Syllabus of typical course:

Objectives:
To provide the students with an opportunity to acquire a comprehensive understanding of the role, function and tools of public planning and policy analysis from conceptual and practical vantages.

Textbooks:
Melville C. Branch: Comprehensive Planning for the 21st Century
(Praeger, 1998, ISBN 0275961818);
David L. Weimer, Aidan R. Vining & Alan Vining: Policy Analysis; Concepts and Practice (Prentice Hall,1998, ISBN 0131090836).

Additional reading:
Duncan MacRae, Jr. & Dale Whittington: Expert Advice for Policy Choice
(Georgetown University Press, 1997);
Carl V. Patton & David S. Sawicki: Basic Methods of Policy Analysis and Planning (Prentice Hall, 1993).

Schedule of classes:
Tue Jan. 30: The essence of planning: are there general principles?
Public sector planning
a) Soviet model
b) Chinese mode
c) French model
d) US model: public policy planning; physical/urban planning; planning in an organizational context; what is the usefulness of planning?

Thur Feb. 01: Melvin Branch's basic planning terminology and Comprehensive Planning Model (CPM) - general principles (B/One, Two, Three-General Principles)

Tue Feb06: CPM principles: information; resources; change; projection (B1-B3, B6)

Thur Feb08: CPM principles: objectives; primary elements; scope; representation of entirety; process; feedback (B4-5, B7-10)

Tue Feb13: Monday classes meet; Tuesday classes do not meet

Thur Feb15: Public policy; public policy cycle, pluralism, lobbying and special interests; policy planning and the plan-policy-program continuum; policy analysis: different approaches, informational considerations (quantitative and qualitative aspects), economic considerations, political considerations, social and societal considerations (WVV Introduction, 1, 2, 3)

Tue Feb20: CPM principles: uncertainty/risk/ambiguity; tolerance; flexibility; peak periods; time and priority; jurisdiction; resistance to planning (B11-16)

Thur Feb22: Policy models; mimesis; policy analysis: the efficiency benchmark: the competitive economy; rationales for public policy: market failures; other limitations of the competitive framework (WVV 4, 5, 6)

Tue Feb27: Rationales for public policy: substantive values other than efficiency; limits to public intervention; minimalist approach: government use of market mechanism; definition of alternatives; comparison of alternatives: cost versus benefit, effectiveness or value analysis (WVV 7, 8, 9, 12, 12A)

Thur Mar01: Policy analysis: problem analysis, solution analysis, goals/alternatives; setting out broad options (WVV Part III)

Tue Mar06: Public policy and IGR; role of the White House/EOP Office of Policy Development

Thur Mar08: Policy analysis: adoption, implementation (WVV Part III)

Tue Mar13: Policy analysis: monitoring policy performance and evaluating policy outcomes

Thur Mar15: Policy analysis: role of the media; the think-tanks

Tue Mar20: Rationale for public policy: dealing with market failures and using market forces

Thur Mar22: Strategic planning model; what is the GPRA and what does it try to achieve? Interrelating plan and performance; quality control (web search)

Tue Mar27: Policy implementation: monitoring, bench marking, reporting (web search)

Thur Mar29: Public policy: experimental approach; evaluation; lessons learned

Tue Apr03: NYC Planning Commission; NYC plans

ThurApr05: Planning at the MTA

Spring-break Apr 7 to 15

Tue Apr17: Case study in planning and public policy: education (search for alternatives and the interaction of various parties/stake-holders: partners and competitors)

Thur Apr19: Case study in planning and public policy: gun control & right to bear arm
(interest groups)

Tue Apr24: Case study: Medicare - prescription drugs (balancing economic feasibility and social/societal considerations)

Thur Apr26: Case study: welfare to workfare (the measure of success)

Tue May01: Case study in planning and public policy: the Everglades
(multiplicity of parties and interests; resource considerations and time factors)

Thur May03: Case study: crime control (conflicting values and considerations; profiling)

Tue May08: Case study: IT, Internet, E-Commerce; Cyberspace security
(facilitating and monitoring roles of the public sector; regulatory role of the public sector; avoiding an over-bearing role of the public sector)

Thur May10: Case study: energy policy
(dealing with market imperfections; possible and desirable types of government intervention)

Tue May15: Review

Thur May17: In-class final examination

Grading:
Attendance and participation: 10% (penalty for absences)
Project I (individual): 10%
Project II (group): 10%
Mid-semester examination (take-home): 20%
Research paper: 10%
Final examination: 40%

Websites: a list of useful web sites provided

back