A. Course Objective

This course is an intellectual orientation to the field. Public affairs may be thought of as a body of knowledge; a set of methods for creating knowledge; a professional discipline; or merely a convenient label. Depending on one's concept, an "orientation" might include learning the history of the field, or its philosophic foundations, or skills for doing public affairs, or analyzing debates about the appropriate scope and methods of public affairs.

We will use a little of all these approaches, but our main objective is to get across what contemporary policy professionals do. The purpose of this course is not to impart a specific set of skills or knowledge, but to help develop the way of thinking that characterizes most of the learning experiences at the LBJ School.

B. Course Organization

Public affairs involve participation of multiple stakeholders. The course is organized to emphasize this feature. An interactive approach will be used instead of formal lectures. Participants are encouraged to bring their experiences and thoughts to class discussion.

While it is impossible to cover all activities in the professional practice of public affairs, we will give a taste of the diversity of the field. From presentation skills to conceptual models/paradigms and from a simulation game to historical foundations of policy studies, the course will touch upon the very practical to the highly theoretical aspects of this field.

C. Reading Materials

No specific prior reading material is required for this course. Some readings will be provided within class for discussion. However, for those who insist on doing some preparation for this course, reading up on a policy issue of interest is recommended before the class. For students who would like to gain insight into the underpinnings and current practices of the policy making process, the following book is recommended:

. Stella Z. Theodoulou and Matthew A. Cahn, Public Policy: The Essential Readings, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1995.

This book provides key classic and contemporary readings on public policy that highlight the link between theory and practice particularly well. Any further questions about reading materials may be directed to Devashree Saha.

D. Scheduled Topics—Morning Sessions

Session 1:  July 17     Nature & Paradigms of Public Policy

We will start by plunging directly into policy issues. A range of policy fields will be chosen and current issues will be used an example to explore the complexity of policy making under the constraints of concepts like "public good" and "social justice." The session will end with a discussion that illustrates models and paradigms of public policy. We will specifically look at how policy paradigms shape the way we look at policy issues. This will be done by analyzing practical policy issues and seeing how policy implications change when analyzed using different paradigms and models.

To get started on policy skills, we will have a two-session series of policy presentation and discussion led by class members. We will divide the class into groups with brief policy assignments. Each group will work as a team to come up with a coherent presentation of the issue. In your presentation, you may discuss the source or background of the problem or issue, the causes, scope, and dimensions of the problem or issue, and possible policy alternatives for addressing the problem or issue. Based on a systematic comparison of policy alternatives, the team should make some recommendations. At the end of each presentation, the presenters will field questions from the audience. Class members are encouraged to think about the substantive arguments, communication style, and team coordination of each group.

Beginning this session, we will also have a series of faculty presentations on the relationship between public policy and a variety of social science disciplines. Indeed, public policy can be seen as thoroughly interwoven with the social sciences, and has generously adopted developments and thoughts from these disciplines. The first faculty speaker in this series is Prof. Robert Wilson, who will talk about the intersection of urban and regional planning and public policy.

 

Session 3:	July 22	Policy Presentation Forum
		Social Science & Public Policy

Session 3 is a continuation of policy presentations and faculty presentations. At the end of part two of the policy presentation forum, we will have a discussion session on how to structure arguments and improve presentation skills. In the last hour of this session, Prof. Frank Gavin, who is a historian by training, will talk about how history as an intellectual discipline has contributed to the understanding of public policy.

Session 4:  July 27   Evolution of the Policy Profession

After two faculty presentations on public policy and the social sciences, we will have an integrative overview of the policy profession. It includes a brief history of the U.S. public service, the nature of contemporary policy education curricula, and the institutional structure and organizational network of the profession today.

Session 5:	July 20	Face-to-Face with LBJ Alums
		Ethics in Public Policy

This session moves from intellectual perspectives to practical professional issues. A panel of alums will discuss their career paths and the relevance of the LBJ experience. It will also provide an opportunity to clarify questions about how the Master's program relates to real world responsibilities. That takes us to the second half of this session: a focus on the role of ethics in public policy practices.

Session 6: Aug. 3   Negotiation Exercise

This is a very popular simulation game using a real-life policy issue. Participants are assigned stakeholders roles, work in groups, and interact with one another as professionals. The objective of this policy game is to demonstrate the importance of team work and underscore the kind of trade offs one has to face in policy making. Don't miss!

Session 7:	Aug. 5	Meet Your Classmates
		Great Books in Public Policy

LBJ School prides itself in the diversity of its student body. Students come from different parts of the world and from different backgrounds. In this session we will hear about some of your previous professional experiences and how they tie in with future careers in public affairs. It is a wonderful opportunity to get to know and develop close relationships with your classmates.

This session we will also present some of the key books on public policy that will help us comprehend both the context and the process for policy-making. We will cover some of the most influential books in the field, because they are frequently cited, or because they highlight the interdisciplinary nature of public affairs, or because they explain some of the lenses through which we analyze policy problems.

Session 8:  Aug. 12    Legislative Nuts & Bolts

This session will walk through a journey of how legislative rules, procedures, and traditions affect the course and content of legislation and various policies. From committee room to the floor, in the House and in the Senate, this session will shed light on the fundamentals of lawmaking.