Kristina Arakelyan

This course provides an introduction to the political institutions and processes through which public policy is made and implemented in the United States (although the key concepts are applicable to other political systems as well). The course also introduces students to the tools of policy analysis. The first half of the course presents the major models of policymaking and policy analysis. The second half of the course applies these concepts to specific policy areas such as health, education, and environment, as illustrated by real-world case studies. The course emphasizes written and oral communication through the development of professional memo-writing and presentation skills.

Introduction to Public Policy covers a wide range of topics, from the norms and values informing democratic policymaking to the basics of cost-benefit and other tools of policy analysis. Though emphases will differ based on instructor strengths, all sections will address the institutional arrangements for making public policy decisions, the role of various actors-including nonprofit and private-sector professionals-in shaping policy outcomes, and the fundamentals (and limits) of analytic approaches to public policy.

Note: Students who have not taken an American Government course, or have not taken the course in many years, are strongly encouraged to brush up on knowledge of the basic design and functions of the governmental units in the United States.

This course provides an introduction to the political institutions and processes through which public policy is made and implemented in the United States (although the key concepts are applicable to other political systems as well). The course also introduces students to the tools of policy analysis. The first half of the course presents the major models of policymaking and policy analysis. The second half of the course applies these concepts to specific policy areas such as health, education, and environment, as illustrated by real-world case studies. The course emphasizes written and oral communication through the development of professional memo-writing and presentation skills.

Couples with CAP-GP.3149. As part of the core curriculum of the NYU Wagner Masters program, Capstone teams spend an academic year conducting research on a pressing social question.  Wagner's Capstone program provides students with a centerpiece of their graduate experience in which they are able to experience first-hand the full research experience.  Under the guidance of an experienced faculty member, students will develop a research question,  conduct a literature review, develop hypotheses, find relevant datasets, run analyses and write up findings.  Students will also enhance key process skills including project management and teamwork.  

Couples with CAP-GP.3149. As part of the core curriculum of the NYU Wagner Masters program, Capstone teams spend an academic year conducting research on a pressing social question.  Wagner's Capstone program provides students with a centerpiece of their graduate experience in which they are able to experience first-hand the full research experience.  Under the guidance of an experienced faculty member, students will develop a research question,  conduct a literature review, develop hypotheses, find relevant datasets, run analyses and write up findings.  Students will also enhance key process skills including project management and teamwork.  

This half-semester course will focus on the analysis of complex survey data. The focus will be on using secondary data of this type. Using Stata, we will discuss how regression analysis differs when using complex survey data as well as data-cleaning procedures, including trimming, variable transformations, and dealing with missing data. Students will produce a short memo, using real survey data, to analyze a simple research question.