Public Law and Process

This course introduces students to the theories and practices of the policy-making process. There are four primary learning objectives. First, understanding how the structure of political institutions matters for the policies that they produce. Second, recognizing the constraints that policymakers face when making decisions on behalf of the public. Third, identifying the strategies that can be used to overcome these constraints. Fourth, knowing the toolbox that is available to participants in the policy-making process to help get their preferred strategies implemented. While our focus will primarily be on American political institutions, many of the ideas and topics discussed in the class apply broadly to other democratic systems of government. The class will be a mix of lectures and cases. Cases are on a diverse set of policy topics, with a goal of illustrating broad themes about the policy-making process rather than the specifics of certain policy areas.