Library & Research
Fall 2002 Graduate Courses
Blackboard
Note: All WWS courses will 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.
E. Cosgrove, D. Lewis, T. Romer
Syllabus
Analysis of 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.
503: The Management of Organizations
B. Blumenthal
Syllabus
Diagnose organizational issues and design interventions to improve performance, using case studies of public and nonprofit organizations. Analysis of characteristics of high performing organizations and differences between sectors. Explore techniques and skills for problem solving, team building, developing consensus, and leading change, so that students' ideas and initiatives are more likely to succeed. Students reflect on their prior experiences in organizations as a means to further personal development.
507b: Quantitative Analysis (Basic)
M. 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 high school algebra and familiarity with basic calculus concepts.
507c: Quantitative Analysis (Advanced)
J. Goldstein
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)
G. 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.
510: Survey Research Methods and Applications
E. Freeland
Syllabus
This course teaches state-of-the-art survey methods. Topics covered include source of error in survey design and analysis, statistical concepts, questionnaire development and testing, data collection options, data preparation, experimental designs in surveys, and focus group methods. Survey research will be compared to alternative methods. Special cases include survey designs for election polls, litigation support, public utility commissions, and federal regulatory agencies.
511b: Microeconomic Analysis (Basic)
C. Paxson
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)
R. Willig
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.
511d: Microeconomic Analysis (Accelerated)
G. Lorenzoni
Syllabus
515: Program and Policy Evaluation (MPA2s & MPPs 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.
521: Domestic Politics
R. Arnold
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
P. Krugman, G. Lorenzoni
Syllabus
An extension of 512c, the course covers topics such as economic growth, the macroeconomic effects of budget deficits and social security policies, the design of monetary policy institutions, and the relationship between asset market structure and macroeconomic performance. 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
525: Microeconomic Analysis of Government Activity
E. 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
527a: Domestic Policy Analysis: Transportation (Also CIV 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 grass roots politics.
533: Planning Theory and Process (Also ARC535)
J. Wolpert
Syllabus
Introduction to the theory and practice of planning. Analysis and discussion are devoted to planning models, planning decisions, and alternative planning roles. Focused study of comprehensive and strategic planning, community participation, new urbanism concepts, equity concerns, and planning at local, regional, and state levels.
541: International Politics
C. Davis
Syllabus
This 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.
544: International Macroeconomics
C. Hsieh
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.
547: The Conduct of International Diplomacy
R. Hutchings
Syllabus
This course offers a comparative look at the making and implementation of policy in the international arena. It explores key concepts and theories concerning national interest, negotiation, strategies of action and influence, crisis management, and conflict resolution, and it applies those concepts via case studies and simulations in diplomacy, trade policy, foreign assistance, and security policy.
549: National Security Policy
M. O'Hanlon
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 International Relations: International Peacekeeping
E. Schwartz
Syllabus
This seminar will consider the objectives and effectiveness of international peacekeeping, especially peacekeeping in situations of ongoing conflict (such as Afghanistan). It will explore efforts to enhance the capabilities of UN troops, as well as to improve UN capacities in the areas of planning and coordination, administration of justice and civilian policing, transitional administration, and post-conflict peace-building. The seminar will have a particular (though not exclusive) focus on U.S. policy and organization on peace operations
555b: Topics in International Relations: International Justice
G. Bass
Syllabus
Examines the possibilities and limitations of international criminal justice and the punishment of war crimes. The course asks if international law can help to moderate or prevent violent conflict, why states sometimes pursue the prosecution of war criminals, and how law shapes and is shaped by international politics. Cases include Nuremberg and other legalistic projects arising from World War I, World War II, the Cold War era, and the former Yugoslavia.
561: The Comparative Political Economy of Development (Also POL523)
A. 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.
571a: Topics in Development: Alternative Development Strategies
K. McGuinness
Syllabus
571b: Topics in Development: Urbanization and Development
A. Portes
Syllabus
Examines 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.
571c: Topics in Development: African Development and Security
J. Herbst
Syllabus
An advanced review of current development issues confronting countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Emphasis will be on the politics of development policies, relations with international financial institutions, effects of globalization, and regional and continental economic plans. Course will include a group policy exercise.
584: Methods in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy
D. Mauzerall
Syllabus
This course presents a set of basic theories, methods and tools for use in the analysis of policy issues involving science, technology and the environment. Topics include: order-of-magnitude estimation; modeling and uncertainty analysis; and risk assessment and risk communication. The goal of the course is to develop an understanding of these techniques through a combination of lectures, exercises, and the examination of a set of real-world case studies. Complex models are becoming commonplace in a diverse range of technical and non-technical policy areas. This course will provide a set of tools to evaluate the extent to which these models are useful and how one can determine if they accurately represent the problem under investigation or obscure important factors. The course will culminate with an in-depth analysis of a particular real-world environmental problem using the tools learned in class.
585a: Population, Environment and Health
B. Singer
Syllabus
This course focuses on the interrelationships between the demographic structure and dynamics of human populations, their physical and mental health, and the ecological systems with which they interact. Case studies include: agricultural colonization of the Amazon basin of Brazil and the process of urbanization in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; tradeoffs between land use and health; migration, its environmental impact, and the tension between public health and medicine in promoting the health of migrant populations; health consequences of corporate globalization; macroeconomics and health; rice ecosystems and the tradeoffs between agricultural productivity and human health.
585b: Conservation of Endangered Species and Ecosystems
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.
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.
591a: Workshop: Urban and Regional Planning
P. Buckhurst
Syllabus
Provides an opportunity for participants to apply their theoretical and methodological training to a specific urban development issue or opportunity. The workshop format allows for individual studies covering market, economic, design, and environmental considerations related to a specific development area. Recommendations are then prepared for critical review by a panel of experts.
591b: Workshop: Humanitarian Assist. in Complex Political Emergencies
S. Lautze
Syllabus
Disasters are no longer the sole domain of well-intentioned humanitarians seeking to save lives and reduce suffering in times of acute need. Since the end of the Cold War, protracted and complex political emergencies have come under renewed crutiny by a range of development, conflict-resolution and, lately, terrorist specialists. This workshop will consider the haracteristics of today's complex political emergencies and will examine the challenge these emergencies pose for policy makers and practitioners alike, especially to those actors from disaster-affected countries/regions. A particular focus of the workshop will be the challenges that local, national and regional authorities in disaster-affected countries and regions face, and how external actors can assist these bodies to exert useful leadership in the management of multi-mandate and multi-actor humanitarian interventions. It is proposed that the class undertake a review of lessons learned by national governments (e.g. the Government of Ethiopia) and/or regional bodies (e.g. the Organization of African Unity) in their efforts to build domestic capacity for disaster early warning and humanitarian coordination. It is proposed that the final product of this workshop be geared towards presentation to the evolving Government of Afghanistan, a body that is currently struggling in its efforts to coordinate massive humanitarian and development assistance undertaken by disparate government, NGO, UN, IO bodies and private parties.
591c: Workshop: Hu. Rights: From Grassroots Courage to Internat'l Influence
L. Mahony
Syllabus
This workshop looks at the complex and rapidly growing web of political players involved in making human rights pressure felt in the post-Cold War era. We look beyond the traditional mechanisms of legalistic human rights work and exhaustive documentation of abuses, instead focusing on the work of local human rights activists and organizations in the field; and the labyrinthine process of transforming their courageous and perilous efforts into the sort of international political pressure that makes abusive governments pay attention. Throughout, the perspective is to analyze the human rights problem as a question of societal structures and institutions (local and global), rather than as a question of individual behavior.
591d: Workshop: Regional Currency Unions
P. Kenen
Syllabus
This course will assess the benefits and costs of currency unions, ranging from unilateral dollarization to full-fledged monetary union. It will draw on the theoretical literature and the experience of the euro-zone countries, Francophone Africa, and dollarized countries in Latin America. It will ask whether trade integration requires monetary integration and whether monetary integration requires comprehensive political integration. It will also assess the implications for other country groups, including Canada, Mexico and the United States, and various regional groups in Asia and Latin America.
591e: Workshop: Education
R. Maynard
Syllabus
This workshop will explore priority issues for the New Jersey State Department of Education related to the implications of the 1998 NJ Supreme Court decision in the case of Abbott v. Burke Abbott, which aimed to address issues of equity, efficiency, and outcomes in the state's K-12 education system. Workshop participants will conduct background reading over the summer. Then, at the start of the semester, they will collaborate with key stakeholders for the workshop report to develop a specific project proposal. The project will address issues such as the implications of the Abbott decision for student outcomes in Abbott district schools and in other schools; for the overall level and the mix of school resources; and for the organization, leadership, and management of schools.
591f: Workshop: Whither Coal in China and the U.S.?
R. Socolow
Syllabus
This workshop will address the future of coal in the mid-term (5-20 years) in China and the U.S. Our “client” will be the U.S. embassy in Beijing, which seeks cooperative strategies that improve environmental quality. We will consider the future of coal in both China and the U.S., in order to learn efficiently about parallel issues. In neither country is there a consensus regarding coal’s future. Issues to be considered include economic reform, foreign investment, urbanization, technology policy, health policy, and environmental policy.
591g: Workshop: Nation Bldg: Role of Int'l Commun. in Design of Governance
E. Schwartz
Syllabus
While peace accords establish parameters for the political transition process, they often do not spell out in detail how the wide variety of institutions related to governance will be constituted. Some of these "constituting processes" have been deemed successful, others have either failed or have not taken place in a meaningful manner. The workshop will examine several key national constituting processes over the past many years, evaluate overall successes and failures, and seek to develop general guidelines for the involvement of the international community. The workshop will also explore key political issues, such as how to affect the calculations of the parties to create incentives for participation and compliance, as well as issues of technical assistance from abroad.
593a: Policy Analysis: Poverty and Public Policy (Session I)
S. McLanahan
Syllabus
This course examines poverty in the United States in the last half of the twentieth century. Topics include 1) how poverty is measured and problems with the official measure, 2) trends and differentials in poverty, 3) causes and consequences of poverty, including sociological, economic, and political perspectives, and 4) anti-poverty policies, including cross-national differences in welfare states.
593b: Policy Analysis: Reproductive Heath and Reproductive Rights (Session II) (Also POP504b)
J. Trussell
Syllabus
Examines selected topics in reproductive health, with primary emphasis on contemporary domestic issues in the United States--such as unintended pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infection--but within the context of the international agenda on reproductive rights established in the 1994 Cairo international Conference on Population and development.
593c: Policy Analysis: Domestic Policy Analysis Using GIS (Session I)
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.
593g: Policy Analysis: The Federal Budget (Session I)
J. Klumpner
Syllabus
593h: Policy Analysis: State and Local Finance (Session II)
R. Keevey
Syllabus
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.
593j: Policy Analysis: Affordable Housing (Session II)
D. Kinsey
Syllabus
Affordable housing is decent new or rehabilitated housing priced or rented such that the lowest two-fifths of all individuals or families, by income, pay no more than 30% of their income for housing. This course examines the policy and practice of developing affordable housing in the United States, by the public, nonprofit, and private sectors, using diverse subsidy sources and financing techniques to plug the gap between the cost of housing and the financial resources of lower income households.
596a: Negotiat'n, Persuas'n & Social Influence: Theory & Practice (MPAs only)
T. Pittman
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 is 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.
596b: Negotiat'n, Persuas'n & Social Influence: Theory & Practice (MPPs only)
T. Pittman
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 is 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.
598: PhD Seminar: Research Ethics and Scientific Integrity (Session II)
TBA
Syllabus
Examines the ethical issues arising in the context of scientific research. Evaluates the role and responsibilities of professional researchers in dealing with plagiarism, fraud, conflict over authorial credit, and ownership of data. In addition, it undertakes a broader inquiry into conceptions of professional integrity, and the responsibilities that scientists have to their research subjects, to their students and apprentices, as well as to society at large.