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.

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501: The Politics of Public Policy (open to MPA students only)
Thomas Romer, Brandice Canes-Wrone, Emilie Hafner-Burton

Syllabus
This course analyzes the political forces that influence the policy making process, with an emphasis on the political implications of policy decisions. Examples are drawn from international and U.S. cases. Special attention is given to writing skills as they apply to the roles of advisers and decision makers in public sector organizations.

504: Policy Issues and Analysis of Nonprofits, NGOs, and Philanthropy
Stanley Katz

Syllabus
Examines policy issues at international, national and local levels for nonprofits, NGOs, and philanthropy. 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 provision; accountability and transparency; advocacy; and government regulations.

507b: Quantitative Analysis: Basic
Sam Schulhofer-Wohl

Syllabus
Study of basic data analysis techniques, stressing application to public policy. Includes measurement, descriptive statistics, data collection, probability, exploratory data analysis, hypothesis testing, simple and multiple regression, correlation, and graphical procedures. Some training offered in the use of computers. No previous training in statistics is required. Assumes a fluency in high school algebra and familiarity with basic calculus concepts.

507c: Quantitative Analysis: Advanced
Mark Watson

Syllabus
Study of basic data analysis techniques, stressing application to public policy. Includes measurement, descriptive statistics, data collection, probability, exploratory data analysis, hypothesis testing, simple and multiple regression, correlation, and graphical procedures. Some training offered in the use of computers. No previous training in statistics is required. Assumes a fluency in calculus.

509: Generalized Linear Statistical Models (also ECO509)
German Rodriguez

Syllabus
Focuses primarily on the analysis of survey data using generalized linear statistical models. The course starts with a review of linear models for continuous responses and then proceeds to consider logistic regression models for binary data, log-linear models for count data-including rates and contingency tables and hazard models for duration data. Attention is paid to the logical and mathematical foundations of the techniques, but the main emphasis is on the applications, including computer usage. Assumes prior exposure to statistics at the level 507c or higher and familiarity with matrix algebra and calculus. Prerequisite: 507c.

511b: Microeconomic Analysis: Basic
Adriana Lleras-Muney

Syllabus
Courses 511 and 512 provide systematic exposition of principles and techniques of economic theory that are most useful in analyzing economic aspects of public affairs. The courses are divided into separate sections according to a student's previous experience with economics and the student's level of mathematical sophistication. The basic level assumes a fluency in high-school algebra and a basic knowledge of calculus concepts, while the advanced level assumes a fluency in calculus and some previous exposure to economics.

511c: Microeconomic Analysis: Advanced
Robert Willig

Syllabus
This course is an introduction to the use of microeconomics for the analysis of public policy on an advanced level. The emphasis is on both the intuitive and formal logic of economic principles, a deeper perspective on the impacts of typical policy measures, and an introduction to the use of professional microeconomic tools to assess and weigh these policy impacts. One goal is to move students towards the ability to read professional microeconomic literature with appreciation of both its contributions and foibles. A working knowledge of basic calculus and ease with algebraic manipulation are prerequisites of the course.

511d: Microeconomic Analysis: Accelerated
Marc Melitz

Syllabus
Courses 511 and 512 provide systematic exposition of principles and techniques of economic theory that are most useful in analyzing economic aspects of public affairs. The courses are divided into separate sections according to a student's previous experience with economics and the student's level of mathematical sophistication. The basic level assumes a fluency in high-school algebra and a basic knowledge of calculus concepts, while the advanced level assumes a fluency in calculus and some previous exposure to economics. Section "d" moves through the materials at an accelerated rate.

515b: Program and Policy Evaluation (Enrollment Limit: 20 students)
Deborah Peikes, Anu Rangarajan, Christopher Trenholm

Syllabus
This course introduces students to evaluation. It explores ways: to develop and implement research-based program improvement strategies and program accountability systems; to judge the effects of policies and programs; and to assess the benefits and costs of policy or program changes. Students study a wide range of evaluation tools; read and discuss both domestic and international evaluation examples and apply this knowledge by designing several different types of evaluations on programs of their choosing. Prerequisite: 507b/c or instructor’s permission.

516a: Topics in Law: The Rule of Law
Kim Lane Scheppele

Syllabus
This course will consider the role of law in government and ask: When is a state constrained by law and when it may legitimately change or ignore the law by which it is bound? We will use a range of materials from fiction to court cases, from legal theory to political history, as we ask whether the rule of law is a value in itself, and whether there are any legitimate exceptions to it. In large measure we will proceed by negative example, considering cases from the US: Abraham Lincoln’s conduct during the Civil War, Franklin Roosevelt’s economic emergency, the exigencies of the Cold War, Nixonian exceptionalism, and the “war on terror” after 9/11. We will also consider comparative examples: the Russian Revolution and Stalinism, the collapse of the Weimar constitution and Nazism, and the radical breaks from communism in the “revolutions” of 1989 and beyond. In the international arena, we will look at the Nuremberg Trials and the Kosovar War.

519a: Negotiation, Persuasion and Social Influence: Theory and Practice (also PSY528)
Frank Vargas

Syllabus
This course examines 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 are discussed. The students engage in a series of bargaining exercises between individuals and teams. The results of these exercises are analyzed in detail by the class.

521: Domestic Politics
Dave Lewis, Markus Prior

Syllabus
An introduction to the political analysis of policymaking in the American setting. Includes theoretical and empirical analyses of political institutions, including executives, legislatures, and bureaucracies. Also examines the political environment in which these institutions operate, with special attention to the role of public opinion, interest groups, and elections.

524: Advanced Macroeconomics: Domestic Policy Issues
Alan Blinder

Syllabus
An 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. Prerequisite: 512c. Will be offered as a half-term, WWS 593k in Fall 2006.

525: Microeconomic Analysis of Government Activity
Eytan Sheshinski

Syllabus
Analyzes government involvement in "market failures"; externalities (corrective tolls for congestion, environmental damage); "natural" monopolies (infrastructure- telecommunication, electricity-regulation and pricing); efficiency and equity aspects of excise and income taxes; and alternative social security structures and reform proposals in the U.S. and other countries. Prerequisite: 511c.

WWS 527a: Domestic Policy Analysis: Transportation (also ORF 563)
A. Kornhauser

Syllabus
Studies the transportation sector of the economy from a technology and broad public policy perspective. Focus is on the modeling and methodologies that underpin the policy formulation, capital and operations planning, and real-time operational decision making within the transportation industry. With shifting national priorities, the Federal role in transportation is changing significantly. The shift towards privatization caused market forces to play a much bigger role in the transportation sector. Radical concepts such as "value" pricing, private toll roads and for-profit mass transportation are beginning to be seriously considered as elements of a broad transportation policy. The heightened sensitivity of security creates new challenges. Meanwhile, local issues of traffic congestion, road construction and transportation-related environmental issues are dominant themes of grassroots politics.

527d: Domestic Policy Analysis: Political Leadership for Social Change
Mickey Edwards

Syllabus
Social change is not always the result of an enlightened "official" national leadership, nor the result of historical evolution, nor a "great man" or "great woman" on whom change rests. It is the premise of this course that progress is the result of human action, often without official sanction and in opposition to prevailing authority. We will study how people change the world they live in, explore effective and ineffective campaigns for change, and attempt to determine how successful movements become successful, how strategies are developed, messages framed, coalitions built, and decision-making structures created. Taught by a former member of Congress and long-time social activist.

533: Planning Theory and Process (also ARC535)
Solly Angel

Syllabus
The course is designed as a lecture/seminar. Themes include: Why Plan?—Historical Rationales for Modern Urban Planning; The Charm of Urban Utopias and the Dangers Inherent in Grand Visions; Plans, Planning, and Planning Theory; Comprehensive Planning--Small Acts and the Command of the Big Picture; The Stakeholder Perspective--Responsive Planning in the Age of Pluralism; The Stubborn Persistence of the Unplanned; City Beautiful--Shared Public Aesthetic or Culture Hegemony?; Conservation, Rehabilitation or Redevelopment--Reclaiming the Inner City; Zoning and Other Limits on Private Property Regimes; Economic Development and the City; Urban Sprawl; and the New Urbanism.

537: Social Organization of Cities (also SOC537)
Douglas Massey

Syllabus
This course reviews the historical emergence and social evolution of cities and urban life and presents current theories regarding the ecological and social structure of urban areas, and how urban social organization affects the behavior and well-being of human beings who live and work in cities. (Fulfills URP requirement.)

549: National Security Policy
Aaron Friedberg

Syllabus
Examines the changing meaning of “national security” and the various policies and institutions through which states may seek to enhance it. Emphasis is on the formation and implementation of national security policy by the U.S. government.

555a: Topics in IR: WWS 555a Topics in IR: U.S. Policy and Diplomacy in the Middle East since 1945
Amb. Daniel Kurtzer

Syllabus
The Middle East historically has been of strategic importance to the United States and American interest groups. This seminar will explore the process and content of U.S. foreign policy and diplomacy in the Middle East since 1945. Through case studies from the Cold War through the Global War on Terrorism, we will look at enduring U.S. interests and attitudes and examine the degree to which the U.S. has been successful in implementing strategies to achieve its national interests. We will also examine the domestic political environment in which Middle East policy and diplomacy operate, to understand the interplay among politics, policy and diplomacy.

Daniel C. Kurtzer recently retired from the U.S. Foreign Service with the rank of Career-Minister. From 2001-2005 he served as the United States Ambassador to Israel and from 1997-2001 as the United States Ambassador to Egypt.

555b: Topics in International Relations: International Justice
Gary Bass

Syllabus
Examines the politics and ethics of prosecuting war crimes. The course asks if international law can help to moderate or prevent war, why states sometimes pursue the prosecution of war criminals, and how law shapes and is shaped by international politics. Cases include Nuremberg and the aftermaths of World War I, the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust, the recent wars in ex-Yugoslavia and Iraq, and Al-Qaeda's terrorism.

555d: Topics in IR: Defense Policy Analysis
Michael O’Hanlon

Syllabus
This course will cover several analytical frameworks for evaluating military issues. Methodologies range from simple quantitative methods for understanding combat to structured use of military history to defense budget calculations to simple assessments of military technology. The course will address seven main topics: terrorism, modern air-ground warfare; infantry combat including guerrilla war, peace enforcement operations, urban warfare, and mountain and jungle warfare; topics in missile battle and defense; military transport, supply, and logistics; the effects and military implications of weapons of mass destruction; budgetary and economic issues; and military technology and the future of warfare.

561: The Comparative Political Economy of Development (also POL523)
Atul Kohli

Syllabus
Analysis of political change and the operation of political institutions in the development process, with emphasis on the interaction of political and economic factors. Various definitions and theories of political development are examined and tested against different economic, ethnic, geographic, and social contexts.

565: State, Society and Development
Lynn White

Syllabus
Explores the relation of development to regime types, authority, culture, and social integration. The syllabus includes recent sources, as well as long-standing texts in social theory by such authors as Madison, Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Polanyi, Schattschneider, Huntington, Geertz, W.A. Lewis, and Hirschman.

571a: Topics in Devt: Democratic Change and Authoritarian Resilience in Non-democratic Countries
Mayling Birney

Syllabus
This course will consider various theoretical explanations for democratic change and authoritarian resilience, including economic, socio-political, cultural, historical, and international factors. We will identify different historical patterns, including revolutionary change, gradual democratization, partial democratic evolutions, and authoritarian stability. We will focus on the interaction of these factors, including the possibility that limited democratic reforms may themselves contribute to authoritarian resilience when they buttress regime legitimacy or power. We will explore evidence from cross-national studies and country cases such as Taiwan, China, Mexico, India, Pakistan, South Africa, and Egypt, and we will assess the domestic and international policy implications of such change.

571c: Topics in Devt: Global Infection: Burden, Control and Public Policy
Adel Mahmoud

Syllabus
This course explores the biological, public health and global dimensions of infectious disease. The expanding threat of Infectious disease, whether naturally occurring, emerging or intentional is global, affecting both developing and developed countries. We will analyze the basic features of human-microbe interactions by examining several viral, bacterial and parasitic infections. The emphasis will include biology, burden of illness and domestic and global forces shaping their expanding threat and compromising adequate responses. Details of control strategies including chemotherapy, vaccines and environmental changes will be presented and debated. Attention, also, is devoted to the role of international organizations involved such as WHO, UNICEF, and GAVI as well as the major philanthropies. Active class participation by each student will be a required. Beginning at week 5 and continuing through week 11, each student will select a subject, for detailed research and will present a summary of findings for 30 minutes during class.

575b: Topics in Regional & Country Studies: A New Democratic Agenda in Latin America
Ignacio Walker

Syllabus
This course will analyze the democratization trend in Latin America, within a broader, historical and comparative perspective. It will concentrate on the Post-Authoritarian, Post-Cold War era and the different responses (populist and non-populist) to the Washington Consensus and the neo-liberal reforms of the 1990s, within the era of Globalization. It shall deal primarily with the question of democracy and democratic governance in Latin America, and related issues such as social cohesion, social inequality and social policies, macro-economic stability and innovation and competitiveness in the region. The course focuses on processes rather than institutions, on politics rather than public policies.

575e: Topics in Regional and Country Studies: Current Perspectives on Central Asia (also NES595)
Amb. Robert Finn

Syllabus
This course examines the countries of Central Asia in their contemporary context, including Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It will also focus on the region's relationship to the U.S., to Russia and to China. Each session will cover a separate country or resource from historical, political and cultural points of view. Extensive reference will be made to post-Soviet politics, energy and drug issues, and the question of Islamic fundamentalism.

581a: Topics in Econ: Labor Economics
Gordon Dahl

Syllabus
An analysis of policy-related issues in the labor market with a focus on linking theory and evidence. As issues are examined, an emphasis will be placed on strengthening students' ability to interpret and critically evaluate empirical findings. Topics will include the private and social returns to education, poverty and inequality, minimum wages, labor supply and demand, selected theories of wage determination (for example, efficiency wages, signaling and learning models, and compensating wage differentials), social program evaluation (for example, the benefits of enterprise zones or training programs), unions and arbitration, unemployment, immigration, and discrimination against minorities and women. Students will be expected to complete several homework assignments. They will also prepare a short policy analysis (10-15 pages) on a topic of their choice and/or have a final examination.

585a: Topics in STEP: Biotechnology Policy
Lee Silver

Syllabus
Scientific overview and policy analysis of selected topics in biotechnology that are currently the focus of intense debate. The topics to be covered in the 2007 course will include biotech patents, organic and non-organic food, genetically modified plants (GMOs), genetic engineering of animals, embryo stem cell and cloning research, synthetic biology, self-enhancement, genetic selection of human embryos (PGD), and human germline genetic enhancement. Each topic will be examined from the perspectives of technical feasibility, economic utility, public perceptions and misperceptions, the viewpoints of supporters and detractors, and the political response in the U.S. and other countries. Open to UG students with instructor's permission.

585b: Topics in STEP: Living in a Greenhouse: Technology and Policy (also MAE580)
Robert Socolow

Syllabus
This course will focus primarily on the challenge of modifying the global energy system to reduce projected carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. We will pursue both science/technology and policy in each of five two-week units: 1) The underlying carbon cycle science, and the ways the world has organized to learn more and to communicate results; 2) Energy efficiency, patterns of demand, lifestyles, energy and poverty; 3) Fossil fuels, abundance and depletion, energy security; 4) Carbon capture and storage, policies enabling commercialization, risk assessment; 5) Non-carbon energy in its two forms, nuclear power and renewable energy; subsidies, social preferences. The final two-weeks will be devoted to student reports. Cross-cutting themes include uncertain science, imperfectly discernible costs of future technologies, the limitations of quantification, and the necessity of muddling through.

587: Research Workshop in Population
Staff

Syllabus
Individual research projects involving demographic analysis related to issues in population policy or, occasionally, participation in the research conducted at the Office of Population Research. Prerequisite: Survey of Population Problems (SOC 571/ECO 571).

591a: Urban Development in China's Cities: Alternatives for Effective Reform
Solly Angel

Syllabus
This workshop will study urban expansion in China and alternative urban development strategies that may be relevant for China. The group will visit two intermediate-size cities in China to discuss these issues with stakeholders, collect data and documentation and meet central government officials in Beijing. The workshop will report to two clients, the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission and the World Bank. The Bank is currently assisting the Chinese government with thinking about the future of urban development in the country with a focus on two cities. The workshop report would add to that analysis two smaller intermediate cities, chosen by the government.

591b: Provincial Reconstruction Teams
Bob Perito (USIP)

Syllabus
Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) are small, civilian-military units that assist provincial governments in Iraq and Afghanistan to deliver essential services, to govern more effectively and to promote economic development and security. In January, President Bush announced plans to create 10 new PRTs as part of his "New Way Forward" in Iraq. But efforts to establish these teams immediately led to interagency conflicts, personnel shortages, and questions concerning the role of PRTs in development. Meanwhile, the transfer of US PRTs in Afghanistan to NATO partners has led to problems with Allied coordination and questions of compatibility with counter insurgency operations. This workshop will study the organization and operation of U.S. and NATO PRTs in Iraq and Afghanistan and the possible application of the PRT model to future conflicts. It will analyze the effectiveness of PRTs in achieving the stated goals and identify best practices among US and NATO models. It will also look at problems concerning US interagency coordination, staffing, funding, and force protection.

591c: Managing Elections in Fragile States
Jeff Fischer

Syllabus
In fragile political and security environments, it is critical that elections be administered in a fair, credible and transparent manner. Moreover, such electoral processes are often the object of international interventions and, as a result, are significantly influenced by policy decisions of the international community. This workshop will focus on six elements in managing elections: 1) Selection of a system of executive election and systems of representation at the national and local levels; 2) Determination of electoral districts and geographical units of representation; 3) Level and focus of international and national financial investment in the electoral process; 4) Protection of electoral processes, participants, facilities, materials, and information; 5) Regulation of political parties and campaign funding and expenditures; 6) Role of diasporas and enfranchisement of forcibly displaced electorates. The workshop will likely focus on two distinct regions in which elections have recently taken place or will be taking place.

591d: Immigrant Integration
Alicia Adsera, Marcela Gonzalez Rivas

Syllabus
US immigration policy consists largely of simple gatekeeping functions—determining who is and who is not eligible for entry. Once immigrants have been admitted, the federal government has few policies for them. Unfortunately, the lack of "immigrant policy" has repercussions beyond impacts on these immigrants' lives. The US economy suffers if immigrants are not able to apply their skills in the labor market. Health care costs for all Americans rise if immigrants have poor access to preventative health care and are more likely to make use of costly emergency medicine as a result. Moreover, having a significant part of the population that is marginalized can also lead to social conflict and threaten democratic ideals. This policy workshop seeks to address the need for better policies to facilitate immigrant integration. The workshop will report to a client, the Migration Policy Institute. MPI has identified a need to evaluate existing government immigrant integration programs at the state and local level and generating policy recommendations for states and cities and for future federal involvement.

591e: Political Economy of Pension Reforms in Europe
Eytan Sheshinski

Syllabus
Given decreasing birth rates, early retirement and the aging of the population, there are projected deficits in Social Security systems worldwide, and reform of these systems has emerged as a top policy priority. The workshop will study the viability of recent reforms in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Sweden. These include postponing the eligible age for retirement, private pension funds and "Notional Accounts." Students will meet with policy makers, political party leaders and trade union officials. The workshop will be guided by top policy advisers (e.g. Sir Nicholas Stern, UK treasury) in the countries studied. A likely client is a DC-based think tank, such as the Brookings Institution or AEI.

591f: Preventing Proliferation Chain Reactions
Robert Einhorn and Frank von Hippel

Syllabus
The North Korean and Iranian nuclear development programs pose serious direct threats to international security. Moreover, there is legitimate concern that they could cause neighboring states to "go nuclear." This workshop will explore the possible internal debates over acquiring nuclear weapons in two or three of the following countries: Japan, South Korea, Egypt and Turkey. The final report will outline the policies that the US government should pursue to discourage decisions to acquire nuclear weapons by these countries. It will include both country-specific approaches as well as nonproliferation regime-wide approaches that could reduce incentives for acquiring nuclear weapons.

591g: Disadvantaged Young Children in Newark
Sara McLanahan, Elisabeth Donahue

Syllabus
The persistence of poverty in US families is very high, and much of this intergenerational transfer is due to inequalities that arise early in childhood. This workshop will focus on young children in Newark, one of the most disadvantaged cities in the US. We will produce a report that describes the conditions of children in Newark, identifies the areas in which they are especially vulnerable, and makes specific recommendations for how to improve their future life chances. The client for the workshop will be the newly elected mayor, Corey Booker, and the newly formed Department of Child and Family Wellbeing.

591h: Health Impact Assessments of Large Development Projects
Burt Singer

Syllabus
A direct consequence of globalization is the vast proliferation of large scale projects that have major social, health and environmental impacts. Our primary focus will be health impact assessments, mitigation strategies, and accountability by all parties to the project to ensure that health equity for local populations is secured. The most likely candidate projects are the Ahafo gold mining initiative by the Newmont Mining Co. in Ghana, and the Nam Theun 2 hydroelectric project in Laos. One of these projects will be selected for intensive investigation by workshop participants. Direct interaction with corporate, banking, and government personnel will be essential, together with a well-planned site visit for direct assessment of project activities.

593a: Policy Analysis: Affordable Housing (Session I)
David Kinsey

Syllabus
Examines the policy and practice of developing income-restricted affordable housing in the United States (new and rehabilitated, single-family and multi-family, for sale and rental) by the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

593c: Policy Analysis: Game Theory and Strategy (Session I)
Sylvain Chassang

Syllabus
This course is an introduction to the basic tools of game theory. In particular we will study solution concepts such as Nash Equilibrium, Subgame Perfect Equilibrium, and Perfect Bayesian Equilibrium. To illustrate the analytic value of these tools we will cover a number of applications including electoral competition, public good provision, market failures and reputation formation.

593d: Policy Analysis: "Behavioral" Economics and Applications (Session II)
Roland Benabou

Syllabus
This course will explore how economics has recently incorporated a number of insights and findings from psychology and experiments, and examine some of the implications that follow for the workings of markets and policy. Topics (and applications) will include: 1) Imperfect self-control, present bias. (Applications: consumptions-savings decisions, smoking, addiction, welfare policy, paternalism); 2) Fairness and reciprocity. (public goods provision, cooperation and punishment, social norms, redistributive preferences). 3) Intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, signaling concerns (contracts, prosocial behavior, incentives and trust, social norms) 4) Wishful thinking, overconfidence, anticipation (investment decisions, health choices, bargaining, political economy); 5) Reference dependence, loss aversion, prospect theory, framing (finance, insurance, pricing); 6) Malleable preferences, hedonic forecasting (consumption or lifetime decisions, choice overload, “happiness” economics); 7) Bounded rationality, inattention (market competition / regulation, default options). Prerequisites: WWS511c or d; WWS512c; WWS Game Theory

593e: Policy Analysis: Surveys and Public Policy (Session I)
Ed Freeland

Syllabus
The aim of the course is to improve students' abilities to understand and critically evaluate public opinion polls and surveys, particularly as they are used to influence public policy. The course begins with an overview of contrasting perspectives on the role of public opinion in politics. From here we look at the evolution of public opinion polling in the U.S. and other countries. The class will visit a major polling operation to get a firsthand look at how they actually work. We also examine procedures used for designing representative samples and conducting surveys by telephone, mail and the Internet. Students will have the option to (1) write a critical evaluation of a survey or set of surveys related to a particular issue, or (2) design and pretest a questionnaire on a topic that is of interest to them.

593f: Policy Analysis: Inequality and American Democracy (Session II)
Larry Bartels

Syllabus
This course will focus on the political causes and consequences of growing economic inequality in the contemporary U.S. We will consider the effects of public policies (for example, macroeconomic policies, taxes and transfers, and minimum wage laws) on changes in the income distribution. We will examine the politics of redistribution, including shifting class cleavages in the American party system and the ideological and partisan bases of public responses to increasing inequality. Finally, we will assess whether and why the preferences and interests of rich and poor Americans are differentially reflected in the policy-making process.

593h: Saudi Arabia: Security, Energy, and US policy (Session II)
Christopher Boucek

Syllabus
This seminar will focus on the security and stability of Saudi Arabia, and the policy relationship with the United States. Domestic and regional security threats will be examined, as will the evolution and future of the US-Saudi partnership. A number of topics will be covered including terrorism, political violence, and jihadism; counter-terrorism strategies; terrorist financing; border security; reeducation, rehabilitation, and reintegration programs; the Iraq war and its effects on Saudi security; regional security concerns post-Saddam; energy, hydrocarbon facility security, and kingdom’s role in the global energy system. Enrollment limited to eight students; enrollment by application or interview only. The course will culminate in a study visit to the kingdom, which will include meetings with a cross section of individuals including senior Saudi officials, western diplomats, expatriate businesspeople, and representatives from the media, academia, and the world of finance. Visit to Saudi Arabia tentatively scheduled for January 2008.

593i: Policy Analysis: The Federal Budget (Session I)
James Klumpner

Syllabus
This course will cover how the Federal budget process is supposed to work and how it actually does work. Topics will include: (1) institutions, processes, and definitions; (2) history of budget outcomes; (3) the current state of the Federal budget process; (4) the role of uncertainty in budgeting; (4) the role of politics in budgeting; and (5) the budget's short- and long-term fiscal consequences. Students will be required to submit at least one short memo during the course and one research paper at the end of the course.

593j: Policy Analysis: State and Local Finance (Session II)
Richard Keevey

Syllabus
This course examines budgeting and finance at the state and local level of government. Topics include: budget structure and process; decision makers within the political and economic environment; debt, capital planning and bond financing; revenue structures supporting expenditures. Tax policy and associated tradeoffs between tax equity and efficiency and spending and program needs are also examined. Two case studies are utilized--one related to state and local tax policy and one related to budgetary decision-making.

593k: International Macroeconomics (Session I)
Paul Krugman

Syllabus
Examines issues in open economy macroeconomics and international finance. Topics include current account behavior and capital flows, exchange-rate determination and dynamics, international financial market integration, macroeconomic policy under fixed and floating exchange rates, international policy coordination, and the history of the international monetary system. Special attention is given to the analysis of financial crises. Prerequisite: 512c or instructor's permission.

595: Political Analysis for Policy Research
Charles Cameron

Syllabus
In order to be effective analysts and advocates, public policy researchers require a sophisticated understanding of policy formation and implementation in domestic, foreign, and international settings. This course reviews current models of public policy formation and implementation and their appplication to issues frequently faced by policy researchers.

597: The Political Economy of Health Systems
Uwe Reinhardt, Senator Bill Frist

Syllabus
This course explores the professed and unspoken goals nations pursue with their health systems and the alternative economic and administrative structures different nations use to pursue those goals. The emphasis in the course will be on the industrialized world, although some time may be allocated later in the course to approaches used in developing countries, depending on student interest.