This course will provide an overview of recent Japanese economic history and the current state of the Japanese economy. We will consider what economic policymakers around the world can learn from...
This course will introduce students to China and its policy and economic environments. Drawing on the expertise of Ford School faculty and outside guests, each class will focus on a different policy...
This course examines the nature, extent and causes of poverty and inequality in the US relying on a multidisciplinary literature from sociology, political science, economics, and...
Experimentation is increasingly being used as a tool to inform policy decision-making in a wide range of areas, including education, health, energy, workplace design, consumer finance, voting, taxation, non-profits, charitable fundraising, among...
Among advanced capitalist economies, the United States is a case of remarkable inequality - between individuals, between groups of people, and between places. This course examines the relationship between race, place, and...
The management of financial resources to achieve public goals pervades every area of public policy, but budgeting and financial management is an area usually left to “experts” who often seem to speak their own language. In today’s...
The decision-making process for national security is a complex subject that involves the intersection of several factors to include the role of the President, the National Security Council,...
This course offers a focused analysis of U.S. foreign policy in Africa, unpacking the continent's political, economic, and security complexities and their intersection with American strategic...
Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, and big data can reinforce and exacerbate racial inequality and injustice in society, from access to financial and social services to housing, hiring, and policing in...
The Politics and History of Health Care Reform: This class will focus on answering the question of what it takes to pass a major piece of legislation -- and what that answer says about the structure of American government and nature of...
History provides a powerful set of tools for policy analysts, practitioners, and advocates. This course teaches students how to use history to: better understand...
Great power rivalry is a critical concept that frames current perceptions of international affairs around China's rise, Russia's resurgence and the United States relative...
Diplomacy (using non-lethal means to manage interstate relations and foreign threats) and statecraft (managing state power to promote national interests) are the key tools by which a nation's foreign policy is...
How do the judges on the Supreme Court make their decisions? What were the real issues in cases such as Roe v. Wade, and is it possible that the Court would overturn this decision? How do judges in different eras decided cases...
This half-semester course takes its inspiration from Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “The Case for Reparations.” In his essay, Coates employs a mix of writing modes—the statistical and the anecdotal, as well as the journalistic and even the biblical—to argue...
This course is meant for students who see themselves as change agents. The goal is to inspire you to make a long-term commitment to public service, while preparing you for the constant challenges you will need to...
This course surveys what we do and don't know about economic growth and poverty alleviation in developing countries. We begin by discussing alternative perspectives on the goals of...