This is a core course restricted to Ford School students only. Registration is by permission only.
The primary objective of this core course in the MPP curriculum is to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed for effective political analysis of public policy issues and decisions. The course covers conceptual and analytic frameworks for understanding political processes, institutions, stakeholders, contexts and policy decision making. In addition, the course builds written and verbal communication skills, emphasizing the ability to convey clear and concise political analyses in a variety of formats, including policy memos.
This section of 510 focuses on political strategy and policy processes in comparative perspective. Students will learn how national and regional contexts shape governing institutions, political cultures, stakeholders and strategies, and will develop tools to inform and influence policymaking given these differences. Overall, the course trains students: a) to analyze critically and in-depth the political dimensions of pressing policy issues; b) to engage in issue advocacy from grassroots mobilization to lobbying across national contexts; c) to develop a nuanced understanding of different including opposing interests in the policy process; d) to understand the policymaking environments of countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in comparative perspective with the United States; e) to work in teams; and f) to improve written and communication skills.
