Spring 2004 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.
502: Psychology for Policy Analysis and Implementation
J. Darley, E. Shafir, A. Todorov
S. Hewlett
J. Darley, E. Shafir, A. Todorov
Syllabus
This course covers basic concepts and experimental findings of psychology that contribute to an understanding of the effects of policy on human behavior and well-being. Also covered are 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.
505: Financial Management in the Corporate and Public Sectors
U. Reinhardt
Syllabus
An analysis of the investment, valuation, and financing of the corporation, focusing on the application of economic theory and analytic tools to the solution of financial problems. The interrelations between investment and financing policies and their dependence on security valuations are stressed.
508b: Econometrics and Public Policy: Basic
M. Lopez
Syllabus
Provides 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.
508c: Econometrics and Public Policy: Advanced
J. Rothstein
Syllabus
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.
512b: Macroeconomic Analysis: Basic
M. Kuperberg
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.
512c: Macroeconomic Analysis: Advanced
A. Sbordone
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.
512d: Macroeconomic Analysis: Accelerated
M. Rothschild
Syllabus
A sequel to 511c, this course and will resemble it in level (abstract and mathematical) and purpose (making it possible for you follow the current literature). Arguably this approach is more relevant to policy than a less formal approach. The making of macroeconomic policy has become increasingly technical. More and more of the decision makers are professional economists who use their training when making policy. Examples include Larry Summers (Secretary of the Treasury), Stan Fischer and Anne Kreuger (both COO’s of the IMF), Mervyn King (Governor of the Bank of England) and Alan Blinder and Ben Bernanke (influential members of the Federal Reserve Board) – all first rate academic economists
513: Qualitative Research Methods (Also POP507)
P. Fernandez-Kelly
Syllabus
This course on qualitative methods in social science focuses on asking questions, on participant-observer techniques, and on recording and interpreting primary field data. It also considers how qualitative methods may be used to complement more quantitative approaches. Recent literature on the theoretical and ethical aspects of these methods are examined.
514: Strategic Planning & Financial Management Systems in the Public Sector
J. Mulvey
Syllabus
Leading financial institutions (banks, insurance companies, pension plans) are developing integrated risk-management systems for assisting high-level executives. European countries, such as Germany, UK, and the Netherlands, require a risk-audit for publicly traded companies. The public sector has begun applying strategic planning to optimal resource allocation. Prominent examples include: Netherlands water distribution, US Forest Service planning, optimal sovereign debt, and military personnel planning. The underlying technology is presented. Students gain an appreciation of the pros and cons of complex-planning systems.
515: Program and Policy Evaluation (MPA2 & MPP only)
J. Grossman
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 evalaution 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: WWS507b/c or instr. permission.
516: Topics in Law and Public Policy: International Human Rights and Democratic Legitimacy
C. Eisgruber, M. Flaherty
Syllabus
This seminar will examine the democratic legitimacy of international human rights law. In the years since World War II, international law has undergone a transformation. It now holds nations accountable not simply for how they treat each other, but for how they treat individuals. Yet, the most common democratic justification for this change – namely, that nations have delegated portions of their sovereignty through treaties – is often regarded as insufficient to justify the intrusions on internal governance that contemporary human rights standards entail. This seminar will survey political theory, comparative law, and evolving international practices and institutions to consider the plausibility of alternative democratic justifications and their likely impact. The theoretical issues will be investigated in the context of specific international controversies. Experts in political theory, international law, and human rights advocacy will visit the seminar to share their perspectives.
522: Microeconomic Analysis of Domestic Policy
A. Case
Syllabus
Examines 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.
523: Legal and Regulatory Policy Toward Markets
R. Willig
Syllabus
This course employs the methods of microeconomics, industrial organization and law and economics to study circumstances where market failures warrant government intervention with policies implemented through the law or regulatory agencies. Topics include antitrust policy toward business practices and vertical and horizontal combinations; policy approaches toward R&D and intellectual property; reliance on tort law, disclosure law, and regulatory standards to mitigate information and externality problems pertaining to health, safety, and performance risks; and the implications for pricing, entry, and investment of different forms of public utility regulation, with examples drawn from energy, telecommunications, and transportation sectors.
528a: Domestic Policy Analysis: Land Use Policy and Planning
D. Kinsey
Syllabus
Land use decisions shape the built and natural environment, influence local and regional economies, define community character, and affect the daily lives of residents, workers, and visitors. This course focuses on land use policy and planning in the United States. After introducing key principles of land use law, plan making, and land use regulation, the course examines selected land use programs, issues, and techniques, at diverse levels of government. The course also analyzes the roles of executive agencies, the courts, experts, advocates, property owners, profit-oriented and nonprofit developers, and citizens in various land use issues.
532: Political Campaigning
M. Prior
Syllabus
This class examines strategy and effects of modern election campaigns. The main goal is to introduce students to scholarly analyses of how campaigns are conducted and what their effects are on people's political reasoning and their vote choices. As part of the class, students will apply existing theories of campaigning and public opinion to the ongoing 2004 campaigns.
534: Urban and Metropolitan Development: Planning and Policy Agenda
J. Levine
Syllabus
Analysis of policies toward the physical development of urban and metropolitan agglomerations, with particular attention to land-use structure and its relationship to transportation, housing, and municipal fiscal policy. The course examines theories of metropolitan growth, change, and spatial organization from perspectives of planning, geography, economics and law, and pays close attention to the dynamics of municipal land-use regulation in shaping metropolitan development.
535: Planning Methods
A. Haughwout
Syllabus
Introduces a set of quantitative tools that are widely used in urban and regional planning practice. Focuses on the development of an operational understanding of techniques for applied decision analysis and modeling of demographic change, regional economic systems, land use and facility location, and infrastructure systems.
538: Politics and Policy Making in Metropolitan Areas
M. Danielson
Syllabus
Analyzes the politics of policymaking in urban and metropolitan areas. Considers the role played by diverse communities in policy formulation and implementation, as well as the intersection of the local, state, and national governments in the policy process. Specific attention is given to several issue areas, including economic development, fiscal management, education, crime, housing, and health care.
540: The Economics of Education
C. Rouse, A. Shorris
Syllabus
This course evaluates currently popular education reforms from an economic perspective. Topics covered include: policies to increase educational attainment; compulsory schooling; class-size reduction initiatives; school finance reforms; school vouchers; and race-sensitive college admissions policies. There are no prerequisites, but familiarity with statistics and econometrics is assumed.
542: International Economics
S. Weyerbrock
Syllabus
Survey course in international economics for non-specialists, concerning both micro- and macro-economic aspects. Micro topics include models of the sources of comparative advantage and the basis for trade, the effects of trade on income distribution, and trade policy. Macro topics include exchange rate determination, balance-of-payments adjustment, and macro-economic policy under alternative exchange-rate systems. Examples and applications taken for developed and developing countries, and Central Europe, as appropriate. Prerequisite: 511b and 512b (can be concurrent).
543: International Trade Policy
G. Maggi
Syllabus
An economic analysis of various trade policy issues. The resource allocation and income distribution effects of free trade relative to autarky are discussed and compared to the outcomes under various forms of protection and managed trade. Topics include: policy interventions in dynamic, export industries (e.g., strategic policies, dynamic externalities, capital market imperfections), adjustment policies for declining, import-competing industries, regional integration programs, and the sequencing of trade reform programs in LDCs. Prerequisite: 511c
545: The International Legal Order (Also POL555)
J. Dunoff
Syllabus
A critical examination of the appropriate roles for international law and institutions in the contemporary world. The course examines a variety of systemic issues, such as the sources and scope of international law, and the role of courts in international relations, through examination of specific topic areas, including human rights, international trade and the use of force.
546: American Foreign Policy
S. Goddard
Syllabus
An examination of the international and domestic determinants of American foreign policy. Topics include both security and foreign economic policy, with a particular emphasis on challenges arising in the aftermath of the Cold War.
552: Relations Between Industrialized and Developing Countries
E. Thun
Syllabus
Changing world conditions demand a reexamination of North-South relations as they have manifested themselves since World War II. The course examines the nature of existing linkages and major issues, including debt, investment, aid, commodity trade, and promotion of democracy and economic liberalization. The course concludes with an assessment of the likelihood of accommodation and confrontation in the post-Cold War world.
Syllabus
The quarrel over Iraq among EU states and the U.S. raised serious questions about the relevance of the 57-year-old transatlantic partnership. The debate focuses on the changing nature of power and its projection in the international system since the end of the Cold War. This seminar will examine this debate and the multiple manifestations of this evolving relationship, starting with an analysis and criticism of the realist approach to the issue.
556c: Topics in Int'nat'l Relat'ns: Protection Against Weapons of Mass Destruct'n
F. von Hippel
Syllabus
Since 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.
556d: Islamic Political Theory
S. Soroush
Syllabus
This course will study the ideas and arguments of great Moslem philosophers/jurists regarding law, justice, power, state and the like. We will focus especially on such prominent figures as Al-Farabi, Al-Ghazzali, Ibn-Khaldun and others. At the end we will examine some Moslem modernist views.
562b: Economic Analysis of Development: Basic
D. Karlan
Syllabus
Introduction to the processes of economic growth and development. Covers a variety of topics including the analysis of various theories of development, public expenditure and taxation, poverty and inequality measurement, and analysis of policies pertaining to trade, commodity pricing, foreign indebtedness, shadow pricing, and project evaluation. Prerequisite: 507b and 511b. 512b can be taken concurrently.
562c: Economic Analysis of Development: Advanced
D. Karlan
Syllabus
This course considers theories and evidence to explain processes of economic development. The course examines new theories of aggregate economic growth, then turns to review the relationship of economic growth, poverty, and inequality, followed by an exploration of leading economic and social institutions, including households and markets for credit, labor, land, and risk. The concluding section takes up ongoing policy debates on population, education, poverty alleviation, and public-private partnerships. Prerequisites: 507c and 511c; 512 can be taken concurrently.
572a: Topics in Development: Gender and Development
K. McGuinness
Syllabus
This course will provide an overview of the field of gender and development, incorporating a global perspective, but informed by concrete experiences from around the world. It will begin with a historical overview of the evolution of the field over the past three decades, continue with key theoretical debates on the nature of equality, the family, poverty and the processes of economic transformation. In the second half of the course we will explore specific sectors-agriculture and the environment, microfinance, reproductive health and governance. Finally, we will conclude with discussions on the impact of women's movements on public policy. The course aims at familiarizing all seminar participants with a basic knowledge of the field and its contributions to research, policy formulation and practical action.
572b: Topics in Development:Social Movements and Social Change
S. Kothari
Syllabus
This course provides a theoretical and historical background and some analytical tools to better grasp the nature and scope of current social movements in Asia, Latin America and the United States. It offers an overview and an understanding of the struggles of peasants, workers, indigenous peoples, women and other concerned people, who are reclaiming their commons and demanding greater local autonomy, environmental and gender justice and more accountability from state and other national and global economic actors, while challenging conventionally held beliefs on democracy, ecology and justice. The course also examines the growing linkages between and among local, national and global movements and international advocacy organizations.
576a: Region & Cntry Study: Political & Economic Reform in Latin America
K. Eaton
Syllabus
Since the 1980s, when Latin American countries suffered economic depression and experienced the fall of authoritarian regimes, governments of the region have pursued ambitious reforms of economic policy, political institutions, and judicial structure and procedure. This course examines the origins, track record, and potential of these changes in various countries, and analyzes the continued challenges to the deepening of democracy and the achievement of sustainable economic growth and equity in the region.
582a: Topics in Economics: Financial Markets
S. Bhatt
Syllabus
This course covers a range of topics including portfolio theory, asset pricing, financial instruments, and the roles played by banks and other institutions in modern financial markets. Prerequisite: 511c
582b: Tpcs in Econ: Environm'al & Natu'l Resource Econ
S. Brunnermeier
Syllabus
This course introduces the use of economics in thinking about environmental and natural resource issues. It explores the concepts of market and policy failure, property rights, social cost-benefit analysis and sustainable development, and applies these concepts to problems related to local and transboundary pollution, natural resource management, sustainable development, population policy, and trade and the environment. It includes case studies drawn from both the U.S. and the developing world. Prerequisite: WWS 511b or permission of instructor.
582d: Tpc/Econ: Pvrty, Inequality & Health: Global & Natn'l Perspect. (Also POP504c)
A. Deaton
Syllabus
This is a course about global and national well-being, with a particular focus on economic well-being, income, and on health. It explores what has happened to poverty, inequality, and health, both in the US, and internationally. We will discuss the conceptual foundations of national and global measures of inequality, poverty, and health, the construction of the measures, and the extent to which they can be trusted. We will also explore the links between health and income, why poor people are less healthy and live less long than rich people in the US and abroad, between rich and poor countries, over history, and as incomes and health have improved in parallel. Also examines the idea that income inequality is itself a health hazard. Prerequisites: WWS507 and WWS511
583: Policy for Science and Technology
F. von Hippel
Syllabus
Examines the intersection of science, technology and public policy. Topics include: the roles of advocacy groups, industry, research universities, national laboratories and individual citizens (including dissenters) in setting the public policy agenda; and the impact of political values on the focus of technical argumentation. Case studies include: nuclear weapons and missile defense; R&D policy; energy, climate change, and development; risk assessment, including cancer risks and losses of biodiversity; genetic engineering; and information technology.
586a: Topics in Biotechnology Policy (Also MOL586a)
L. Silver
Syllabus
This course provides in-depth analysis of selected topics in biotechnology that are currently the focus of intense debate in the public and policy arenas. Topics include genetic modification of plants and animals, genetic testing in human populations, stem cells, cloning, and advanced reproductive technologies. Each topic is examined from the perspective of potential commercial applications, risk/benefit analysis, impact on individuals and society, the viewpoints of supporters and detractors, and the political response in the U.S. and other countries. Open to undergraduates with instructor permission.
586b: Conservation of Endangered Species and Ecosystems (Also EEB516)
D. Wilcove
Syllabus
Conservation of Endangered Species and Ecosystems This 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. Open to Seniors and Juniors by permission of instructor.
586c: Earth's Atmosphere: Theory and Practice
M. Oppenheimer
Syllabus
This course provides an introduction to the composition, structure, and dynamics of the atmosphere with an emphasis on changes wrought by human activities, the consequences of those changes, and attempts to address them in the policy arena. Urban air pollution, long range transport of acidic pollutants and ozone, depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, and global warming demonstrate an expansion of human influence from local to regional and global atmospheric scales over the past 2 centuries. Atmospheric emissions and their effects extend across physical and regulatory boundaries into the marine, fresh water, and terrestrial environments, contributing to changes as diverse as coastal flooding,eutrophication of estuaries, regression of glaciers, early emergence of insects, and early egg-laying by birds. Responses in the public, private, and non-governmental sectors will be examined with an emphasis on the cases of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer , the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, and US domestic policy with particular attention to the use and abuse of science in the policy. Open to undergraduates by instructor permission.
587: Research Workshop in Population
N. Goldman
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).
594a: Pol. Anal: Health Care in Devel. Countries (Session I) (Also POP502)
V. Gauri
Syllabus
This course examines the process of formulating health policies in developing countries by looking at both theory and practical experience. Topics include: the health sector reform process and implementation, the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development plan of action and its implementation, and the experience of setting policies for specific health issues. Case studies from several developing countries highlighting their experience in implementing various health policies will be presented.
594b: Policy Analysis: Immigration (Session II) (Also POP504d)
A. Portes
Syllabus
This course examines the determinants and consequences of migration and immigration in the United States. Theoretical and methodological issues are discussed, and immigration and migration are analyzed with reference to national and local policy. Specific topics include demographic consequences in the short and long run, the impact on regional economies, differential effects of legal and illegal immigration, political implications, and cultural issues.
594c: Policy Analysis: Military Force Planning & Decision Making (Session I)
M. Meese
Syllabus
This course introduces important issues of conventional force planning and military decision making. It includes discussion of service cultures, doctrines, capabilities, and limitations. The course 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, the course provides background essential for those involved in the study and practice of national security decision making.
594d: Policy Anaysis: Crisis Management (Session II)
A. Shorris
Syllabus594e: Policy Analysis: Gender, Earning Power & Policy - Domestic Perspectives (Session I)
The course will explore the challenges faced by public sector decision-makers faced with the management of crises. Using literature in the field, domestic and international case studies, as well as the perspectives of senior officials have managed major crises, the course will explore the issues of risk assessment and crisis avoidance, crisis team management, and post-crisis recovery from political, managerial, and psychological perspectives.
S. Hewlett
Syllabus
Analyzes the causes of the wage gap between men and women and examines a range of policy responses. Close attention will be paid to the interaction of race/ethnicity and class with gender, and there will be a focus on the role of the private sector. The critical debates in economic and feminist theory will thread through both parts of the course and students will learn how these theories have both shaped and challenged policy making in a variety of national settings. Particular regard will be paid to the interplay between family policy and labor market policy. The course will be taught in an interactive seminar format.
594f: Policy Analysis: Foreign Aid (Session II)
S. Woodward
Syllabus
Description not yet available.
594h: Policy Analysis: Culture and Conflict in the Middle East (Session II)
L. Wynn
Syllabus
Examines recent conflicts in the Middle East from an anthropological perspective, including colonialism and nationalism, "political Islam," civil society and Islamic social movements. The course will give students a background in the political history of the region, and explore the relationship between culture and politics. Cases include the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and fundamentalist movements in Egypt and Saudi Arabia which produced Bin Laden and al-Qaeda.
594i: Policy Analysis: Social Policy Financing (Session I)
E. Donahue
Syllabus
The way the federal government finances a program has profound implications on how the underlying substantive policy of the program is carried out. The federal financing structure often dictates how the program is implemented at the state or local level; it predicts the viability of a program; and it shapes the federal regulatory response to the law. In this class, we examine different ways that the federal government finances social welfare programs from block grants to match programs to tax expenditures. A few of the specific programs we look at are TANF, CCDBG, Title XXX, the Food Stamp program, and the Head Start program. In examining the financing structure and rules that accompany these programs, we learn the various ways that the federal government can fund social welfare programs, and the importance that the structure plays in implementing substantive policies.
594j: Policy Analysis: Legislative Politics (Session II)
N. McCarty
Syllabus
This course provides an overview of contemporary positive political theory as it relates to legislative politics. Although many readings and topics are abstract, lectures, assignments, and in-class experiments and exercises will consistently provide opportunities to compare theory with reality. Theoretical topics covered include: elementary social choice, sophisticated voting and agenda control, the median voter theorem, pivotal politics, and introductory models with asymmetric information. Corresponding empirical topics include pork barrel politics, legislative rules of procedure, the nature of parties in legislative behavior, filibusters in the Senate, presidential vetoes, and committees and legislative organization more broadly.
594k: Pol. Anal: Fed. Statistical Sys.: Data for Public Policy or Pol. Spin (Session I)
W. Barron
Syllabus
Public and private decision-making, and distribution of billions of dollars of public funds, depend on the accuracy and objectivity of critical data series produced by a small, decentralized set of Federal statistical agencies. Decisions by this obscure group of agencies impacts every citizen, directly and indirectly. Who produces these data products that have such impact on the economy and society? What are the key products? Who or what, protects the public interest and the public good? We identify and discuss key agencies, major issues and critical programs. Open to JUNIORS and SENIORS by permission; please see instructor.
594l: Pol. Anal: U.S. Census 2000-Lessons Learned & Plans for Future (Session II)
W. Barron
Syllabus
The Constitution requires that a census of the nation's population be taken every ten years. The purpose is the politically sensitive process of apportionment of seats in the U.S. Congress. But in a modern society the purpose extends far beyond, from the distribution of billions of dollars of federal funds, to the drawing of legislative voting districts, and use in locating businesses, schools, hospitals and shopping malls. We review the Census achievements and its future in light of plans to change it. Open to JUNIORS and SENIORS by permission; please see instructor.
594m: Policy Analysis: AIDS in Africa (Session I)
K. Hansen
Syllabus
Analyzes the HIV/AIDS pandemic as both a cause and consequence of particular development patterns in Africa.
594n: Policy Analysis: Public Health and Public Policy (Session II)
E. Armstrong
Syllabus
An introduction to the philosophy, practice and politics of public health in the U.S. The course considers the principles of epidemiology and the social, political and institutional forces that shape public health policy, as well as the determinants of health, government's role in minimizing risks and maximizing well-being, and the major organizational structures responsible for monitoring, protecting and promoting the public health. Topics include environmental and occupational health; emerging infections; food safety; violence; tobacco control; population aging; and public health genetics.
594p: Policy Analysis: Gender, Earning Power & Policy - Int'l Perspectives (Session II)
S. Hewlett
Syllabus
Analyzes the causes of the wage gap between men and women and examines a range of policy responses. Close attention will be paid to the interaction of race/ethnicity and class with gender, and there will be a focus on the role of the private sector. The critical debates in economic and feminist theory will thread through both parts of the course and students will learn how these theories have both shaped and challenged policy making in a variety of national settings. Particular regard will be paid to the interplay between family policy and labor market policy. The course will be taught in an interactive seminar format.
594r: Policy Analysis: Domestic Policy Analysis Using GIS (Session II)
J. Seley
Syllabus
This course is designed as a practical introduction to the use of computer mapping (Geographic Information Systems) for policy analysis and decision-making. Students learn MapInfo through examples of map applications. Students are expected to complete exercises and a final project applying GIS to a policy issue.
595: Psychological Roots of Conflict
E. Pronin
Syllabus
This course examines psychological roots of human conflict. We will study the ways in which conflicts can stem from, and be exacerbated by, psychological phenomena involving the perceptions, judgments, emotions, and attitudes we have about ourselves, our opponents, and the relevant issues of conflict. We will then apply this knowledge to investigating and developing psychologically-informed ways of overcoming conflicts. We will examine conflicts ranging from those involving individuals in dispute to those involving societies at war.
598: Epidemiology (Also POP 508)
N. Goldman
Syllabus
Areas of focus include measurement of health status, illness occurrence, mortality and impact of associated risk factors; techniques for design, analysis and interpretation of epidemiologic research studies; sources of bias and confounding; and causal inference. Other topics include foundations of modern epidemiology, the epidemiologic transition, reemergence of infectious disease, social inequalities in health, and ethical issues. The course will examine the bridging of "individual-centered" epidemiology and "macro-epidemiology" to recognize social, economic and cultural context, assess impacts on populations, and provide important inputs for public health and health policy. Prerequisite: 507b/c or advanced statistics
750: Work Study: Domestic
S. Frakt
Syllabus
Opportunities to integrate formal education with professional practice by working for a public affairs organization. Under the supervision of an official of the organization, the student normally devotes about one day per week to a specific work assignment, assisting in the development of public policy, or in running a government agency. A study component includes 4 to 5 class meetings during the semester and preparation of a research paper under the supervision of the work-study instructor.
751: Work Study: International
F. Hitz
Syllabus
Opportunities to integrate formal education with professional practice by working for a public affairs organization. Under the supervision of an official of the organization, the student normally devotes about one day per week to a specific work assignment, assisting in the development of public policy, or in running a government agency. A study component includes 4 to 5 class meetings during the semester and preparation of a research paper under the supervision of the work-study instructor.