31 - 40 of 80 results for: PUBLPOL

Analysis of how public policy is made in the U.S. Theories from political science and public policy studies are assessed using case studies in contemporary policy areas, including tax, social welfare, and environmental policy. Each student also studies a policy issue of their own choice.

Analysis of organizational processes emphasizing organizations that operate in a non-market environment. Prerequisite: ECON 1.

The relationship between microeconomic analysis and public policy making. How economic policy analysis is done and why political leaders regard it as useful but not definitive in making policy decisions. Economic rationales for policy interventions, methods of policy evaluation and the role of benefit-cost analysis, economic models of politics and their application to policy making, and the relationship of income distribution to policy choice. Theoretical foundations of policy making and analysis, and applications to program adoption and implementation. Prerequisites: ECON 50 and ECON 102B.

Law as a tool for correcting market and cognitive failures. Design and consequences of laws, given alternative policy objectives. Welfarist approach to legal policy; deontological perspectives including Kant, Mill, and Rawls. Economic efficiency and agent rationality, effects of law on expectations and incentives, balancing costs of type I and type II legal errors. Empirical studies of law's effects. Applications: property, tort, contract, antitrust, discrimination, crime, legal procedure. Examples chiefly from U.S. law, but analytical tools of general applicability. Prerequisite: ECON 50.

Overview of the most pressing biosecurity issues facing the world today. Guest lecturers have included former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Special Assistant on BioSecurity to Presidents Clinton and Bush Jr. Dr. Ken Bernard, Chief Medical Officer of the Homeland Security Department Dr. Alex Garza, eminent scientists, innovators and physicians in the field, and leaders of relevant technology companies. How well the US and global healthcare systems are prepared to withstand a pandemic or a bioterrorism attack, how the medical/healthcare field, government, and the technology sectors are involved in biosecurity and pandemic or bioterrorism response and how they interface, the rise of synthetic biology with its promises and threats, global bio-surveillance, making the medical diagnosis, isolation, containment, hospital surge capacity, stockpiling and distribution of countermeasures, food and agriculture biosecurity, new promising technologies for detection of bio-threats and countermeasures. Open to medical, graduate, and undergraduate students. No prior background in biology necessary. 2 unit option for once weekly attendance (Wed only); 4 unit option for twice weekly attendance (Mon and Wed); 1 additional units (for a maximum of 5 units total) for a research paper.

(SAME AS LAW 348, MGTECON 331) Provides the legal, institutional, and economic background necessary to understand the financing and production of health services in the U.S. Potential topics include: health reform, health insurance (Medicare and Medicaid, employer-sponsored insurance, the uninsured), medical malpractice and quality regulation, pharmaceuticals, the corporate practice of medicine, regulation of fraud and abuse, and international comparisons.

Public policymaking in the United States is part of a political process that can take years or even decades to play out. A familiarity with the politics of policymaking is key to understanding why some reform attempts are successful while others are not. This course will give students a behind-the-scenes look at how policy actually gets made. Students will gain exposure to the theory and literature behind policy formulation, and engage in debates over historical and contemporary efforts at reform.

The objective of the course is to explore the current international emphasis on organizational ethics. Students will consider in-depth complex ethics matters across business, the non-profit sector, and government. We will unravel the factors contributing to the seemingly pervasive failure of ethics today, including commonalities and links among sectors, through a broad range of international case studies. Examples might include: the Bangladesh garment factory fire and collapse; corruption in Nigeria; the Libor rate-rigging scandal; the US military sex abuse scandal; the GlaxoSmithKline China corruption scandal; racism in international football; drones; social media; and a non-profit sector ethics challenge to be identified. Prominent guest speakers will attend certain sessions interactively. Questions of cultural context, how ethics lags behind technology, ethics and leadership, and ethics and global systemic risks (poverty, financial system meltdown, climate change, cyber terrorism¿) will be considered. Attendance required. Grading is based 25% on short assignments, 35% class participation, and 40% final project. The final project is in lieu of exam on a topic of each student¿s choice. Class participation may include a variety of options beyond simply speaking up in class (e.g. participation on the class web site, assisting other students with presentations or final projects, participation in relevant University events, group discussions during office hours¿).

What are the barriers to reform and innovative thinking in government? What are the factors that need to be taken into account when implementing change? What are the bureaucratic structures and power relationships that policy-makers must understand and navigate in order to embed reform? The aim of this seminar is to give students a detailed understanding of how political change happens and an understanding of why it often doesn¿t. Using cases studies from successful and unsuccessful reform programs around the world, this course will expose students to innovations in key public sector issue areas including education, healthcare, well-being, and government transparency and accountability; provides a sense of what's it's like actually trying to make change happen in a government context, and will equip students with the skills and understanding to be able to make change happen in a government setting.