Upon Admission, each student prepares a program of study for the junior and senior years in consultation with the program director.  Departmental courses should form a coherent program of study, normally combining both techniques of analysis from the social science disciplines and courses that give the student substantive depth in a particular policy area.  Areas of specialization typically combine a policy issue (urban education, international trade, security, or environmental policy) and a particular geographic region or nation (Africa, Latin America, Europe, India, or the United States).

This course is intended to introduce Woodrow Wilson School students to the basic concepts and practices of democracy. It will explore the following questions: How should we organize ourselves as a political community? Why should we live under democratic institutions? What should the limits of the rule of the majority be? What is the relationship between political liberties and economic development?  The course will examine these questions both from a normative and an empirical point of view. 

S. Katz and C. Boix

The role of government in promoting efficiency and equity in the U.S. economy. Conditions when markets fail to be efficient. Problems with gov't allocation of resources. Economic analysis and public policies regarding health care, education, poverty, the environment, financial regulations and other important issues. Prerequisites: Economics 100, (or ECO 102 if taken before September 2004) and ECO 101.
 

E. Bogan

An introduction to the logic and research findings underlying decision-making and judgment under uncertainty. The focus is on the contrast between the rational theory of judgment and choice, and the psychological principles that guide decision behavior, producing biases and errors. Among other topics, we will consider legal and medical decision-making, poverty, finance, well-being, and negotiation, along with the implications of the findings for the rational agent model typically assumed in economics, throughout the social sciences, and in policy making. Prerequisites: any introductory statistics course including Psychology 301, Woodrow Wilson 303, Civil Engineering and Operations Research 245, or instructor’s permission.
 

E. Shafir

Focuses on the relationship between selected issues in bioethics and their implications for public policy. Issues include the ethical responsibilities of doctor and patient to each other; the ethics of research with human subjects; the ethics of death and dying; the ethics of reproduction; eugenics; access to health care; the role of bioethics committees; and animal experimentation. Considers the history of cultural attitudes towards these matters, the contemporary policies designed to deal with them, and the landmark court cases that have focused on bioethics.

H. Shapiro

This course will consider some of the major issues in education policy, with particular focus on attempts to secure equal educational opportunity. It will include discussions of desegregation and resource equity, education for immigrants and the handicapped, school choice and school reform.

N. Scovronick

Civil society is the arena of voluntary organizations (churches, social welfare organizations, sporting clubs) and communal activity. Scholars now tell us that such voluntary and cooperative activities create "social capital" -- a stock of mutual trust that forms the glue that holds society together. The course will be devoted to the study of the history of these concepts, and to the analysis of their application to the United States and other societies. This will be an interdisciplinary effort, embracing history, philosophy, anthropology, sociology, and other disciplines.

S. Katz

The course is designed for students preparing to incorporate statistical analysis in their policy research. In the context of case studies, it will cover the principal methods of data analysis and applied statistics in social science and policy research, including multiple regression, analysis of variance and nonparametric methods. Students are expected to have some knowledge of basic probability and statistical concepts.

Staff

Concentrators will learn the foundations of research design, including formulating researchable questions from topics and how to use empirical evidence to evaluate claims. Students will be exposed to a variety of substantive problems and research approaches that use qualitative and quantitative methods through critical reading of social science literature. The course will also cover several practical aspects of research, including ethics and regulations concerning research with human subjects; library search tools and reference sources in social sciences; and resources for acquiring data and conducting statistical analyses.

M.Tienda 

Examines major moral controversies in public life. With the aid of readings in political philosophy, ethics, and public policy, we consider differing conceptions of justice and the common good, and debate what morality requires of us in the design of institutions and policies, and in the decisions we confront as citizens. Topics considered include justice in war, torture and terrorism, abortion and doctor-assisted suicide, markets and distributive justice, paternalism, and the place, if any, of religious arguments in politics.

S. Macedo

The course will consider the ethical and legal frameworks for making leadership decisions on major public issues in the United States, as well as the operational frameworks for effective and responsible public leadership. It will review several historical cases, discuss the policy decisions made in each case, and examine the decision-making processes in view of these frameworks.

N. Scovronick 

Introduction to communications policy and law, covering such topics as freedom of the press and the development of journalism; intellectual property; regulation of telecommunications, broadcasting, and cable; and policy challenges raised by the Internet and the globalization of the media.

P. Starr

Advances in genetic and reproductive technologies will soon allow us to perform rapid, complete genetic screens on individuals and cells and, ultimately, to direct our own evolution as a species. The science behind genetic screening, therapy and enhancement, as well as cloning and the manipulation of human embryos will be presented along with an analysis of anticipated uses by individuals and corporations. The impact of these revolutionary technologies on society as a whole will be discussed, along with approaches to policymaking.

L.M. Silver

The course is designed for students preparing to incorporate statistical analysis in their policy research. In the context of case studies, it will cover the principal methods of data analysis and applied statistics in social science and policy research, including multiple regression, analysis of variance and nonparametric methods. Students are expected to have some knowledge of basic probability and statistical concepts.

G. Lord

Concentrators will learn the foundations of research design, including formulating researchable questions from topics and how to use empirical evidence to evaluate claims. Students will be exposed to a variety of substantive problems and research approaches that use qualitative and quantitative methods through critical reading of social science literature. The course will also cover several practical aspects of research, including ethics and regulations concerning research with human subjects; library search tools and reference sources in social sciences; and resources for acquiring data and conducting statistical analyses.

M. Lockheed

The course will examine how the U.S. federal government funds and uses scientific and technical research. The course will examine current debates on such issues as how much money should be spent on science and on what kinds of science, how to keep the U.S. economically competitive, how universities and industry should interact, how the space program should be directed, how energy policy should be established and implemented, and how science should be used in a variety of environmental debates. We will use government documents, expert reports and academic readings to understand the background, issues and implications of each debate.

Staff

This course provides an introduction to issues and challenges confronting American cities and metropolitan areas and the policy remedies and options available to government and the private sector. First, we examine political, social, and economic explanations for the origin and evolution of urban environments. We trace the historical development of local government institutions, analyze urban coalitions, and investigate distributions of power. The second half of the course analyzes urban policies in the areas of growth, education, culture wars, housing, and poverty particularly in the post war period.

J. Trounstine

This seminar will assess the history, objectives, and effectiveness of international peace operations including peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peace enforcement efforts. Informed by current and recent operations in places such as the Balkans, Africa, and the Middle East, the class will assess progress by the international community in building capacity to respond effectively to political and economic transitions in post-conflict societies. The seminar will also study the development of U.S. policy toward peace operations.

W. Nash

Investigate the interrelationships between human and animal health with a focus on infectious diseases and the physical and social environments within which health dynamics operate. Case studies of policy issues associated with disease prevention and treatment programs; ethical issues of equity in heterogeneous populations. Social environments and their implications for mental health and illness from an international and historical perspective. Tensions between the pharmaceutical industry, government, and the public interest.

B. Singer

Analyzes the historical construction of race as a concept in American society, how and why this concept was institutionalized publicly and privately in various arenas of U.S. public life at different historical junctures, and the progress that has been made in dismantling racialized institutions since the civil rights era.

D. Massey

This course examines the development, challenges, and multiple complexities of international diplomacy. It addresses three sets of dimensions: the conceptual aspects and historical development of bilateral and multilateral diplomacy; their operation in the international system in a post-9/11 world; and the resulting intricacies of international negotiations.

W. Danspeckgruber

How and why do American policy makers enact the policies that they do? This seminar first explores the environment in which policy makers operate, giving special attention to public opinion and elections. This sets the stage for examining how Congress, the president, and other political actors make decisions.

D. Arnold 

This course will examine the process by which drugs are discovered, tested on human populations, and approved for sale. It will analyze the role of the Food and Drug Administration in guaranteeing the safety of medication, as well as the role of Congress in providing oversight, governing prices, and regulating competition. Finally, it will examine the legal, political, and economic context in which health policy decisions are made in this area.

C. Schutt

As the world population grows and becomes more industrialized, human impact on the global environment is also increasing. This course examines a set of global environmental issues such as population growth, climate change, ozone layer depletion, air pollution, loss of biological diversity, depletion of global fisheries, and the environmental consequences of energy supply and demand decisions. It provides an overview of the scientific basis for these problems and examines current and possible future policy responses. One three-hour seminar
 

D. Mauzerall

Medical research aims to improve and maintain human health. Accordingly, researchers employ such strategies as understanding biology, defining disease mechanisms, and developing ways to prevent, treat, or cure. Today, the U.S. is the preeminent global power in medical research through interactions among government, academia, and industry. This course will trace the evolution of this country's research enterprise, describe its diverse cultures, focus on its greatest achievements (and achievers), and identify a number of challenges confronting it currently. How the U.S. copes with these challenges will influence the future of world health.
 

Mahmoud/Rosenberg

In addition to the courses listed above, course numbers 450-499 will be special topic courses. Please see the the Registrar's timetable of courses for complete course descriptions.