Spring 2012 Graduate Courses
Faculty Bios: You can view bios for many WWS faculty in the WWS faculty directory. Please note, not all faculty have bios posted and faculty who will be teaching at WWS for the first time may not yet be listed.
Blackboard: All WWS courses have a Blackboard course web site. You can access these sites by going to the Blackboard login page and searching for the course you would like to access, or you can click on the course titles below which will take you directly to the specific course site after logging in.
WWS Graduate Course Syllabi: WWS Graduate course syllabi which are available to date are posted here.
Course Descriptions
WWS 502Psych for Policy Analysis/ImplementationCourse covers basic concepts and experimental findings of psychology that contribute to an understanding of the effects of policy on human behavior and well-being; and psychological factors that affect the formulation, communication, and execution of policy. Topics include a descriptive analysis of boundedly rational judgment and decision making, a consideration of social motives and attitudes, and an introduction to the ways in which agents influence and negotiate with one another, including an examination of the psychological roots of conflict.Deborah A. PrenticeAlexander T. TodorovHana R. ShepherdJesse J. Chandler
WWS 504Policy Issues and Analysis of NonprofitsExamines policy issues at international, national and local levels. Provides groundwork on nonprofits, NGOs, and philanthropy that can be followed with specialized courses on management and program evaluation. Emphasis on understanding how philanthropy, nonprofit, and NGO sectors operate, their niche alongside private and public sectors, revenue sources, impact on society, and converse effects of society and its institutions; the policy making process. Explores impact of reliance on government or overseas support for Third World NGOs; faith-based service provisions: accountability and transparency; advocacy; and government regulations.Stanley N. Katz
WWS 505Financial Mgmt Corporate & Public SectorDesigned to introduce graduate students in public and international affairs to certain principals and analytic tools widely used in the financial management of organizations, privately or publicly owned. Course is based on the premise that future civil servants should be familiar with this subject matter, either because they may be involved in the financial management of public agencies, or negotiate financial contracts with the private sector, or regulate financial management in the private sector.Uwe E. Reinhardt
WWS 508AEconometrics and Public Policy: BasicProvides hands-on experience in the application of econometric methods to policy issues. Various aspects of empirical research in economics will be covered including 1) development of testable hypotheses, 2) appropriate use of data, 3) specification and estimation of econometric models. The course will be taught using a set of cases in which students apply quantitative methods covered in WWS 507b to data in order to answer specific policy questions. Emphasis will be placed on interpreting and writing about results.Christina H. PaxsonGraham Lord
WWS 508BEconometrics and Public Policy: BasicProvides a thorough examination of statistical methods employed in public policy analysis, with a particular emphasis on regression methods which are frequently employed in research across the social sciences. This course emphasizes intuitive understanding of the central concepts, and develops in students the ability to choose and employ the appropriate tool for a particular research problem, and understand the limitations of the techniques. Prerequisite: 507b.Graham Lord
WWS 508CEconometrics and Public Policy (Adv)Discusses the main tools of econometric analysis, and the way in which they are applied to a range of problems in social science. Emphasis is on using techniques, and on understanding and critically assessing others' use of them. There is a great deal of practical work on the computer using a range of data from around the world. Topics include regression analysis, with a focus on regression as a tool for analyzing non-experimental data, discrete choice, and an introduction to time-series analysis. There are applications from macroeconomics, policy evaluation, and economic development. Prerequisite: grounding in topics covered in 507c.Tom S. Vogl
WWS 512BMacroeconomic AnalysisCovers the theory of modern macroeconomics in detail. Focus is on the determination of macroeconomic variables - such as output, employment, prices, and the interest rate - in the short, medium, and long run, and addresses a number of policy issues. Discusses several examples of macroeconomic phenomena in the real world. A central theme will be to understand the powers and limitations of macroeconomic policy in stabilizing the business cycle and promoting growth.Richard Rogerson
WWS 512CMacroeconomic Analysis (Advanced)Course offers a broad treatment of macroeconomic theory and policy issues, using the formal methods of modern macroeconomics. Topics will include long-run growth and development, labor, consumption, savings and investment decisions, the role of expectations, short-run fluctuations and stabilization policy, inflation and unemployment, trade and exchange rates. The course is advanced, so that: (i) having had some introductory course in macroeconomics is a prerequisite, and an intermediate-level one is best; (ii) the course requires a solid command of microeconomic theory (511 c or d) and good comfort with algebra and calculus.Benjamin Moll
WWS 519B/PSY 528BNegotiation:Theory & PracticeExamines the principles of negotiation in organizational settings and provides firsthand experience in simulated negotiations. Theoretical and empirical research on the variables that affect success in negotiations is discussed. Students engage in a series of bargaining exercises between individuals and teams, and results are analyzed in detail by the class.Frank P. Vargas
WWS 522Microeconomic Analysis/Domestic PolicyExamines a series of major issues of policy designed to illustrate and develop skills in particularly important applications of microeconomics. Topics will include education and training, the minimum wage, mandated benefits, affirmative action, the theory of public goods and externalities, and the basic theory of taxation. Prerequisite: 511b.Ilyana Kuziemko
WWS 524Advanced MacroeconomicsAn extension of 512c, the course covers specific topics such as economic growth, political institutions and policy choices, the welfare state and redistribution, unemployment, regulation and corruption, the behavior of asset markets, the economics of happiness, monetary policy, the budget and state of the US economy. A central aim of the course is to show how modern theoretical and quantitative methods can be useful in analyzing important macroeconomic policy issues.Jean-Pierre Landau
WWS 528ATopics in Domestic Policy Analysis: Revitalization of America's CitiesSeminar focuses on the evolution and revitalization of America's cities. Course concentrates on the public policy and real-world dynamics that help explain the origins, fortunes and fate of cities; examines the lifecycle of cities and their neighborhoods, the forces that drove their decline, the policies and players that have spearheaded their revival, the reasons why some communities have yet to recover, the public policy conflicts and community tensions that arise when revitalization and gentrification get traction, and the potentially transformative impact of the recent economic meltdown.Hugh B. Price
WWS 528CTopics in Domestic Policy Analysis: Health Policy ReformAn overview of the history, politics, and contemporary policy challenges in health care, focusing on health insurance and health-care organization. Covers the design and implementation of major federal programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and the Affordable Care Act. Special attention to current issues regarding federalism, insurance exchanges and insurance-market reforms, cost containment, quality improvement, and vulnerable populations.Paul E. Starr
WWS 530LeadershipWhat do leaders actually do? What kinds of traits are important for successful leadership? How do followers influence the behavior of leaders? And what impact does exercising power have on your personality? The course draws from classical political theory (including Plato, Machiavelli, and Max Weber), current "leadership literature," and case studies of decision-making. Among the topics considered are expertise and collaboration, responsibility and accountability, women and leadership, and leadership in various kinds of organizations.Nannerl O. Keohane
WWS 535Planning MethodsThis course introduces a set of concepts and tools that are widely used in the practice of urban and regional planning. The focus is on developing an operational understanding of the models, techniques and data used in such applications as regional economic and demographic projections, cost-benefit analysis, and land use analysis. Emphasis is also placed on the limitations of the methods.Thomas K. Wright
WWS 540/SOC 580Urbanization and DevelopmentExamines the origins, types, and characteristics of cities in less developed countries and the ways in which patterns of urbanization interact with policies to promote economic growth and social equity. Readings and class discussions address three areas: a) a history of urbanization in the Third World; b) an analysis of contemporary urban systems, demographic patterns, and the social structure of large Third World cities; c) a review of the literature on urban dwellers with emphasis on the poor and their political and social outlooks.Mark R. Montgomery
WWS 541International PoliticsThis course introduces competing theories of international relations and evaluates their explanation of foreign policy decisions and general patterns in international relations over the last century. Broadly covering security policy and international political economy, topics include the causes of war, the role of international organizations to promote cooperation, and the interaction between domestic actors and governments in negotiations on trade and the environment.Gary J. Bass
WWS 542International EconomicsSurvey course in international economics for non-specialists. The first half covers microeconomic topics such as trade theory and policy, multilateral trade negotiations and regional economic integration. The second half addresses macroeconomic topics such as current account imbalances, exchange rates, and international financial crises. The course stresses concepts and real-world applications rather than formal models. Prerequisite: 511b and 512b (concurrently).Silvia Weyerbrock
WWS 544International MacroeconomicsIssues in open economy macroeconomics and international finance. Topics include an exchange rate determination and dynamics, macroeconomic policy under fixed and floating exchange rates, current account behavior, exchange rate management and international policy coordination, and the history of the international monetary system. Special attention is given to the analysis of exchange rate crises. Prerequisite: 512c.Oleg Itskhoki
WWS 556ATopics in International Relations: Modern AuthoritarianismHow do authoritarianism systems work (or not)? Why do some authoritarian states collapse & others endure? How does the int'l system sustain/undermine authoritarian states? What might be the policy options for dealing with authoritarian states? This course seeks to understand the many different present-day incarnations & the long-term prospects of authoritarian rule & society, adopting a global perspective, from China, Russia, & North Korea to Singapore, Dubai, and Pakistan. We examine state institutions, global political economy, & shifting int'l architecture - in short, the operation & distribution of world power, today & going forward.Stephen Kotkin
WWS 556BTopics in International Relations: Conflict, Resources and Power in the Middle EastExamines both contemporary and conceptual issues relating to the study of the Middle East, including the emergence of conflict, negotiation processes, disputes over transboundary water resources, and their contribution to regional dynamics of conflict and cooperation. The course will identify core elements relating to conflict, negotiation and conflict-resolution, as well as power dynamics (symmetry, asymmetry).Marwa Daoudy
WWS 556DTopics in International Relations: Protection Against Weapons of Mass DestructionSince the collapse of the Soviet Union, the only significant security threats to the U.S. and its allies have been from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Historically, the US focus has oscillated between protection via nonproliferation and disarmament agreements, and via civil and missile defense. The course assesses the threats, both approaches to protection, and linkages made between policies on WMD and perceptions of "conventional" military threats.Frank N. von Hippel
WWS 562BEconomic Analysis of Development:BasicIntroduction to the processes of economic growth and development. The course examines various theories of development; poverty and inequality measurement; and the role of markets for credit, labor and land, as well as education and health, in development. The role of public policy will be considered within each of these topics. The course may also cover topics such as foreign aid, commodity pricing, and tax policy. (Prerequisites: 511b; 512b can be taken concurrently.)Jeffrey S. Hammer
WWS 562CEconomic Analysis of Development:AdvancdConsiders theories and evidence to explain processes of economic development; examines theories of economic growth, and the two-way links between development and poverty, inequality, social institutions, and the family. Policy debates on education, health, and social policy, and governmental and international aid are also covered.Shing-Yi Wang
WWS 564/POP 564Poverty,Inequality & Health in the WorldAbout well-being throughout the world, with focus on income and health. Explores what happened to poverty, inequality, and health, in the US, and internationally. Discusses conceptual foundations of national and global measures of inequality, poverty, and health; construction of measures, and extent to which they can be trusted; relationship between globalization, poverty, and health, historically and currently. Examines links between health and income, why poor people are less healthy and live less long than rich people.Angus S. Deaton
WWS 572CTopics in Development: Development Policy in AfricaAn introduction to development policy challenges in Africa. Opens with a brief review of intellectual and practical debates about development policy in the Independence era. Addresses reasons for success or failure of structural adjustment policies, the challenges of institutional reform, and the relationship between accountability and democratization. Finally, examines policy issues, such as cumulative wisdom about war-peace transitions, health policy and the response to HIV/AIDS, and the role of new regional organizations.Tyson L. Roberts
WWS 576ATopics in Regional and Country Studies: Latin American PoliticsLatin America has been a region marked by significant waves of democracy and authoritarianism; cycles of economic boom and bust; and consequential political parties and social movements. This seminar probes the successes/challenges of democracy, governance, markets, and social justice in Latin America, a region with abiding and yet varied patterns of inequality and violence.Deborah J. Yashar
WWS 582ATopics in Applied Economics: Urban EconomicsThis is a course in urban and regional economics. Course studies the main economic forces that lead to the emergence of cities and regional agglomeration, and the effects on worker productivity, urban amenities, and congestion. Course discusses the problems in measuring these urban characteristics, the methodologies to do it, as well as the design of optimal urban policy. Course also studies the economic theory and evidence on the internal structure of cities, as well as the policies that can enhance urban living. Finally, the course analyzes the role cities play in aggregate economic development.Esteban A. Rossi-Hansberg
WWS 582FTopics in Applied Economics: Financial Markets and Public PolicyExamines financial markets from both a theoretical and policy perspective. Topics include modern portfolio theory, financial asset pricing theories such as the Capital Asset Pricing Model, the Arbitrage Pricing Theory and derivative security pricing theories; key issues in corporate finance such as capital budgeting, capital structure and corporate governance. While modern finance is one of the more technically demanding areas of economics, the course imparts the important concepts with only the level of mathematical rigor that is needed for clarity and access to the professional literature.Edward L. Golding
WWS 586B/EEB 516Topics in STEP: Biodiversity Conservation: Scientific and Policy IssuesThis course examines the ways in which science has influenced public policy with respect to both endangered species and ecosystems. Important case studies from different regions of the United States are examined in detail, emphasizing the key scientific studies and how they affected decision-making. Topics include the northern spotted owl and the Clinton Administration's Northwest forest plan, the reintroduction of the gray wolf to Yellowstone National Park, and the conservation of endangered species on private lands.David S. Wilcove
WWS 586DTopics in STEP: Global Environmental GovernanceExamines intl law & governance in the context of environmental problems. Considers the need for regulation under conditions of scientific uncertainty in issues such as climate change, bovine growth hormones, GMOs, fisheries management, biodiversity conservation, ozone depletion. Explores the efficacy of diverse regulatory approaches, mechanisms for scientific advice to policymakers & participation by business firms, NGOs. Considers intersections between environmental regulation (both domestic and international) with trade, investment, & multilateral development, aid programs.Michael Oppenheimer
WWS 590A/ECO 581LEconomic Perspectives on InequalityEconomics is centrally concerned with models of human capital development, educational attainment, labor market dynamics, unemployment, labor turnover, job duration, wage setting institutions, the role of unions, human capital formation, the relationship between economic status and other aspects of well-being (including health). Economists are essential partners in the behavioral study of preferences and decision making, mobility and redistribution, and the institutions of industrial relations that govern the labor market.Janet M. Currie
WWS 590C/SOC 571Sociological Studies of InequalityThis segment of the JDP seminar covers theory and research on social stratification, the major subfield in sociology that focuses on inequality. Course begins by reviewing major theories, constructs, measures, and empirical work on inequality. Weeks two through six focus on institutions that are expected to produce (and reproduce) inequalities, including families, neighborhoods, schools, labor markets, and penal policy.Sara S. McLanahanDevah Pager
WWS 594ATopics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): Money and Influence in PolicymakingThe course examines the role of money and interest group influence in U.S. policymaking. It takes the perspective that interest groups and policymakers are rational actors that pursue their aims through the political process, and seeks to understand the determinants of interest group influence, the strategies interest groups employ, and the mediating rule of institutions. The course is taught using a combination of case studies and theoretical frameworks. Focus is in particular on three important mechanisms for interest group influence: campaign finance, direct lobbying, and "outside lobbying" directed toward the public.Alexander V. Hirsch
WWS 594BTopics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): Making Networks WorkThis course will focus on the most recent literature on organizational, cybernetic, and biological networks and what the implications are for actually using networks to accomplish specific functions, how to lead, host, orchestrate, or manage them in ways that exploit their full value.Anne-Marie Slaughter
WWS 594CTopics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): Game Theory and StrategyThis course presents some basics about game theory (and perhaps debunk a few myths fostered by the movie "A Beautiful Mind"). While the course is designed around the structure of game theoretic models, building from the simple ones to the more sophisticated, at each stage the emphasis will be on applications. These include models of oligopoly, bargaining, military conflict, legislative voting, and the design of the rules under which to negotiate, vote, or hold an auction.John B. Londregan
WWS 594DTopics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): Ten Years of China and the WTOIt has been 10 years since China joined the WTO, and five years since the U.S. and China began filing disputes against each other under the WTO dispute settlement system. This half-term course will orient students to the key rules and tools of the WTO system, and how they affect the U.S.-China trade relationship under the WTO. Each student will be asked to focus on one dispute and one aspect of the U.S.-China trade relationship. Areas to be examined will include: intellectual property protection; trade remedies; industrial policy tools such as export restraints on raw materials; and subsidies.Timothy M. Reif
WWS 594ETopics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): Economics of the Welfare StateAll advanced countries have extensive "welfare state" programs that provide insurance against economic losses, support people with low incomes, etc.. But these programs vary widely in extent from the relatively small US welfare state, to the larger welfare states of much of Europe, to the generous programs of Scandinavia. At the same time, there is heated controversy about the effects of such programs. This course surveys welfare state programs, including health care systems, across various countries, analyzes the debates over their economic effects, and looks at the political economy of reform in the US and countries such as France.Paul R. Krugman
WWS 594FTopics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): Political Economy of Education FinanceProviding primary and secondary education absorbs over 20% of state and local government expenditures in the U.S. The magnitude of spending needs and the large disparities in economic capabilities across school districts create great challenges for financing public education. Financing schools has become an arena for debate not only about education but also about redistribution. Course studies the political, legal, and economic challenges involved in education finance and the diverse ways being attempted to cope with them.Thomas Romer
WWS 594GTopics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): Sociological Perspectives on InequalityCourse covers theory and research on social stratification, the major subfield in sociology that focuses on inequality. We begin by reviewing major theories, constructs, and empirical work on inequality. Weeks 2 -6 focus on institutions that mediate the transmission and reproduction of inequality, including families, schools, neighborhoods, labor markets, and the criminal justice system.Sara S. McLanahanDevah Pager
WWS 594HTopics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): Economic Approaches to Poverty and InequalityA survey of recent trends in employment and poverty in families to shed light on the forces that underlie the perpetuation of inequality. Special emphasis is devoted to groups at high risk of poverty, including children, the less skilled, and minorities. Also reviews a wide range of anti-poverty policies in the United States.Janet M. Currie
WWS 594ITopics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): Social Entrepreneurship for PolicymakersOver the last 20 years, the emerging field of social entrepreneurship has taken new approaches to problems in education, waste management and global public health. This course focuses on types and stages of different social enterprises (non-profits/hybrid organizations/for-profits), will evaluate nature of capital available from grants to patient capital to market-return investments. Course seeks to equip students with a framework for understanding how: 1) social enterprise can complement traditional provision of public services and 2) new markets are being created that deliver clear social benefits while generating returns to investors.Brian Trelstad
WWS 594KTopics in Policy Analysis (Half Term): The Development Challenge of HIV/AIDSThis seminar will review the origins of HIV, the multiple impacts of AIDS, the reasons for sustained global neglect, the foundations of effective prevention & treatment programs & the urgent need to improve monitoring & evaluation. Special attention will be given to the role of social factors in the epidemic. Course participants will examine the policy-making process related to global public goods & consider whether the world is better positioned to avert a resurgence of this pandemic or the emergence of the next threat.Keith E. Hansen
WWS 594LTopics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): The Political Economy of Global EnergyEconomic growth requires constantly growing use of energy, the Middle East plays a vital role as exporters of hydrocarbons to the rest of the world. The course will cover: 1) Global energy demand and supply scenarios and the role of the Middle East; 2) The functioning of the global oil market and the potential role of major oil exporters; 3) The resource curse, economic diversification and the experience of the Gulf countries; 4) Oil, accountability and conflicts; 5) The global gas market and the role of Qatar; 6) Rational use of energy, renewable energy sources and nuclear energy.Giacomo Luciani
WWS 594MTopics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): Military Force Planning & Decision MakingCourse introduces important issues of conventional force planning and military decision making and includes discussion of service cultures, doctrines, capabilities, and limitations. Broadly covers strategy, planning, readiness, force projection, employment, and logistics throughout the spectrum of conflict, including conventional war, the global war on terrorism and peacekeeping operations. Through theoretical and doctrinal readings and examination of selected case studies, course provides background essential for those involved in the study and practice of national security decision making.Michael J. Meese
WWS 594NTopics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): Impact Evaluation ToolsThis course presents tools for designing, implementing, and analyzing impact evaluations from a practitioner's perspective. It explores real-world problems and practical limitations frequently encountered in conducting evaluations and methodological tools to address them. Topics include program operation rules and their implications for design choice, process and standards for assessing evidence, challenges to randomization, sample size determination, complex sample design, and construction of analytic and nonresponse weights. Students will practice addressing these issues through a series of case studies and analytic exercises.Lorenzo MorenoNathan N. Wozny
WWS 594OTopics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): Risk AssessmentThis course aims to develop the ability to use analytic frameworks in the formulation and assessment of public policy. We consider many different analytical techniques with an emphasis on decision-making under uncertainty. The emphasis is on how to apply the models to different public policies rather than on how to derive the theoretical underpinnings of the models. Most of these models are solved in Excel or other software packages. Techniques include: Probabilistic risk analysis (event trees, Bayesian decision theory); Decision Analysis; Monte Carlo simulation; Linear programming; and Markov chain models.Amy B. Craft
WWS 594PTopics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): Energy, Environment and DevelopmentAn interdisciplinary introduction to debates about energy, environment, and development. Some of the questions to be addressed are: Should one posit quantitative or qualitative limits to economic growth? What kinds of social change might be desirable or necessary to achieve a sustainable future? What role does energy play in improving the well-being of the poor and how does one ensure that this function is "optimized"? What are the roles for technology and consumption reduction in climate mitigation? How can we reduce pollution, environmental degradation, and human hardship due to the use of bio-fuels in cooking?M. V. Ramana
WWS 594RTopics in Policy Analysis (Half-Term): Management of Public OrganizationsCourse equips students with knowledge of management and leadership concepts to perform successfully and responsibly in public organizations. Course begins with a discussion of the nature of public administration and moves to concepts of organizational theory, organizational structure, administrative reforms, and decision-making mechanisms. Course also examines the people side of government organizations as well as management and leadership roles within organizations. Recent management innovations in the federal government will be discussed and considered.Richard F. Keevey
WWS 594TTopics of Policy Analysis (Half-Term): International Migration and Public PolicyThis course examines the historical and contemporary literature on international migration, the policies that enable or impede cross-national migration, and the consequences for the sending and receiving states as well as the migrants themselves. Drawing on contemporary international evidence, students will consider classical and contemporary theories of immigrant adaptation, language acculturation, and ethnic conflict from comparative international evidence.Marta Tienda
WWS 598/POP 508EpidemiologyCourse covers the basic concepts and methods of epidemiology and demonstrates how these can be applied to improve population health and reduce health inequities. Topics include: measuring the health of the population, understanding the causes of poor health, developing interventions for improving health, translating evidence into practice, and evaluating the impact of policies and programs. Key epidemiological concepts such as association, bias and confounding are covered, as well as the main epidemiological study designs.Noreen J. Goldman