Description | Syllabi

The critical issues facing public policymakers (and concerned citizens) inevitably involve political and moral choices. In this course those choices--and the core values of public service and good governance informing them--are confronted directly. Our attention to the values and choices central in democratic policymaking will proceed in four stages. The initial weeks comprise an overview of public policy in a constitutional democracy--primarily as practiced in the contemporary U.S., but with reference to other places and times. The second segment takes up national political institutions and policymaking, addressing how complex systems of governance actually function. Third, we'll explore specifically New York City policy concerns. The course's final weeks place these themes and processes in broader contexts, including ethical and global, in order to trace some of the principal tensions in democratic public policymaking.

Prerequisites:None