Social Policymaking and Implementation (312-0-20)
Instructors
Briellen Elizabeth Griffin
Meeting Info
Annenberg Hall 345: Mon, Wed 12:30PM - 1:50PM
Overview of class
Together, we will explore the complex relationship between the emergence, existence, and (often) endurance of pressing social problems (e.g. inequality, discrimination, illness, hunger, poverty, violence) and the creation and implementation of policies meant to address them. Policy can define much of social life. It can determine who receives access to resources and services and who does not; what types of behavior are restricted and punished, and what types are rewarded; and how individual needs are balanced with a (far from consensus-) understanding of the collective, common good. Social policy, in other words, exists in a contested space, and one that shapes opportunities, resource structures, and life outcomes for individuals and communities. In the first part of the course, we will explore the political process by which these important policies are made. We will interrogate why some social problems receive more policy attention than others, how and by whom policy agendas are set, whose voices are listened to, and under what conditions meaningful policy change and transformation occurs. In the second part of the course, we will focus on policy implementation, exploring how policy moves through the regulatory system and is eventually carried out by front-line workers (e.g. teachers, social workers, police officers) who interface with the public. We will investigate how these interactions impact individuals and communities, ultimately shaping what the consequences of policy look like on the ground. Throughout the quarter, students will learn how to frame, write, and present a policy brief on an important social issue. We are excited to learn with you this quarter and to create an engaged, compassionate space for thinking about the most pressing social issues around us today.
Class Materials (Required)
Eugene Bardach and Eric M. Patashnik, Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving (Fifth Edition)