11.007  Policy Disputes

Spring 2005

Instructor: Judith Layzer

TA: Xenia Kumph

Lecture:  TR11-12.30  (5-231)        

Information: 

This course introduces students to the American policymaking process through the lens of public policy disputes. At the heart of the course are two questions: Why and how do we fight over social problems? And how do we resolve those disputes? A key premise is that politics is largely about persuasion; thus, we begin by focusing on how people decide what they care about and how they persuade others to see the world as they do. In the second part of the course, we examine how problems get defined and solutions devised, paying particular attention to the role of values, information, and money in those processes. In Part III, we look at how public disputes typically get resolved in the U.S.¿in the legislature, in agencies, and in the courts. Finally, we consider some less traditional but increasingly popular approaches to resolving public disputes, such as direct democracy, regulatory negotiation, and consensus building. Throughout the course, we link theoretical discussions about public disputes to actual policy debates over such issues as same-sex marriage, smoking, education, terrorism, genetically modified foods, globalization, campaign finance, and pollution control. In addition to helping students understand the dynamics of policy-making in the U.S., the course aims to help students formulate and articulate¿both orally in and writing¿their own views about politics and public issues.

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