Public Affairs 7600: Federal Policy & Administration
This is a sample syllabus to provide general information about the course and it's requirements. Course requirements are subject to change. This syllabus does not contain all assignment or course detail and currently enrolled students should reference the syllabus provided by their instructor. For a specific syllabus, please email us a request.
The course contributes to all Glenn College Master’s Program Goals and the following objectives in the policy and management streams.
Policy stream (advanced level):
- Apply the context of the public policy process to problem solving
- Understand the legal foundations of policy and management in the public sector
- Impact of the policy process to advance the public interest
- Draw connections between public problems, goals, public programs, outputs, and outcomes
- Apply knowledge of the historical foundations of public affairs in appropriate contexts
Management stream (intermediate level):
- Manage and lead public organizations towards policy goals
- Understand public organizations as a unit of analysis
- Identify and manage external/ environmental challenges to organization performance
- Identify and manage internal challenges to organization performance
Upon completion of the course, students will understand how
- to be thoughtful analysts of the federal policy environment
- federal managers operate in a complex ecosystem
- to apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired to an applied research project
- to communicate the results of their research effectively in written, oral, and visual formats
Requirements and Expectations
This is an in-person course, meeting in Washington, D.C. This course is divided into weekly modules in Carmen. Students are expected to keep pace with weekly deadlines but may schedule their efforts freely within that timeframe for homework. If an assignment requires collaboration between classmates, then students are expected to negotiate time and method of communication to accomplish the requirements of the assignment.
Reading materials may change.
Textbook: Each student must purchase “The Bill of Obligations, Ten Habits of Good Citizens,” by Richard Haass, ISBN 978-0525560678.
Additional Course Materials: Students’ contributions to the ongoing conversation will be informed by regular monitoring of a daily newspaper, preferably The Washington Post, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington-oriented periodicals such as Roll Call, Politico, or The Hill.
Participation 10%
Homework 25%
Application papers 30% (3@10%)
Research proposal 35%
- Outline 5%
- Draft 10%
- Final 20%
Participation
Each seminar provides opportunity to engage with each other. Participation includes not only discussion of course concepts but also careful listening and respect for others in the classroom. Active participation in class is based on preparation and includes providing good, solid answers to questions. Good answers indicate that you are actively listening to your colleagues and providing comments relative to ongoing discussion. Relevant comments add to the group’s understanding of the material, challenge and/or clarify the ideas expressed by others, integrate material from past classes or other courses, and show evidence of analysis rather than mere opinion. Missing class, not being prepared, and not actively participating in class will adversely affect a student’s participation grade.
Homework
Students should adhere to deadlines and meet performance expectations set forth in the homework assignment. Examples of homework assignments include legal case briefs, issue briefs, decision memoranda.
Application papers
Students will submit three application papers over the course of the semester. Students will either find a news article within the last month or write a vignette from their internship organization that illustrates a topic from the readings. Students will write an application paper that summarizes the article/writes the vignette and creates a direct connection to the week’s reading(s). Application papers will be 2-3 double-spaced pages.
Research proposal
Students will submit a research proposal to address a need in their organization and specify a tangible research project (in consultation with their internship supervisor). The research proposal will be approximately five pages and will specify the issue/problem, identify relevant data, propose an analytical strategy, identify a preliminary reading list, and scope an outline and timeline of the paper. The deliverable could take different forms including a white paper, policy analysis, evaluation, etc. The research proposal is the foundation for the student’s capstone (PUBAFRS 7900).
Consult your instructor's syllabus for more detail on your assignments, course schedule and grading rubric.