Public policy affects the lives of all citizens of organized societies. Therefore, PLSC 490 provides an in-depth study of the public policy-making and evaluation processes. The course is designed to provide the organizational context in which public policy is made including the processes of public policy formulation, implementation, evaluation, and modification. Since virtually all government goods and services are products of public policies their resulting impact on society is a crucial component of policy analysis and evaluation. This course provides a detailed discussion of the various institutions and actors involved in the policy-making process thereby providing an analytical perspective upon which to evaluate what government does, why it does it, and what difference it makes, if any. Students will employ the rational comprehensive analytical technique using the process model as a representative framework for discussion and evaluation: problem identification, agenda setting, policy formulation, policy adoption, policy implementation, policy evaluation, and policy change or termination. Students will focus on the policy actors, institutions, and instruments with the objective of providing policy relevant information that can be used to solve complex public policy problems. Additionally, the student will develop an understanding of the ethical and professional standards that a policy analyst should maintain. Critical analysis and evaluation of public policies can have a significant effect on the outcome and impact of these policies. Acquiring the knowledge and skills involved in analyzing and evaluating public policies gives the policy analyst a better understanding of why some policies succeed while others fail. The methods of teaching used in this course consist of an online study guide and individual student readings. Assessments are performed throughout the course and consist of short papers at the conclusion of each lesson and one major course paper due on the first day of the last week of the course.

By the time you complete this course, you should have learned about the following:

• Understand the nature, structure, and division of political power of American Federalism
• Understand how and why public policies are made
• Understand the policy-making process
• Develop a familiarity with the rational policy analysis process.
• Understand how and why public policies need to be analyzed and evaluated.
• Develop an understanding of the various value and ethical decisions involved throughout the 7 stage public policy-making process.
• Improve existing study, research, writing, and presentation skills.

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. 

Course Requirements

Assigned Readings: Students are expected to read the Study Guide material and each assigned reading as provided in the course outline. Also, students should get into the habit of reading a daily newspaper and/or weekly news magazines and scholarly journals since many of the course assignments will relate to contemporary issues.

Discussion Participation: Students will be required to participate regularly in the course Discussion Forums: posting reflections on readings and assignments, responding to questions from the instructor, responding and reflecting on the posts of other students.

Policy Evaluation Paper: Each student will produce a policy evaluation paper. The paper will describe and critically analyze a public policy issue of the student’s choice which must be approved by the course professor. The student must select a substantive policy issue with the issue being as broad, e.g. national transportation policy, or as specific, e.g. the placement of a specific local or state highway, as you would like. The student must analyze the issue using at a minimum the theories and research that are presented throughout the course. The student paper will employ the course material to explain the policy-making process involved with their specific policy issue and especially as it pertains to the policy evaluation of that policy issue. Students must email their proposed topic to the instructor no later than September 08, 2008 for approval. The paper is due no later than December 15, 2008.

In general, the policy issue papers are to be typed and double-spaced, with one inch margins. The paper will be a minimum of 15 pages of text, exclusive of notes and bibliography pages, which must be included. The student is responsible for the content and presentation of the paper. Incomplete sentences, faulty paragraphs, and misspelled words are often signs of poor writing and lack of attention to detail; therefore, be especially careful to proofread your paper before submitting it. Finally, grammar and presentation are essential elements of all writing but especially when presenting analysis to policy makers, consequently, grammar and presentation will be considered when determining the overall grade for the paper. Parenthetical notes are required in order to give proper credit to other authors for the use of their materials and/or ideas. The failure to provide notes which documents your sources will constitute plagiarism because you are using another’s work as if it is your own. A helpful suggestion is, when in doubt, cite. Footnotes or endnotes will be used only to expound on the text. Any submitted paper which has been, in part or whole, plagiarized will receive a grade of zero. The Policy Evaluation Paper is a major portion of your course grade and is worth 300 points or 30 percent of your final grade.

Course Schedule

The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date.

Each student’s semester grade will be based on the following:

Letter grades will be assigned according to the following rubric:

The World Campus follows the same grading system as the Penn State resident program. The grades of A, B, C, D, and F indicate the following qualities of academic performance:

A = (Excellent) Indicates exceptional achievement
B = (Good) Indicates extensive achievement
C = (Satisfactory) Indicates acceptable achievement
D = (Poor) Indicates only minimal achievement
F = (Failure) Indicates inadequate achievement necessitating a repetition of the course in order to secure credit