Methods of Policy Analysis

Calendar

SES #	TOPICS	KEY DATES
I. Foundations
1	Course Description, Goals, and Requirements
2	Policy and Visions of Governance
3	Case: Needles and Safe Injection Sites	Assignment 1 due
4	Theories of Public Policy: How Choices Are Made
5	Values and Public Policy
6	Policy Analysis – Case: Bees, Mites, and Pesticides	Skype with Haiti (re: mites and drought); Skype with New England Wildflower Society (re: pesticides)
7	Policy Analysis – Bees (cont.)
8	Cost of Policy	Assignment 2 due
II. Major Policies
9	Defense Policy
10	Cost Benefit Analysis
11	Cost Benefit (cont.)
12	Cost-Effectiveness and Regression Analysis – Appalachia Case Study	Assignment 3 due
III. Policy Process
13	Cost-Effectiveness and Regression Analysis – Poverty in America (cont.)
14	Welfare – Focus Groups
15	Social Insurance
16	Health Policy – Vaccination Case Guest: Dr. Howard Heller, Associate Medical Director at MIT Medical
17	City Government Policy and the Media Guest: David Goodman, City Hall Reporter at The New York Times	Assignment 4 due
IV. Case Analysis
18	Case: Air Emissions Policy; Federal Policy Guest: Coralie Cooper, Environmental Protection Specialist at Volpe
19	Case: Seed Conservation – New England Wild Flower Society; Regional Policy Guest: Debbi Edelstein, Executive Director of New England Wild Flower Society
20	Case: Boston Busing and Desegregation; Local Policy Guest: Joe Burnieika, Interim Director at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Boston
21	Case: Land Readjustment Case; International Policy
22	Final Assignment Work Day
23–25	Project Presentations
26	Wrap Up	Final Paper due