PPM 620
INTRODUCTION TO POLICY ANALYSIS
Policy Analysis in Theory and Practice
Spring, 2001
Wednesdays, 7:00-9:30
Charles S. Colgan
Click below for section you need.
Assignments and Schedule
First Assignment
Second Assignment
Policy Reports on the Web
Final Assignment
49 Exeter Street
780-4008
email: csc@usm.maine.edu
Fax: 780-4317
Overview This course is designed to introduce students to policy analysis and its role in the formulation of public policy. The focus in the course is on understanding the problems that policy analysis attempts to solve, understanding the role of policy analysis in the public policy process, and identifying major methodological approaches to policy analysis. The methods are discussed both in theoretical terms and as applied in situations where analysis is a key component of policy decisions. Three sets of case studies form the core of the course; the first is the Korea and Vietnam wars, in which the role of analogy is examined; the second is the Clinton health proposal of 1993-94 which examines the role of forecasting and policy analysis in the political process, and the third are a series of retrospective evaluative studies.
Students will complete three assignments. The first is due on October 20. See Assignment A. The second assignment is a policy briefing, which is a combination of written and oral presentation. The oral briefings will be done in the classes of December 8 and 15. The written briefing is due at the same time as the oral presentation See Assignment B. The final paper is due on December 17. Assignments A and B and the Final Paper will each be worth 30% in the course grade. 10% of the course grade will be determined by class participation throughout the semester.
The interim and final papers will be graded both on writing and on content, with the paper grade the average of the two. Writing grades will be based on clarity and conciseness of presentation, logic and organization of analysis, and use of good expository writing style. The oral briefing will also be graded on the same criteria.
Readings
Haas & Springer: Applied Policy Research
Neustadt and May, Thinking in Time
Bardach, A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis
Johnson and Broder, The System
Kennedy School Cases
Korea and the Thirties (A and B)
The Coming of the Cold War
Americanizing the Vietnam War
Vietnam Advisers
Vietnam Documents
READINGS PACKAGE (Available at the bookstore)
Congressional Budget Office: An Analysis of the Administration's Health Proposal
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS AND SCHEDULE
January 17, 24, 31 Introduction to Policy Analysis
Neustadt and May: Chapters 1 and 2
Haas & Springer Chapters 1-3
Johnson and Broder, pp. 1-54
Bardach, 1-46
February 7-28, March 7 Understanding the uses of analogy:
NOTE: NO CLASS, FEBRUARY 21ST FOR WINTER VACATION
Neustadt and May: Chapters 3-12
Korea and the Thirties
The Coming of the Cold War
Americanizing the Vietnam War
Vietnam advisers
Vietnam documents
March 14 An Introduction to "Scientific" Policy Analysis
Haas & Springer, Chapter 4
Bardach, 47-101
FIRST PAPER DUE
March 21-April 11 Analysing the Health Care Crisis: Policy, Politics, and Analysis
NOTE: NO CLASS MARCH 28TH FOR SPRING VACATION
Johnson and Broder, 55-544
Congressional Budget Office, An Analysis of the Administration Health Proposal
April 18- April 25 Introduction to Evaluation Research
Haas & Springer Chapters 5 -12
May 2 - May 9 Policy Briefings.
See Assignment 2. Schedules will be developed in March.
May 11 Final Paper Due
Due: October 20, 1998
July, 1965
Memo for: Chief of Staff
From: The President
Subject: Vietnam
I have some very hard decisions coming up on our policy in Vietnam, and I am getting a great deal of conflicting advice from Bundy, Rusk, McNamara, the JCS, and Clark Clifford. They have presented me with all kinds of options, many diametrically opposed to each other.
I know you have not be directly involved in our discussions on this, and probably do not want to to be. But I need somebody to help me sort through these various points of view so I can at least be clear about what my options are.
Please review the memos in the collection of Vietnam Documents and prepare a brief memo for me (no more than 10 double spaced pages) that summarizes the various arguments with respect to the following issues and that also provides me with your best advice on how I can sort through these various perspectives.
1. What are the various definitions of the "problem" in Vietnam
2. What are the perspectives on the objectives our policy in Vietnam should seek to attain?
3. What are the alternative policies available to me? (In broad terms; don't make distinctions between 40 and 44 battalions.)
After your summary of these issues, please prepare your own assessment of the reasoning and analysis contained in the various perspectives, and suggest which best persuades you. (That does not mean it will persuade me, but I need to know who you think makes the best case and why.)
NOTE: In preparing your memo, pay attention to the format, writing styles, and approaches taken in the memos contained in the Documents package as a clue to how you should organize and present your own memo.
Oral Presentations on May 2 and 9
Written Presentations Due at Same Class
Choice of presentation date will be made in March
This assignment requires you to examine a policy report prepared by one of several policy research organizations and to provide a briefing about the report. Part of your briefing will be written and part will be oral. Your briefing should:
The report you use for your briefing should be downloaded from the web from one of the websites listed below. There are reports on a wide variety of topics and you may select one that is appropriate to your interests. The report you select should have some discussion of methodology so that you can provide that you critique it. Note that methodology may be somewhat complex or beyond your experience. If possible, find a report that has a methodology that you are comfortable with, but if you cannot, you should at least identify any major methodological issues that are identified in the report.
Before preparing for your briefing, you should download the "Guidelines for Preparing Briefings" from the Rand Corporation's website (see below). At the Table of Contents choose "Other". This is a .pdf (portable document format) file, and you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to read it. This is downloadable free from the Adobe website. If this program is not already on your computer, you will be prompted to install it by your browser when you try to download the file. You should do so, as many other web documents are in .pdf format and you will find it continually useful.
This document provides useful guidance on preparing oral briefings. It discusses this in the context of using overheads. You may use overheads in your oral presentation, but this is not necessary. (If you want to use overheads, print them out on your computer and we will Xerox them onto transparency stocks. Please be sure to allow time for this before class!) Even if you do not use overheads, you will still find the guidelines helpful in preparing your briefing.
You may use other policy reports if none of those available from the sites below are suitable for you. However, please clear the report with me prior to preparing your briefing.
National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences produces a large volume of studies in the social, behavioral, and natural sciences. This page lists recent studies in child and family policy research.
The Rand Corporation
The original policy think tank, and the only one to run its own Ph.D. program in public policy analysis. This page lists downloadable reports in a variety of fields.
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University
Resources for the Future
RFF focuses on local and national environmental and resource policy issues. This page lists downloadable reports for the last three years (click on the year to get the list).
The Brookings Institution
Select one of the policy reports from the various policy research centers.
Department of Health and Human Services: Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
This is the major policy research/development office for the federal government in issues of health care and social services.
Due Friday, May 11, 2001
You have just been asked by the transition team for a newly elected official (say a Governor or a legislator) to prepare a plan for using and reviewing policy analysis. To your amazement and horror, you find that nobody else on the staff has any idea what policy analysis is or how it should be generated or how it should be used, and you aren't so sure yourself. Nonetheless, anxious to please your new boss, you decide to prepare a 6-10pp. (double spaced) paper that can be used by everybody in the office as a guide to how to conduct policy analysis and how to use it when it comes from somewhere else.
You may begin with the various descriptions of policy analysis in Bardach, Haas and Springer, but you should consider what refinements or alternative approaches to these authors should be considered based on the cases considered in the course. Some of the cases may illustrate the points very clearly; others may not be described by the writers so you should note those and explain where and how the case departs and what the lessons of those differences are. The essential task of this assignment is to develop and display your own insights about policy analysis based on the readings, class discussions, and the cases. The readings provide good starting points, but they are meant to be only a starting point.
You may your paper off at my office, email it to me (csc@usm.maine.edu), or mail to me at home (1 Karynel Drive, South Portland, Maine 04106). If you want the paper returned, include a self-addressed stamped envelope; otherwise I will return papers to your mailboxes.