11.020 | Fall 2003 | Undergraduate

Poverty, Public Policy and Controversy

Calendar

LEC # TOPICS KEY DATES
1 Orientation Session; Syllabus, and Summary Sheet Analytical Exercise (On Ellwood Reading)
2 Policy Controversy and the Role of Values in Problem Definition  
3 The Concept and Measurement of Poverty in the United States  
4 Other Approaches to Conceptualizing and Measuring Poverty  
5 Roundtable Discussion on the Concept and Measurement of Poverty (student led)  
6 Institutional Design of Poverty Programs: Controversy over Responsibility, the Public-Private Mix Continued  
7 The Public Private Mix Controversy in Pension Policy Assignment #1 Due
8 The Public Private Mix Controversy in Social Service Policy: Profit and Non Profit (Non-Sectarian and Faith-Based)  
9 Roundtable Discussion on the Public-Private Mix  
    Mid Term Exam (One week after Lecture 9)
10 The Underclass Controversy  
11 Taking Stock and Starting Discussion of the Underclass Debate  
12 Analyzing and Writing Reading Arguments  
13 Moving to Opportunity  
14 The Controversy over Welfare Reform  
15 Dependency in a Comparative Perspective Assignment #2 Due
16 The American Reform of its Welfare System  
17 Roundtable Discussion of Welfare Reform  
18 Political Disenfranchisement Writing Rewrite Assignment Due
19 Economic Growth: Poverty and the I.Q. Controversy  
20 The Controversy of Political Disenfranchisement: Poverty as a Lack of Power

Crime Deviance and Poverty Roundtable Discussion on the Underclass Debate

 
21 Economic Power  
22 Roundtable Discussion on Disenfranchisement Assignment #3 Due
23 Social Science Contribution to Controversy  
    End Term Exam (Optional but Strongly Recommended - 2 days after the last Lecture)

Course Info

Instructor
As Taught In
Fall 2003