students will work in small groups throughout the semester to develop a policy analysis. Successful projects have analyzed a diverse range of topics, including analyses of: texting while driving, management of Pennsylvania's deer population, school district consolidation, mental health facility entrance requirements, regional light rail plans, and means of closing highway maintenance funding gaps. The class will be sorted into groups based on your selection. It will then be the responsibility of the group to identify a narrowly focused policy issue within your area. This focused issue will be the topic of your policy analysis. You are strongly advised to focus as tightly as possible on a particular policy problem. State and local issues often provide a much richer set of problems than do national concerns ("How to fix public insurance," for example, is not accomplishable within the scope of this course). These projects all addressed specific problems within a particular policy area.
Here are the list of the policy interest areas:
- Environment
- Transportation
- Health
- Education
- Budgeting
In order to form groups with similar policy interests, please rank your top three areas of policy interest in the Research Project Interest survey. Also, If you can, briefly note a topic of interest within your top choices (Note: You will be directed to take the "Research Project Interest" survey in at the end of Lesson 1).
Your group will present your progress on this issue. Your group will make three presentations to the class via VoiceThread and submit three short papers and an executive summary via ANGEL:
- Presentations are your opportunity to update your colleagues on your project, much as workgroups in an organization meet regularly to communicate and brainstorm. These should incorporate PowerPoint or brief written or visual material and should summarize your topic and progress in no more than five minutes for the first and second paper presentations and no more than 10 minutes for the final paper).
- Taking the feedback to your narrated presentations into consideration, revise your papers, and submit your group papers to the appropriate ANGEL dropbox. Papers should be addressed to your client and should formally note your progress on their behalf.
The development of your group research project should be completed in three milestone schedule. Each milestone includes two major components: the presentation of the paper (to get feedback from the class) and the paper (completed with the feedback):
First Milestone
- First presentation: problem definition
Imagine you are a policy analyst and have just been tasked with providing your analysis of a policy issue. Summarize the policy issue and the relevant background information and political context necessary to frame this issue. Submit a narrated PowerPoint of no more than six slides and no longer than five minutes using VoiceThread.
- First paper: problem, context, and audience
Define the problem by providing background information necessary to understand your analysis. You should place the problem in context, identify stakeholders, and provide appropriate theories or data to allow the client to understand the scope and severity of the issue. The paper should be approximately 1,800-2,000 words in length.
Second Milestone
- Second presentation
Recap your problem area for your colleagues; identify what you see as the key components of this issue, present your approach to the issue as well as your criteria for evaluating possible solutions. Submit a narrated PowerPoint of no more than six slides and no longer than five minutes using VoiceThread.
- Second paper
Begin with a refined statement of the policy issue and present a list of policy goals as well as possible strategies for realizing those goals. The paper should be approximately 2,400-3,000 words in length.
Final Milestone
- Executive summary
Submit and present an executive summary of your project. Papers may be no longer than one single page.
- Final presentation
Each team will have no more than 10 minutes to present a coherent summary of their analysis using VoiceThread. Briefly summarize the problem, objectives, options, and the results of your analysis. Because of the limited time, you will have to carefully plan your presentation and practice to ensure a smooth delivery. No more than eight slides.
- Final paper
Briefly describe the problem, place it in context and identify relevant stakeholders, and describe the policy's goals, criteria, and options. Include a full assessment and prediction of how each policy option might fare by the criteria. The heart of your analysis is your assessment of which strategies would be most effective and the trade-offs inherent in choosing one option over another. The paper should be approximately 5,000-6,000 words in length.
Use the style guide for the American Psychological Association (APA) for proper formatting. Be sure to include citations for all direct quotes and paraphrases. Turn in the paper assignments as Word files to the appropriate drop box in Angel.
Peer Evaluation of the Presentation
You will be asked to evaluate other groups' presentations of each milestone using a rubric after Please keep in mind that your assessment of these presentations will not affect your peers' grades for these assignments. Rather, your evaluation of their work is a component of your own grade.This assignment is designed to help you look critically at others' presentations so that you can develop your own subsequent presentations more effectively.
Participation in Course Blog
"Participation" is defined as the overall presence in the course blog by which each student contributes to the learning of others. In essence, the blog is our classroom discussion space. and the expectation is that everyone will promptly "attend" the conversations as active and well-prepared participants and as thoughtful inquirers. You will need to comment on entries posted by the instructor. You also have the ability to start your own discussions to raise questions or share points of interest with the class by submitting your own posts. Please be aware that what you post on the blog can be seen by others on the Internet.
Also, in order to allow for a fluid conversation to develop, students should submit their initial responses no later than midnight Eastern Standard Time (hereafter, EST) on Thursday and should comment on at least one other response by the end of the week.
Should an extenuating situation arise, students need to contact the instructor prior to the need for an extension or other "absence" from class. In order to participate in the course blog, you'll need to activate your PSU personal Web space privileges. You can do this by going to http://www.personal.psu.edu/. Review the FAQs on policies and procedures, and then follow the "Apply for Web space" link.
Comprehension Checks/Reflection Questions/Application to the Group Project
Throughout the course you'll encounter a number of ungraded learning activities. Comprehension checks are short answer questions designed to assess your comprehension and retention of course material. Later, you'll also find Reflection Questions; these are more open-ended questions that ask you to extend course material beyond the texts. Finally, as the course winds down, you'll be asked to work on the Application to the Group Project activtity that connects course material to your own semester-long projects.
Grading Scheme
The graded activities and the percentage of your course grade associated with the activities are as follows.
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Graded Activities
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Points
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| Research Project (75 points) | First Milestone | 1st Presentation |
10
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| 1st Paper |
10
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| Second Milestone | 2nd Presentation |
10
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| 2nd Paper |
10
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| Third Milestone | Executive Summary |
5
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| Final Presentation | 15 | ||
| Final Paper |
15
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| Peer Evaluation of Presentation |
5
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| Participation |
20
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Total |
100
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Based on the points earned on each of the graded activities, your course grade will be determined by the scales presented in the table below:
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GRADING SCALE |
|||
|
Percentage |
Grade |
Percentage |
Grade |
| 94.00 and Above | A | 77.00-79.99 | C+ |
| 90.00-93.99 | A- | 70.00-76.99 | C |
| 87.00-89.99 | B+ | 60.00-69.99 | D |
| 83.00-86.99 | B | Below 60 | F |
| 80.00-82.99 | B- | ||
Performance is evaluated on the basis of your course work on the assignments listed in the syllabus. Your course grade depends on the points accumulated during the semester. Use the table above to keep a record of your progress.
Note: Your grade on assignments will be reduced by 5% for each day of tardiness in receipt of work by the Instructor. Submit your work on time as scheduled.
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
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Course Schedule
The schedule below outlines the topics we will be covering in this course, along with the associated time frames and assignments. Note that assignments are due based on EST. This ensures that all students have the same deadlines regardless of where they live.
- Course length: 16 weeks
Note: Deadlines will be defined as 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the last day of the lesson timeframe, unless noted different!
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Academic Integrity
Academic integrity — scholarship free of fraud and deception — is an important educational objective of Penn State. Academic dishonesty can lead to a failing grade or referral to the Office of Student Conduct.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:
- cheating
- plagiarism
- fabrication of information or citations
- facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others
- unauthorized prior possession of examinations
- submitting the work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor and securing written approval
- tampering with the academic work of other students
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, procedure requires an instructor to notify a student of suspected dishonesty before filing a charge and recommended sanction with the college. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If a disciplinary sanction also is recommended, the case will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us.
Additionally, World Campus students are expected to act with civility and personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and others, and a civil community.
For More Information on Academic Integrity at Penn State
Please see the Academic Integrity Chart for specific college contact information or visit one of the following URLs:
- Penn State Senate Policy on Academic Integrity
- iStudy for Success! — learn about plagiarism, copyright, and academic integrity through an educational module
- Turnitin a web-based plagiarism detection and prevention system
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Policies
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Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.