POSC 101 Introduction to Public Policy (original) (raw)

This course examines the major theoretical debates and practices involved in the development of public policy. Public policymaking is characterized by scholars and politicians in wide variety of ways. For some, public policy reflects the authoritative allocation of values, while other see the policymaking process from a more bottom line perspective -"who gets what, when, and how." At the same time, policymakers and citizens often wrestle with normative questions of what constitutes the "best" policy outcomes for the most people as they strive to reach the right balance between government intervention and citizens' rights to the pursuit of happiness. However, in many cases we face several problems in understanding public policy issues: Not all citizens are 'angels' -rather, they are highly self-interested in many cases. Not all citizens have information regarding what government agencies do and how they decide public policies. Public policies broadly reflect social norms and values, but also the day-today rules and regulations established by governments at all levels.

Sign up for access to the world's latest research.

checkGet notified about relevant papers

checkSave papers to use in your research

checkJoin the discussion with peers

checkTrack your impact