Intro to Policy Analysis
“U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously commented in his concurring opinion in Jacobellis v. Ohio (1964) that it was unlikely he could ever intelligibly define hard-core pornography, “but I know it when I see it.” Public policy is like that; an intuitive concept that is maddeningly difficult to precisely define.“
“there is general agreement that public policy includes the process of making choices and the outcomes or actions of particular decisions; that what makes public policy “public” is that these choices or actions are backed by the coercive powers of the state; and that at its core, public policy is a response to a perceived problem.” —Smith & Larimer, 2009
This is an introductory course covering basic concepts and principles of policy analysis. The purpose of this course is to provide a foundation in the theory, process, and presentation of policy analysis. The course will familiarize students with 1) policy analysis as a profession 2) the conceptual foundations of the rationales for public policy 3) a systematic approach to addressing policy problems 3) analytical techniques for policy analysis.
At the end of the course, students should be able to:
- think critically and systematically about public policy
- understand how to identify and frame policy problems
- understand how to organize policy analysis
- understand the characteristics of different policy alternatives
- apply analytical techniques for solving policy problems
- understand limitations of policy analysis
Yuriy Davydenko
Research and Data Scientist,
Ph.D. Candidate of Public Policy
My research examines how information-based tools, particularly performance measurement, affect individual, organizational, and social outcomes. I do research in public and nonprofit management and teach courses on data analysis, policy analysis, and governmental budgeting.