Important: Read and Refer Often to the Information in This Syllabus!

Political Science 4413 (27893): Public Policy Analysis

University of Central Oklahoma (Spring 2006 Syllabus): Mondays/Wednesdays 4:15-5:30 PM

Prerequisite: Junior Standing

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Dr. Brett S. Sharp, Associate Professor, served as a practicing public administrator in state and local government for over fourteen years. He received his Ph.D. and Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma and a B.S. in Political Science/Public Affairs with a minor in Religious Studies from Oklahoma State University. For the past five years he served as an Associate Director for the Oklahoma Policy Research Center (now the UCO Policy Institute) and has also been a Field Researcher for the Rockefeller Institute of Government with the State University of New York at Albany. He is a past president of the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. Dr. Sharp is the recipient of several academic awards and has been the author of numerous policy studies and scholarly works.

            Contact Hours: Mon/Wed 3:15-4:15 PM and Wed 7:00-7:30 PM (and by appointment)

            Office:             Liberal Arts Bldg 102-J (in Political Science suite)             Email: bsharp@ucok.edu

            Telephone:       (405) 974-5526 (with voice mail)                                         Fax:    (405) 974-3823

            Web Site:         http://www.libarts.ucok.edu/political/faculty/sharp             Classroom: LAR 120

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course addresses the process of change and reform in American society, emphasizing the role of information in the American political process. This course is intended to provide a broad introduction to the field of public policy analysis. The goals of this course are to better understand (1) the nature of public policy; (2) stages within the policy process; (3) the policy players; (4) basic methods of policy analysis; (5) various specific policy subfields; and (6) applications of knowledge. Students will develop an appreciation of the role of science and professional knowledge in the problem-solving process. Students will also enhance research skills, including design, data collection, analysis, report writing, and dissemination/communication.

TEACHING METHODS/LEARNING EXPERIENCES:

This class depends on active student participation and includes several in-class exercises and simulations. Classroom questions and discussion are strongly encouraged. Students will attend lectures which will orient them to basic concepts and information concerning public policy analysis. Students are responsible, through self-study and reading assignments, to learn relevant policy concepts and applications. The student is responsible for retaining backup copies of all homework assignments turned in. The student should also be aware that some flexibility is retained in the syllabus to accommodate invited speakers and other learning opportunities. Students should also regularly check the professor’s web site for any class announcements.

EVALUATION METHODS AND GRADING

            Instructor will determine course grades                             Grading components include:

            using the following scale:                                                                 Participation                                   10%

                            90 -100        =         A                                                         Quizzes                                            5%

                            80 - 89        =         B                                                         Midterm Exam                               25%

                            70 - 79        =         C                                                         Policy Analysis Paper                    30%

                            60 - 69        =         D                                                         Final Exam                                     30%

                              0 - 59        =         F 

Course Schedule - Spring 2006

READINGS

Kraft, Michael E. & Furlong, Scott R. (2004). Analyzing Politics: An Introduction to Political Science. Washington, DC: CQ Press.

Bardach, Eugene. (2005). A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving. New York: Chatham House Publishers/Seven Bridges Press.

Boo, Katherine. (2003, August 18 & 25). “The Marriage Cure: Is Wedlock Really a Way Out of Poverty?” The New Yorker, 79.23, 105-120.

Ehrenreich, Barbara. (2001). Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America. New York: Henry Holt.

Fallows, James. (2005, July/August). “Countdown to a Meltdown.” Atlantic Monthly, 296.1, 51-64.

Gladwell, Malcolm. (2002). The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. New York: Little, Brown & Company.

Rauch, Jonathan. (2002, April). “Seeing Around Corners.” Atlantic Monthly, 289.4, 35-48.

Rauch, Jonathan. (2004). Gay Marriage: Why It is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America. New York: Henry Holt & Company.

Surowiecki, James. (2005). The Wisdom of Crowds. New York: Anchor Books (Random House).

Scott, Gregory M. & Garrison, Stephen M. (2006). The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual (5th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

CLASS ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION

Attendance has its privileges. Class attendance is an important part of succeeding in this class and is expected of all students. Class time provides an opportunity for you to ask questions, clarify issues, and deepen your understanding of the concepts covered in the text. If you are absent, you are responsible for getting any notes, assignments, and schedule changes made on that day. If you come in late, you are responsible for seeing that the attendance record is correct.

Above and beyond the expected class attendance, students are required to complete the readings as assigned (see course schedule) prior to the beginning of the class period. Demonstrated mastery of the assigned readings through class discussion and contributions to class debates is necessary to earn full participation points.

 QUIZZES

To encourage faithful attendance and current reading of the texts, quizzes may be administered occasionally during class time. Quizzes may be in short essay or multiple choice format. If more than one quiz is given, your lowest quiz grade will be dropped and the others will be averaged together. If no quizzes are given, then the final exam will be worth 35% of the total grade. No makeups on quizzes will be offered.

EXAMINATIONS

There will be two exams during the semester. Both exams will be comprised of essay, short answer, simulated policy problem responses, and/or multiple choice questions. The final exam will be comprehensive. Make up examinations will not be offered except for documented emergencies. Even then, an alternate form of the examination will likely be substituted.

In case of school cancellation due to weather or other reasons during the scheduled time for the final exam, university policy will be followed in the assigning of grades, which in the past has included the professor’s best judgment to what the student has earned up until that point. Therefore, your best interest is to not depend upon the final exam to make up for previously poor grades.

EXTRA CREDIT

Up to five (5) percentage points of the overall total may be earned by attending select events related to the public policy issues or analysis. Typically, one point will be offered for each event.

REQUIREMENTS FOR POLICY ANALYSIS PAPER

Each student will write a 15-20 page double-spaced policy analysis paper over an issue facing the state of Oklahoma as a whole or one of its communities. Of course this paper can be linked to a broader public policy issue facing the rest of the nation, but the direct link to Oklahoma must be clear and substantive.

You must cite enough references to make your paper convincing. Superior papers will demonstrate a significant measure of original research and should be of sufficient quality to submit to a regional, peer-reviewed political science or policy journal (such as Oklahoma Politics or Oklahoma Policy Studies Review) or to present at a professional conference.

Students must follow the American Psychological Association (APA) or American Political Science Association Author Date System (see discussion and examples in Scott & Garrison’s The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual). Selection of a policy area for research must be made by Wednesday, October 27 and subsequently must receive instructor’s approval. The first draft of the research paper (including title page, outline, first three pages, and preliminary list of references) is due on Wednesday, February 22.

The final draft of the research paper is due by 5:45 PM, Wednesday, April 26. Papers will be graded on topic selection, presentation/format, grammar, style, research documentation, research quality, methodology, content delivery, and analysis. Please refer to the discussion of plagiarism in the Academic Integrity Statement (below), the attached to the syllabus as well as the section on Ethical Use of Source Material in The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Cheating = Failure (please refer to attached Political Science Department’s Academic Integrity Statement and the University’s Student Information Sheet and Syllabus Attachment). Cheating is unacceptable conduct and will result in an automatic grade of “F” for the course, and be reported to Academic Affairs. Students are required to do all of the work for this class on their own. Copying answers to exercises or examinations from anyone constitutes cheating. Allowing another student to copy one’s answers will be treated as cheating. A student may discuss exercises and case briefs with others before preparing his or her own answers, but the answers must be each student’s own work product. Consulting with the instructor about any assignment does not constitute cheating and is encouraged.

The Political Science Department of the University of Central Oklahoma is asking all students taking political science courses to read the following Academic Integrity Statement. Our purpose in doing so is to ensure that all our students are aware of what is improper academic behavior.

Academic Integrity Statement

As members of the academic community, students are expected to recognize and uphold standards of intellectual and academic integrity. The Political Science Department expects that its students will conduct themselves honestly. This means, above all, that students submit for credit work that is the product of their own efforts. Principles of academic integrity require that all dishonest work be rejected as a basis for academic credit, and that students refrain from any and all forms of dishonorable conduct in the course of their academic work.

The examples and definitions given below are intended to clarify the standards by which academic honesty and integrity is judged. The list is merely illustrative of some of the more common infractions. It is not intended to be exhaustive. Any question a student has about what constitutes inappropriate behavior should be directed towards their instructor. The rule of thumb to follow is: If in doubt, ASK!

Definitions and Examples

Plagiarism - Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism includes not only the exact use of another’s words, word for word, but also the paraphrasing or summarizing of the works of another person without acknowledgment, including the submitting of another student’s work as one’s own. The student is responsible for understanding the legitimate use of sources, the appropriate ways of acknowledging academic, scholarly, or creative indebtedness, and the consequences of violating this responsibility. In case of doubt, give a citation of the author you are using. Failure to indicate the extent and nature of one's reliance on other sources is plagiarism. A plagiarized paper will result in a failing grade on the work in question, and perhaps, for the entire course.

Cheating on Examinations - Cheating on examinations involves giving or receiving unauthorized help before, during, or after an examination. Examples of unauthorized help include the use of notes, texts, or “crib sheets” during an examination (unless receiving instructor approval), or sharing information with another student either during or after an examination.

Falsification - It is a violation of academic honesty to misrepresent material or to fabricate information in an academic exercise or assignment (e.g. false or misleading citation of sources, the falsification of the results of experiments or of computer data).

Multiple Submissions - It is a violation of academic honesty to submit substantial portions of the same work for credit more than once without the explicit consent of the instructor to whom the material is being submitted the second time.