This course provides an introduction to policy making and implementation processes through a survey of current waste disposal, air and water pollution control policies and management issues in environmental protection.  The role of public opinion, Congress, the courts, the presidency, and bureaucracy in policy formulation and implementation will be examined in historical context.  Specific issue areas in environmental policy will be surveyed, with discussion of intergovernmental relations and jurisdictional issues.  Alternative approaches to ecological problems will be discussed in the context of contemporary American environmental policy.

Required Texts:  [check out campusbookswap.com for used book price; maybe save money?]

W. Rosenbaum,  Environmental Politics and Policy, 7th ed. (2008).
S. Fletcher, Environmental Laws, Summaries (2008).  [Course pack for POS 365]
Political Science Style Guide for Writing Papers (handout)

Recommended (may be useful for research paper; not required for purchase):

J. Lester, ed. Environmental Politics and Policy:  Theories and Evidence, 2d ed  (1995).
C. Jones, An Introduction to the Study of Public Policy, 3d ed. (1984).

Course Requirements:

A book review, a research reference list, a research paper, a mid-term and a final exam are required.  Be prepared to discuss the reading on dates assigned. Class discussion will earn extra credit for otherwise marginal grades.  Exams will emphasize information in the readings and class lecture about equally.

A final grade will be determined as follows:

  Book Review                           200 points
  Mid-term                                 200 points
  Final exam                               200 points
  Term paper reference list         100 points
  Term paper                             300 points
                                               1000 points = 100% of grade

The term paper will afford an opportunity to prepare an in-depth investigation of policy formation OR implementation in an area of your choice, such as acid rain, fisheries management, solid waste disposal, radioactive waste management, etc.  Subject area is your choice.  Pick something of interest or curiosity to you.  Research lets you learn more about it.

Using materials in the public record, you may prepare a "legislative history" of a particular national environmental statute which analyzes how a public problem was identified, defined and represented to Congress; how and what response was formulated to address this problem; how the response was reformulated and legitimated, and what the resulting policy was intended to accomplish.  OR you may prepare a critical analysis of experience with implementation of a particular policy which makes recommendations for amending it.  Reference to the Jones text recommended above and attending class will help you clarify terms underlined in this paragraph.

A typed (or word processed) reference list of at least ten references which will be used in the term paper must be submitted to the instructor in correct citation form by March 10, demonstrating sufficient library research has been done to find required materials.  Include a sample parenthetical reference (author year, page) for each one.  See Style Guide p. 2, item #10.  Start soon and come to me early with any difficulties you may have locating references, so you will have plenty of time to complete the paper.  Use examples of Reference List form in the Style Guide (handout, esp. item #10) in this assignment and in research paper.  Use parenthetical reference form in text of term paper (Style Guide, item #9).

To earn a passing grade, the paper must be professional in appearance, about 15-25 typewritten pages (double spaced lines) and must utilize at least TEN references not in the assigned readings, in correct citation form at the end of the paper (not at foot of page).  This means you must cite at least ten sources, at least once each in the text of your paper, using parenthetical reference form:  (Hamilton 2005, 43).  These sources must also appear at the end of the paper in an alphabetized Reference List.  See Style Guide for guidance.

Scholarly books, journal articles and government documents are preferred over news articles or popular news magazines; no more than one-third of the references may be interviews, web sites  or news articles.  Articles from encyclopedias or Editorial Research Reports are not acceptable.  See Turabian Ch. 13 & 14 for useful tips if you haven't written college term papers recently.

A book review of approximately 4-5 "word processed" pages (double-spaced lines) is due before the research paper Reference List (see dates in Reading List below).  The book may or may not be one item in the Reference List, and relevant portions of your review may or may not be "recycled" in the term paper, if appropriate to the topic.  The book should be selected from an approved list distributed by the instructor.  Another book you propose may be approved by the instructor.  This means you need to go to the library and find a book, read it and prepare a critical review as described in a handout that will be provided by the instructor.  The review must begin with a complete reference to the book, in correct Reference List form (see Style Guide), and should describe the major thesis of the book and its contribution to our understanding of the subject.  In other words, what did you learn from it that you didn't already know?

Due dates must be observed.  Late papers will receive significantly lower grades.  You cannot earn an "A" with a late paper.  Handwritten papers are not acceptable.  It is expected that all papers will be free from typographical, grammatical, and spelling errors, consistent with University standards for English composition.  All written assignments must be handed in to the instructor on paper on the due date.  Due to unreliability of email, and lack of a budget to print them, written assignments will NOT be accepted via email.  Neatness counts, and will be rewarded.  Early use of Interlibrary Loan is encouraged.  Back up your discs - no software problems excuse late papers!

A Note on Civility

Arriving late for class is rude and a distraction for your classmates and the instructor.  Likewise for talking in class to your neighbor while someone else is speaking.  These behaviors suggest one doesn't care about the class, the instructor, or one's fellow students--not a very clever message.  An ounce of courtesy is worth a pound of excuses.  Use a little common sense:  It's not very smart to irritate someone who must evaluate your performance for a grade.  Or someone who might later write a letter of recommendation for a job or for your admission to graduate school.  Show respect for others, and they will likely show respect for you.

Academic Support for Students with Disabilities

Students who may need assistance due to a disability are encouraged to contact the instructor and the Office of Academic Support for Students with Disabilities, located in Luther Bonney 242. Phone number:  780-4706; TTY:  780-4395.  Everyone is welcome in this class, and reasonable accommodations will be cheerfully made.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

Class meetings will include a mixture of lecture and discussion.  It will be rewarding to keep up with reading assignments.  Missing dates below mean "more of the above."  Do NOT spend much time on Tables in Fletcher with titles like "Major U.S. Code Sections of...." unless you are trying to find where a specific section from Statutes at Large was codified in U.S. Code.  Other tables about amendments are more interesting--some policies go back a ways, and have been changed or added to over time as the status of scientific knowledge has advanced and new problems have been discovered.  No exam questions over these tables.

Week          Lecture Topic                               Reading Assignment
Jan 20         Introduction
                  Video: Wild by Law
Jan 22        Historical context: Common law     Rosenbaum, Ch. 1
                  antecedents of statutory
                  environmental controls
Jan 27       Historical context: Traditional          Rosenbaum, Ch. 2
                American values   growth,                Fletcher, Summary (before T. of Contents)
                efficiency, conservation
Jan 29      More of above.
Feb 3       Politics of national                            Rosenbaum, Ch. 3.
                environmental policy
                Video: Silent Spring
Feb 5       NEPA                                            Fletcher, pp. 1, 115-118.
Feb 10     Term paper research instruction
                (Law Library, attendance required: will help you do research paper)
Feb 12                                                           Rosenbaum, Ch. 4
WINTER BREAK!
Feb 24     Policy Making Organizations           Rosenbaum, Ch. 5.
                Limits of Science
Feb 26-Mar 3 More policy making
Mar 5      BOOK REVIEW DUE  (Follow instructions; late papers receive lower grades)
Mar 10    Air Pollution                                   Rosenbaum, Ch. 6.
                                                                     Review Style Guide #10 for Ref. List.
Mar 12  REFERENCE LIST DUE (late papers receive lower grades)
               Fletcher, pp. 6-21.
Mar 17    More air
Mar 19    MID TERM (everything to date)
SPRING BREAK!!
Mar 31    Water Quality                                 Fletcher, pp. 28-33, 44-52.
                Video: Every Time It Rains
April 2     More water
April 7     Toxic & Hazardous Substances       Rosenbuam, Ch 7.
April 9     More waste                                    Fletcher, pp. 87-111.
                                                                      Review Style Guide, #9, 10 for paper!
Apr 14     RESEARCH PAPER DUE (Late papers receive lower grades!)
Apr 16-21 Wastes:  What to do with them?    Fletcher, pp. 38-42, 55-62.
Apr 23-28 Energy Development and the         Rosenbaum, Ch 8.
                 Environment
Apr 30      Public Lands and Waters               Rosenbaum, Ch. 9.
                Video: Western Public Range
May 5      Pollution Prevention:                       Fletcher, pp. 2-5.
               A New Approach
May 7     Whew!  Wrap up & review...
May 14   FINAL EXAM, Thursday 8:00AM (note different time...) review everything.
May 16 Commencement