Weill Medical College of Cornell University · Courses
PUBPOL
455 courses with the subject PUBPOL, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
PUBPOL 1111Building Success at Brooks1
This course offers a jumpstart for Brooks School students majoring in Public Policy or Health Care Policy to facilitate in planning their college experience. The course will help students develop goals for their time as a Cornell Undergraduate, including how best to integrate curricular and extracurricular activities and begin exploring career options. Students are expected to comply with all university, school, and program policies related to both local and international travel.
This is a course designed specifically for Brooks School undergraduates interested in exploring the range of careers that a Public Policy or Health Care Policy degree can provide. Careers may include business, consulting, finance, health, higher education, government, law, non-profit work, public policy, research, and much more. Alumni representing these disciplines will be invited to discuss how their policy degree influenced their work while addressing current issues, trends, and career opportunities.
The Cornell Pre-College Summer Institute “Democracy Policy in the World” is a two-week intensive course designed for rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors interested in learning theory and practice of issues related to the development of democracy policy in the international system. In sum, this program is a rigorous, intensive global democratic citizens training program. In the current state of world disorder, characterized by a transition between a rules-based international order and power-based international order, as well as pernicious polarization domestically and internationally between East-West and North-South, this program’s goals are: to introduce students to foundational theories of democracy and its intersection with diplomacy and international policy; support students in recognizing themselves as informed, engaged, and activated global democratic citizens; equip students with basic diplomatic skills to analyze policy issues and support global democracy; and inspire students to continue engagement and critically analyze democracy and international policy issues in their future academic and career paths.
This course examines the various stakeholders of the U.S. health care system and how the stakeholders interact with one another. We begin by examining the role of medical care in producing health and the costs and benefits of new medical technologies (e.g., medical devices, prescription drugs, and new surgical techniques). We then examine the objectives and behavior of key stakeholders in the system: patients, employers, and taxpayers who pay for health care; private and public (i.e., Medicare and Medicaid) health insurers who manage the funds; hospitals, physicians, and other health care professionals who provide medical care; and pharmaceutical and medical device firms that supply products that providers use. Students will also learn how to apply basic reasoning to examine health policy issues, including covering the uninsured, controlling the growth rate of medical spending, improving the quality of medical care, and applications of AI in health care.
PUBPOL 1500FWS: Reading and Writing in Public Policy3
In this class, we will discuss how public policies can be understood and evaluated through clear, evidence-based writing. Assigned reading will focus on poverty alleviation in developing countries with the assistance of Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo's Poor Economics - a book which addresses the health, education, and financial lives of the poor. Students will be asked to write a series of essays identifying policy problems, detailing proposed solutions, and arguing in favor of specific policy proposals. Students will choose essay topics based on their own policy-related interests with no requirement that they be related to the reading. Students will be advised and evaluated on the strength of their writing with a special emphasis on clarity and cited evidence.
PUBPOL 1510FWS: America at War in the Modern World3
This first-year writing seminar will discuss how defense policy can be understood and evaluated through effective writing. Recent American wars have ended badly, with much doubt about the policies that created them. Modern American history is a long series of global conflicts, from the World Wars to Afghanistan. Through writing, this course will investigate: why so many wars? What policies created the conflicts? Readings include accounts of soldiers, civilians, and policymakers. Students will write a series of essays exploring American defense policies, and the wartime experience of ordinary people, finishing with an essay that draws larger lessons about US military engagement with the world. Students will be advised and evaluated on the strength of their writing with an emphasis on clarity and evidence.
PUBPOL 1520FWS: Writing in Public Policy: American Soft Power3
This is a first-year writing course in which a specific component of U.S. foreign policy, the application of Soft Power, defined by political scientist Joseph Nye, Jr. as when a nation presents to the world its ideals, culture or values in an effort to influence or shape goodwill for its policies, will be understood and evaluated through writing in a range of genres appropriate to the field of policy study. Following decades of bipartisan Soft Power policy, momentous change to Soft Power institutions is underway in President Donald Trump's second term. Assigned readings will consist of journal articles that examine this break in Washington's foreign policy. In the course's central work, students will write a series of papers, including essays (four), one vision/mission statement or an op-ed. The objective of this course is evidence-based writing, assessing and evaluating Soft Power today in foreign policy, proposing revisions or alternatives, and expressing specific policy recommendations. Through readings and guest speakers, real-world applications and connections will be emphasized, ensuring that the resultant course writing is not just theoretical but also practical and relevant.
PUBPOL 1530FWS: Health Policy Across the Life Span3
This Freshman Writing Seminar (FWS) will discuss the logic behind seemingly puzzling features of health policy, such as: why are large scale health policies so complex and strangely designed? Why are there so many separate siloes in health care and what are the implications for access to care? The course will leverage these key questions in the study of health policy to help students develop effective writing skills. Toward this goal, readings will focus on how people experience health care across ages and health needs, using examples from health insurance policy. We will discuss two primary purposes for policy writing: to inform and to persuade. Writing assignments will involve multiple styles of policy writing suitable for different kinds of policy jobs and purposes.
Topics include theory of demand and consumer behavior including classical and indifference curve analyses; theories of production and cost; models for the following markets-competitive, monopoly, monopolistic competition, oligopoly, and inputs; general equilibrium; welfare economics; public goods; and risk.
Population and Public Policy exposes students to the logic and skills of demographic research and policy analysis. The course emphasizes the nature, collection, and interpretation of demographic data, the application of demographic techniques, the major components (i.e., fertility, mortality, and migration) of national and global population change, and contemporary population problems (e.g., population aging, teen childbearing, the rise in non-marital childbearing, immigrant adaptation). The course also emphasizes public policies that can influence demographic change. The format primarily involves lectures and class discussion. Students are expected to attend each class and be prepared to discuss assigned materials.
The public sector now spends nearly two out of every five dollars generated as income in the U.S. economy. A thorough knowledge and understanding of this important sector is an essential part of training in public policy analysis. This course provides an overview of the public sector of the U.S. economy, the major categories of public expenditures, and the main methods used to finance these expenditures. The principles of tax analysis and cost-benefit analysis are presented with a focus on the role of public policy in improving economic efficiency, promoting the goals of equity and social justice, and improving equity by altering the distribution of wealth and income.
PUBPOL 2050Critical Perspectives in Global Health and Policy3
This course offers an interdisciplinary approach to global health and policy, emphasizing health equity, community perspectives, and advocacy. Students will explore the complex interplay of theoretical, historical, economic, political, environmental, social, and behavioral factors that impact health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. The course aims to broaden students' understanding of global health by engaging with key concepts such as the global burden of disease, global health governance, diplomacy, ethics, and advocacy. We will examine a range of health issues, from infectious diseases (e.g., HIV/AIDS, Mpox, COVID-19) to non-communicable diseases to mental health and environmental health, with a focus on how these are exacerbated by social and structural determinants. Additionally, the course will critically analyze the intersections of race, gender, and other social categories in shaping global health disparities. Students will bridge theory to practice through case studies by evaluating global health policies and interventions. By the end of the course, students will develop critical thinking, policy analysis, and advocacy skills, enabling them to assess and contribute to solutions for pressing global health challenges. (HCP-EL)
Urgent global challenges such as pandemics, climate change, and immigration cannot be solved by single nations alone. Global problems require global solutions. This course helps students answer the following fundamental questions: what is global policy? who are global policy actors? and what are the implications of global policy frameworks for economic and social development around the world? This course is an introduction to global policy and will utilize different disciplinary perspectives in the social sciences to analyze key global policy frameworks, and familiarize students with current debates in global policy across sectors. How do different disciplines address global challenges? Course discussion and assignments will focus on assessing the implications of diverse policies for improving the quality of life of vulnerable people around the world with special focus on social policy, health policy and the environment.
This course is an introductory overview of new innovations in data science, management, and programming, with accessible applications to a dynamic set of the most pressing social policy issues. Each semester, we will cover rotating topical modules ranging from income inequality to education to climate change to diversity and nativism to health. Students will learn about important policy issues through both the economics and sociological lenses, how big data are being used to address policy problems, and technical skills for how to begin using data in similar ways to address policy problems.
PUBPOL 2072Using Big Data to Solve Economic and Social Problems3
This course will show how "big data" can be used to understand and address some of the most important social and economic problems of our time. The course will give students an introduction to frontier research and policy applications in economics and social science in a non-technical manner that does not require prior coursework in economics, making it suitable both for students exploring economics for the first time, as well as for more advanced students. The course will include discussions with leading researchers and practitioners, who use big data in real-world applications. Topics include equality of opportunity, education, racial disparities, innovation and entrepreneurship, health care, climate change, criminal justice, tax policy, and poverty in developing countries. In the context of these topics, the course will provide an introduction to basic methods in data science, including regression, causal inference, and machine learning. In empirical projects and weekly labs, students will work with real data to learn how the methods discussed in the course can be implemented in practice.
The course introduces students to standard methods of describing and analyzing data, probability theory, statistical inference, and ordinary least squares. Students will learn to describe data with summary tables and charts, understand and apply probability theory to data, understand sampling distributions, conduct hypothesis tests, estimate regressions, and interpret statistical findings. Students will also learn to use the basics of Excel to analyze data.
Statistics for Public Policy introduces basic statistical techniques used by researchers to investigate social, economic, and political phenomena. Topics include data presentation and descriptive statistics, measures of central tendency and dispersion, random variables and their probability distributions, joint and conditional distributions, expected value, conditional expectation, statistical sampling and inference, interval estimation and confidence intervals, hypothesis testing using t distributions, correlation, and bivariate regression analysis. A mandatory review section accompanies the course lectures. In problem sets and exams, students calculate statistics by hand to develop familiarity with data analysis. They also learn and apply basic commands using Stata statistical software.
PUBPOL 2120Disruptive and Emerging Technologies: Policy and Practice3
Artificial Intelligence (AI), autonomous systems, robotics, and supercomputing, (to name but a few advanced technologies) present novel, disruptive, and often unforeseen challenges for policymakers globally. This full-semester course will explore the critical policy challenges faced by practitioners, with a focus on 4th Industrial Revolution technologies and their impact on national and international security. With great power rivalries intensifying, students will learn (including from guest experts) how technological innovation is no longer just an economic driver and societal ambition — it is central to a new age of great power competition and geopolitical tensions. Students will begin by exploring the theories of technological innovation and the history of geopolitics and disruptive and emerging technologies in practice. A focused case study approach is then adopted to present a week-by-week real-world analysis of the current pressing technological and security challenges faced by policymakers at a domestic and international level. As a means to prepare for the final assessments, students will produce a mid-term paper answering the question ‘How has the 4th Industrial Revolution impacted international peace and security in the 2020s?’ (8-10 pages of double-spaced text excluding tables, figures, and references). Students will then be required to conduct independent research on a technology or theme of their choice from the module. Towards the end of term, the students will present on this research through an in-class presentation, and write a policy report on the technology/theme of their choice from the module. The policy report should be written for a high-level policy audience (such as the UN Security Council, Department of State, Department of Defence, ECOWAS, and/or EU Commission) and focus on 'What are the key security challenges and potential societal opportunities presented by [insert the technology or theme chosen]?' The policy report should be 15-18 pages of double-spaced text excluding tables, figures, and references. Presentations: Each presentation will be 10 mins (max) and will focus on your chosen topic for the policy report (or a related topic). Groups of up to 5 people can work together on a single presentation. Each student is expected to contribute to the research and spoken presentation. Students will present in the final week of class.
PUBPOL 2130Data and the State: How Governments See People and Places4
In order to regulate and govern, states must marshall data: the whos, whats, and wheres of a nation get rendered in records and statistics, at least approximately, and they tell us a lot about identity and values. In this course we will use Census data as a jumping-off point for an investigation of data practices of governance. Students will learn tools for geospatial data science in Python/Geopandas and will learn principles of mapping. Readings include selections from geography, anthropology, science and technology studies, and urban sociology.
PUBPOL 2155Data Management and Programming for Policy and Society3
This course is designed for students interested in learning the foundations of data management and programming in R. The goal is to teach students how to obtain and curate real world data, determine its reliability, manage large databases, create variables useful for analysis, and more. Much of the work will be done using R libraries, which can help facilitate the functionality of R without increasing the complexity.
PUBPOL 2200DC Up Close: Policy, Politics, and Power4
Step inside the heart of American policy making with DC Up Close: Policy, Politics, and Power—an immersive experience that takes you beyond textbooks to feel the real-world pulse of Washington, DC. In this course, you won’t just study policy—you will engage with it firsthand. Through thought-provoking readings, lively discussions, guest speakers, and exclusive events, you’ll interact with policymakers, strategists, and insiders shaping today’s most pressing issues. You’ll encounter the inner workings of Congress to behind-the-scenes political maneuvering, to explore the intellectual, practical, and personal dimensions of power. You’ll analyze key policy debates, question decision-makers from across the political spectrum, and uncover how ideas move from concept to law. Whether you're interested in governance, advocacy, or the forces driving national change, this course offers an unparalleled opportunity to experience Washington’s political landscape up close.
This course surveys research on inequalities in education, income, wealth, prestige, occupation, political power, and health in the U.S. and other rich countries. How much inequality exists and why is it rising in some places? Do we live in a class society (and what does that mean)? How do families, aspirations, schools, social networks, employers, neighborhoods, and government policies shape who gets ahead and who falls behind? Why are education, jobs, and income distributed unequally by race, immigrant status, and gender? Throughout the course, we’ll discuss and evaluate evidence from administrative data, surveys, experiments, and qualitative studies.
This course provides an introduction to social science research on poverty in the United States and public policies designed to reduce material hardship and economic insecurity. We will investigate different approaches to defining and measuring poverty, competing perspectives on the underlying causes of poverty, how poverty is distributed across social groups and transmitted intergenerationally, and how different explanations about the causes of poverty shape policy solutions. We will also examine major social safety net programs in the U.S. and the lived experiences of program participants.
In recent years, poverty and inequality have become increasingly common topics of public debate, as academics, journalists, and politicians attempt to come to terms with growing income inequality, with the increasing visibility of inter-country differences in wealth and income, and with the persistence of racial, ethnic, and gender stratification. This course introduces students to ongoing social scientific debates about the sources and consequences of inequality, as well as the types of public policy that might appropriately be pursued to reduce (or increase) inequality. These topics will be addressed in related units, some of which include guest lectures by faculty from other universities (funded by the Center for the Study of Inequality). Each unit culminates with a highly spirited class discussion and debate.
Social Problems in the U.S. teaches students how to think like a social scientist when encountering claims about major contemporary issues. Through readings and assignments, students develop an analytical toolkit for evaluating the scope, causes, consequences, and proposed solutions to a wide range of complicated social problems, such as: childhood poverty, racial segregation and discrimination, job insecurity, family instability, discrimination by sexual identity, unequal pay for women's work, gender imbalances in family life, health disparities, food insecurity, drug abuse, and educational inequality. Rather than cover all of these (and other) social problems in depth, the course emphasizes a conceptual framework that can be applied broadly. The semester culminates with a written proposal examining a social problem and developing an approach to address it with public policy.
Policy analysis is an interdisciplinary field that uses theories, concepts, and methods from disciplines such as economics, sociology, and political science to address substantive issues in the public policy arena. Students are introduced to the functions of and interactions between the major institutions (public and private) at the national, state, and local level involved in the policy making process. The course focuses on public policy analysis in the social welfare, health, and education areas and also includes an introduction to the technical skills required to undertake policy analysis.
The pressing issues of our time-from climate change to national security, from immigration to policing, from global economic development to domestic voting rights-are deeply intertwined with public policy decisions made by governments. In this course, we consider how societal conditions come to be defined as problems for governments to solve, the role of public and private actors in influencing policy processes, and how we know whether policies achieve their goals. Course readings, lectures, discussions, and experiential learning assignments provide opportunities for students to critically analyze public policy processes and outcomes from multiple disciplinary perspectives, including economics, political science, and sociology. The course also introduces students to key areas of public policy including technology policy; environmental and sustainability policy; global security; health policy; inequality and social policy; international development; and race, racism and public policy.
This course explores trends in democracy around the world as both a product of public policy (which policies support and bolster democratic transitions and endurance), and as a factor that shapes representation, public policy and governance outcomes. How citizen interests translate into public policy outcomes is a key question of democratic practice. The course will identify variation across the world and use empirical analysis to identify patterns. It provides an opportunity to investigate the complex ways that regime politics (whether democratic or autocratic), public policies, and social inequalities shape one another.
This course examines the various stakeholders of the U.S. health care system and how the stakeholders interact with one another. We begin by examining the role of medical care in producing health and the costs and benefits of new medical technologies (e.g., medical devices, prescription drugs, and new surgical techniques). We then examine the objectives and behavior of key stakeholders in the system: patients, employers, and taxpayers who pay for health care; private and public (i.e., Medicare and Medicaid) health insurers who manage the funds; hospitals, physicians, and other health care professionals who provide medical care; and pharmaceutical and medical device firms that supply products that providers use. Students will also learn how to apply basic reasoning to examine health policy issues, including covering the uninsured, controlling the growth rate of medical spending, improving the quality of medical care, and reforming the malpractice system.
PUBPOL 2360Introduction to U.S. Law and Legal Systems3
We will explore the U.S. legal system and major types of law in the U.S., including constitutional law, statutory law, administrative law and the common law. Cases examples will be taken from fields of civil rights law, criminal law, immigration and refugee law, environmental law, child and youth law, internet law, and U.S. approaches to international human rights law. This course will combine theory with practice and teach students the real-world analytical skills needed to understand U.S. law and the U.S. legal system. It will also teach students to craft effective legal arguments in a variety of contexts, both orally and in writing. The course is designed to provide students with enough substantive understanding of the fundamentals of the U.S. legal system to have a solid framework for public policy analysis and design, regardless of the substantive topic area.
Public policy is a fundamental mechanism for addressing the most vexing and important social problems of our time. Racial inequality and structural racism are chief among such problems. Policy is thus widely understood and frequently touted as a means for redressing the harms of racism. Yet, public policy has also been identified as a channel through which racism flows. These seemingly paradoxical understandings of the relationships between racism and public policy raise critical questions about equality, democracy, the economy, and politics. This course examines such questions. We begin by theoretically grounding key concepts such as race racism and public policy. We then consider the historical record, highlighting the fundamental role of racism in shaping politics and policy. Next, we build on these conceptual and historical foundations through thematic investigation of core policy elements (e.g., policy design, policy implementation, policy feedback), key policy institutions (e.g., legislatures, parties) and significant policy actors (e.g., social movement organizations, interest groups). Finally, the class wraps up with a series of policy deep dives involving close examination of specific policy domains (e.g., housing, health, the environment). This course provides students with the knowledge and analytical tools necessary to better understand the realities and complexities of race, racism, and public policy in the United States.
PUBPOL 2400Journalism and Public Policy: Navigating Washington in the Digital Media Age3
The U.S. capital offers a wealth of storylines for curious journalists, but finding and bringing those stories to light requires a familiarity with the available research tools and the quirks of Washington’s institutions. This course provides a week-by-week survey of the busiest beats in D.C. paired with practical newsgathering methodology, including working with open-source data, tracking federal lawsuits and mining federal regulations and legislation for newsworthy information that drives impact journalism. Understanding the headwinds facing the journalism industry and the evolving formats and presentations that news organizations have developed to adapt will be a theme throughout the course. Within that shifting landscape, the course will focus on how to approach and interrogate a variety of Washington institutions and separate news from the noise. It will explore how to translate information gleaned from Congress to courts to federal agencies into reporting built for the digital era.
In this course, we will examine one of the most cherished documents in American history – our Constitution. Course topics will include the foundations of the document from the Magna Carta to the Articles of Confederation and the Declaration of Independence as well as the conflict between strong supporters of this proposed new Constitution (Federalists) and their opponents (Anti-Federalists.). How did the Founders resolve their differences and what led the States to adopt a document limiting and balancing the powers of the President, Congress, and the Judiciary? From the inception of America to the present day, there have been constant challenges by one branch of government regarding the role and scope of power wielded by their respective co-equal branches of government. We shall discuss the role of the Constitution from both empirical and theoretical perspectives to answer the challenges presented in both preserving and strengthening the Constitution from 1788 to the present day. Special attention will be paid to the use of Amendments, particularly the Bill of Rights, to address events/circumstances unforeseen by the drafters. Finally, the course will discuss Court challenges where the Justices acted courageously to preserve and protect the Constitution – as well as instances where they failed from the Preamble to Establish Justice and Tranquility for All.
PUBPOL 2700Pathways to Purpose - Civic Leadership in Law, Health, Tech, and Business1
How can your Cornell education help you lead a life of purpose and impact while on campus and in your future career? How can we engage with complex social, political, and scientific challenges, and contribute to thriving communities and resilient democracies? What knowledge, skills, and competencies are essential for future leaders, and how can we communicate effectively across differences to foster collaboration and progress? This one-credit course - held in person over a day and a half - invites students to reflect on these questions while exploring how their academic journey can serve as a foundation for civic leadership and professional purpose. You will learn alongside students from across Cornell’s colleges and disciplines, gaining exposure to diverse perspectives, fields, and approaches. You will also connect with Cornell faculty, staff, and alumni with a range of professional expertise to explore how research, education, and intentional practices can drive meaningful change. In addition to broad exposure, you’ll choose a focus area - law, health, technology, or business - and examine its role in advancing democratic principles and practices. Through this lens, you’ll engage with varied perspectives, challenges, and solutions, while practicing communication skills and participating in small group dialogues with peers.
Donald Trump and Biden give us two visions of America and of the world: xenophobic nationalism and pragmatic cosmopolitanism. America and the world are thus constituted by great diversity. The first half of the course seeks to understand that diversity in American politics and foreign policy viewed through the prisms of region, ideology, region, race, class and religion. The second half inquires into the U.S. and American engagement of different world regions and civilizations: Europe, Russia, North America, Latin America, China, Japan, India and the Middle East. U.S. hard power and American soft power find expression in far-reaching processes of American-infused globalization and U.S.-centered anti-Americanism reverberating around the world. Advocates of one-size-fits-all solutions to America's and the world's variegated politics are in for great disappointments. (GOVT-IR)
Ethics asks what is good and bad, what is right and wrong, what is happiness, and what is the virtuous path? We will explore ethical dilemmas of society, how those questions translate into public policy, and how public policy is used to carve an ethic. We will focus on ethical questions future leaders in public policy could, should, or will be asking. We investigate some controversial questions that sit at the core of our own moral connection with public policy ethics and how those translate into action such as human interaction with society and nature, what is our moral responsibility as individuals and decision-makers, equity, and how ethical considerations translate into public policy. These ethical dilemmas public policy actors face, and their decisions can affect many domestically and internationally and impact in intended and unintended ways. Delving into understanding these ethical questions when developing public policies can help decision-makers craft policies that consider sound moral principles that impact stakeholders. This course builds a foundation of ethical principles and philosophies and then translates into action.
This course provides an overview of the evolving architecture, processes, and outcomes in global governance. It examines the ways in which global governance does (or does not) work in practice as well as possible ways of improving the capacity of the international community to deal with global challenges. We will explore these issues through case studies of today’s most pressing issues, such as climate change, wars of aggression, accountability for mass atrocity, global public health crises, cybersecurity, business and human rights, and refugee flows.
PUBPOL 2880Dialogue Across Differences for Public Policy3
How can we practice critical dialogue to analyze and address complex policy issues? Increasing polarization in our political climate has underscored the importance of dialogue across differences in political beliefs, social identities, and experiences. In this course, we will explore how we can put this aim into action by: learning key dialogue skills for listening to different perspectives and sharing our own; reflecting on how our connections to one another and to societal structures inform our responsibility and agency as political actors; and practicing dialogue through exploration of key policy issues. This course will be experiential and engaged. Students will be active participants in dialogue and will take responsibility for sustaining a learning community throughout the semester. This community will extend beyond our class and will include invited guests from among Brooks School faculty and Ithaca community practitioners, who will provide greater insights into each of the key policy issues.
This full-semester course will provide an introduction to the diverse and contested field of security studies, including both the Traditional and Critical approaches. It covers the foundational theoretical approaches in the field of security studies - Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism, Critical Theory, Feminism and Gender Security, and PostStructural and Postcolonial Perspectives. It also questions how security policy is developed and implemented and the historical, economic, political, and social power dynamics that influence how 'security policy' is constructed and implemented by nation-states. Alongside the study of theory, the course covers a wide range of contemporary security issues - from the return of inter-state conflict and nuclear deterrence to terrorism, environmental security, and health security - and applies the theories and concepts of security studies to real-world examples.
This undergraduate-level course is designed for students interested in learning about policies that shape and govern how we produce, distribute, and consume food, and how those activities shape our environments. Students will learn about major food and environmental policies and programs around the world, their history, and their impacts. Students will also learn about longstanding and current debates in food and environmental policy. Students will be expected to read a variety of texts from government, academic, and journalistic sources and come prepared to engage in discussion, reflection, and synthesis activities. (HCP-EL)
Climate change is an urgent, multi-generational, global challenge. Public policy at the local, state, national and international level plays an important role in determining our emissions trajectory, the magnitude and location of investments in adaptation and resilience, and even whether climate engineering approaches are allowable and feasible. Thus, policy choices have a large influence on the ultimate damages from climate change and on the cost of addressing them. This course applies the tools of economics to the analysis of the climate challenge and climate policy. We will start with an introduction to the multiple market failures relevant to climate change, an overview of the climate policy portfolio, and a history of international climate negotiations. In part 2 of the course, we’ll learn how economists quantify the damages from climate change and consider the role of benefit-cost analysis designing climate policy. Part 3 will cover net greenhouse gas emissions reduction opportunities, including sectoral approaches and nature-based solutions. In part 4, we’ll study the economics of pollution control and learn what theory and empirical evidence imply for climate change policy instrument choice. We will finish the course focusing on the economics of climate adaptation and resilience (part 5), the distributional implications of climate change and climate policy (part 6), and the future potential for climate engineering (part 7).
PUBPOL 3020Being Native in the 21st Century: American Indian and Alaska Native Politics, History, and Policy4
The course examines the historical political landscape of American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States and the interplay between tribal interests, politics, and the federal government. The course also looks at contemporary Native issues, federal policy and programs, tribal governance, relations between Tribal Nations and states and between Tribal Nations and the federal government. Finally, the course will explore Indigenous pop-culture and its influence on federal policy.The majority of classes will have a guest lecturer related to that week's topic. Guest lectures will include, but not limited to, political appointees, congressional staff, political advocates, elected tribal leaders, and more.
PUBPOL 3025U.S. Foreign Policy and Economic Statecraft4
The world has changed, and the collective global policy goals of the 2000s are no longer at the forefront of international affairs. Increasingly, economic tools--both carrots and sticks--are a core tool of the U.S. Foreign Policy toolbox. The sticks, or coercive tools, such as sanctions, tariffs, and export controls, garner more public attention, but tools of positive reinforcement are equally relevant. This course will explore the historical and geopolitical context within which U.S. Foreign Policy is shifting toward weaponizing economic interdependence -- competition with the People's Republic of China, the war in Ukraine, and organized crime in the Western Hemisphere. It will also explore the question of how a new generation of national security professionals can navigate a world and a professional space that is increasingly moving away from the pro-globalization consensus of the 2000s.
PUBPOL 3030Presidential Power and White House Leadership1
The seminar format places discussion at the center our learning experience. Each session combines brief framing, close reading of primary sources, and sustained analytical conversation. By the end of the course, students will be able to assess presidential power, evaluate historical legacies, and think critically about the institution's role in American democracy. Additionally, we will endeavor to meet with senior officials who have worked for an American President, a Member of Congress, a Member of the Judiciary or with luck, a former President!
Public policies are political outcomes determined by processes that are complex, convoluted and often controversial. The aim of this course is to equip students with the conceptual tools necessary to understand these processes. We will begin with a review of popular approaches to studying policy and then move on to explore the various stages of policy development: agenda-setting, policy design, policy implementation, policy feedback and policy change. We will consider the roles played by both institutions (congress, the bureaucracy and interests groups) and everyday people. Finally, we will closely study several specific policy arenas (a few likely candidates include: education policy, health policy, social welfare policy and housing policy). As we engage all of these ideas, students will be consistently challenged to grapple with the paradoxes of policy making in a democratic polity and to envision pathways for substantive political change. (GOVT-AM)
This course addresses the major themes and controversies in United States immigration law and policy, including: Constitutional limits on legislative and executive power; the role of administrative agencies and the federal courts; the role of state versus federal decision-makers; the admission and removal (deportation) of noncitizens; protections of asylum-seekers and refugees; illegal immigration; strategies of immigration law enforcement; immigration detention; due process rights in removal proceedings; and civil rights of noncitizens. This course will also briefly address some key issues in alienage law and policy, including the rights of noncitizens (including noncitizens without immigration status) to education, work and public benefits.
This course examines the forces that drive forced migration and the policies shaping how displaced populations are received and resettled. Topics include the global conditions underlying refugee flows, the legal and political criteria that determine refugee status, the pathways from conflict through displacement to settlement; and resettlement policies and practice in Upstate New York. Working with refugee-serving organizations in the region, students will engage in collaborative projects and participate in a site visit to a partner organization in Syracuse or Utica.
PUBPOL 3055Strategic Communications: Where Public Affairs Meets Public Policy3
Behind every legislative action and administrative decision is a community of stakeholders who utilize communications strategies and tactics to influence public agendas and policy outcomes. This course examines the strategic communications ecosystem that shapes policymaking at the federal level. Students will explore how corporations, advocacy organizations, trade associations, nonprofits, and grassroots movements communicate with policymakers, the media, and the public to advance – or impede – public policy proposals. Topics include message development, stakeholder mapping, lobbying, coalition building, media relations, crisis communications, digital advocacy, fundraising, and reputation management. Throughout the semester, current and former practitioners will provide real-world perspectives through guest lectures.
This course will explore the history, research, and present-day usage of political messaging to achieve public policy aims - from elections to legislative battles in Congress. We'll break down how political actors craft messages across different mediums to activate matrices of voters scattered across the electorate. In doing so, we'll discuss the psychology of voter decision making, the influence of popular culture, changing patterns of media consumption, and how political messaging really works behind the scenes, from ad-making to earned media. Most importantly, we'll draw in outside experts from across the political spectrum to discuss their experience in political communications - offering students a practical view into real-life politicking and an enhanced understanding of the professional landscape. Students will put these ideas into practice through active participation in class discussions and rigorously researched written assignments analyzing real-life political messages.
The US and the global community face a number of complex, interconnected and enduring issues that pose challenges for our political and policy governance institutions and society at large. Exploring how the US and the world conceive of the challenges and take action on them is fundamental to understanding them. This course investigates such issues, especially ones in the critical areas of sustainability, social justice, technology, public health and globalization, security and conflict. Students will engage with these areas and issues and the challenges they pose, using multiple frameworks and approaches, through weekly class discussions and lectures.
PUBPOL 3080Economics of the U.S. Social Safety Net3
This course provides an overview of the major programs that make up the social safety net in the United States. We will review the economic rationale behind social programs, identify the economic consequences of these programs, and assess the empirical research on these topics. A major emphasis of the course will be on understanding the strengths and limitations of the core methodologies used in the existing economics literature.
PUBPOL 3090Strategic Advocacy: Lobbying and Interest Group Politics in Washington, D.C4
How is public policy really formed in the United States today? Who are the key actors and decision makers who shape the laws and regulations that impact us at the local, state and federal levels of government? Most importantly, how do private individuals (lobbyists, trade associations, media and other influencers) sway how laws, rules and regulations impact our daily lives? The goal of this course is to provide a foundation of how private influence impacts our public policy. Building upon this foundation, students will learn who the key policymakers are in the public sector alongside of those in the private sector who seek to influence them. Students will gain knowledge through academic texts looking at the role of interest group politics in America as well as the instructor's 30 years of experience working as a public policy practitioner working at the highest levels of government on Capitol Hill and the White House as well as being a former lobbyist and licensed attorney at law.
Introduces basic econometric principles and the use of statistical procedures in empirical studies of economic models. Discusses assumptions, properties, and problems encountered in the use of multiple regression procedures. Students are required to specify, estimate, and report the results of an empirical model.
This course provides an overview of the management and policy issues facing the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. This course perspective is global, with an emphasis on the U.S. as the largest and most profitable market. (HCP-EL)
The course will be a lecture course on Congress, introducing them to the political science literature on the topic and the major research questions and approaches. We will examine the development of the institution, including formal theories for congressional organization as well as historically and politically oriented accounts of rule changes, committee power, and party influence. We will also look at the determinants of legislative productivity and gridlock, approaches to measuring and analyzing congressional behavior, the changing role of the electoral connection, and the causes and consequences of polarization. (GOVT-AM)
PUBPOL 3120Research Design and Methods of Social Research3
This course introduces students to the principles of sociological research methods. We will first discuss the research process itself, then focus on issues such as the relationship between theory and empirical analysis, the logic of research design, causal inference, measurement of concepts, modes of data collection, and ethics. By the end of the course, students will be able to evaluate the methodological strength of social science research projects and design methodologically rigorous research proposals.
PUBPOL 3130Behavioral Economics and Public Policy3
Standard economic theory assumes that individuals are rational decision-makers; however, that is often not the case in the real world. Behavioral economics uses findings from psychology to determine ways in which individuals are systematically irrational to improve upon existing models. The first part of this course reviews these theories, while the second part of the course focuses on how these findings have been used to design better education, health, and tax policies as well as many others.
This course aims to teach students the basics of global food systems, their governance, and the public policies that shape them across the globe. An emphasis will be put on understanding the interconnections between the developed world and the global south in food consumption and production.
This course will explore the traditional dynamic and norms of political press coverage in the United States, and the impact of those patterns on both the government and the nation; some of the ways longstanding norms have recently shifted, and continue to shift; the larger historical forces and long-term trends driving those changes; and the theoretical questions, logistical challenges and ethical dilemmas these changes pose for both political journalists and those they cover. The course will equally cover the practice of political reporting, including weekly analysis and discussion of current press coverage, in-class exercises and simulations, readings from academic and journalistic sources, and visits from leading political reporters and former spokespeople able to offer a firsthand perspective on the topics.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 states that countries should: “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” by 2030. What is empowerment and how will we know when it has been achieved? Why is gender inequality a problem for countries and why does it exist in the first place? In this course we formulate answers to these questions through an examination of gender and development policy past and present. We unpack different and often competing definitions of ‘empowerment’ and ‘gender equality’ deployed in global policy and understand the historical lineages of development theory and feminisms that led to ‘gender’ as an important policy consideration. Importantly, students build analytical tools for evaluating how intersectional experiences of gender shape the impact of these policies on the lives of women, girls and other gender minorities. This course blends practice and theory, encouraging students to evaluate the material effects of diverse approaches to reducing gender inequality through case studies, writing, and readings in gender and global policy.
This course provides a survey of labor economics with an emphasis on policy issues. While the course teaches the analytical tools necessary to understand how labor markets work, it is structured around a number of prominent labor market policy issues, such as immigration, inequality, minimum wages, affirmative action and the role of unions.
This course will explore and seek explanations for the performance of the 20-21st century presidency, focusing on its institutional and political development, recruitment process (nominations and elections), relationships to social groups, economic forces, and political time. We will also analyze the parameters of foreign & domestic policy making. (GOVT-AM)
This course will examine how health disparities are defined and measured, sources of health disparities, and strategies to reduce health disparities. During the course students will learn of the complexities of factors that influence patterns of disease and health at multiple levels by analyzing studies of health outcomes, the social conditions that are related to the health of populations, and some of the mechanisms through which these patterns are produced. (HCP-EL)
PUBPOL 3189Taking America's Pulse: Creating and Conducting a National Opinion Poll3-4
In this course, students will design, conduct, and analyze a national-level public opinion survey. Students will determine all survey questions based on their research interests. All necessary survey research skills will be learned in the class. (GOVT-AM)
The Nonprofit sector plays an important role in society and makes up a growing share of the U.S. economy. In this course, we use economic theory and econometric tools to examine the nonprofit market and how it gets shaped by public policy. Topics covered include theories of the nonprofit market, determinants of charitable giving and volunteering, the role played by religion, competition between nonprofits and for-profits in labor markets, and the effects of taxes, subsidies and regulations.
This course will address major challenges in international human rights law, policy, and practice. Specific topics include children's rights, women's rights, LGBTQI+ rights, the rights of refugees and migrants, the rights of people with disabilities, the rights of minorities and freedom from discrimination, freedom from torture, the right to life, the death penalty, modern slavery, and the right to sustainable development. We will also discuss the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and corporations with respect to human rights, as well as the impact of actions (and inactions) by states and institutions in the Global North on the realization of human rights in states in the Global South.
PUBPOL 3210Catastrophe, Crisis, and Emergencies: Making Policy in the Middle of Disaster4
Many policy decisions are made in the middle of crisis and disaster, at short notice and under severe pressure. There are a variety of kinds of crises, from natural disasters to human-made ones, from international catastrophes to local ones, from slow-motion crises to split-second ones, and they all require different kinds of policy preparations and responses. To understand this kind of policy, this course will examine a variety of different kinds of crises, how they shaped the responses and the policy-making that came afterwards, and what kind of preparation was put in place for future crises. It will look at crisis leadership, emergency preparations, and disaster responses by examining a number of cases studies of catastrophes both modern and historical.
Who gets to define crime and deviance, and what are the consequences of those definitions? This question guides our semester together. In this course, we will examine crime and deviance as social phenomena shaped by law, institutions, and systems of power. Rather than treating crime as a fixed or objective category, we explore how definitions of crime and deviance are constructed, contested, and enforced through political and legal processes that reflect the interests of powerful actors and institutions, and unequally applied across social groups. Drawing on sociological theories and empirical research, we spend the semester interrogating how crime and deviance are defined and by whom, who is most likely to be labeled deviant or criminal, and whose harms go unaddressed and unpunished. The course is organized into three units. In Unit I, we establish the theoretical and empirical foundations of the course, exploring how the U.S. legal system defines and measures crime and deviance, and how framing shapes public understanding of criminalized behaviors over time including mental illness, homelessness, substance use, and sexuality. In Unit II, we examine how race, gender, and class shape vulnerability to victimization and societal responses to harm, centering the question of whose safety is prioritized and whose harms addressed. In Unit III, we turn to harm committed by powerful institutions and elite actors that rarely receive criminal treatment or punishment, including state-sanctioned violence and corporate actions like workplace deaths, environmental destruction, and fraud.
This course is designed to introduce students to important theories, concepts, and empirical findings in the study of aging and policy, giving them a deeper understanding of the issues people encounter as they grow older. While the course will primarily cover current U.S. policies and trends, we will also discuss some historical aspects and compare to policies found elsewhere. (HCP-EL)
This course examines global education policy, emphasizing how principles such as equity, inclusion, language rights, and quality are interpreted and implemented in diverse contexts. Through comparative case studies, students gain theoretical and methodological grounding to analyze education policy as both a technical instrument and a reflection of local and global forces.
PUBPOL 3250Neighborhoods, Housing, and Urban Policy3
This course considers the dynamics of housing markets and neighborhoods in American metropolitan areas and the public policies designed to regulate them. In the first part of the course, we examine the social and economic forces at work in metropolitan neighborhoods, focusing on trends in spatial inequality, segregation, and neighborhood effects. In the second part of the course, we examine the historical evolution of federal and local policies related to subsidized housing, homeownership, and land regulation and analyze empirical debates surrounding the effectiveness of such policies.
COVID-19 did not affect everyone equally. In fact, the opposite is true: the pandemic exposed dramatic health inequities by race, class, gender, and other factors. Not only were some groups more likely to catch and die from the virus than others, these same groups disproportionately suffered from its economic and social fallout, too. In the wake of this devastation, this course examines health (in)equities and what we can do about them. We explore what health equity means and how politics, policy, and power shape it -- both over time and across countries. Students will investigate how a wide range of social determinants (in addition to public health and health care systems) configure differences in health status across demographic groups. Three key touchstones of the class will be (1) a series of deep dives into specific policy areas, such as housing and environmental health, maternal and child health, and mental health and well-being (2) a consistent emphasis on politics, markets, and power (3) substantive opportunities for students to actively engage in health equity efforts beyond the classroom. (GOVT-AM, GOVT-CP, HCP-EL)
This course will explore how American law and policy have confronted and continue to confront issues of sexuality. The focus will primarily be on how law and policy treat lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. While 2015 brought marriage equality and 2020 brought federal protections in employment, the fight for full LGBTQ equality continues. The class will discuss this fight's legal history and current status. Current debates, Constitutional and otherwise, will also be explored around topics such as the First Amendment and LGBTQ family formation. The potential effects that the 2022 abortion rights decision may have on LGBTQ rights will also be addressed. This course will provide a grounding in the contours of current sexuality law and policy while delving into some emerging areas that remain ripe for new policy formation. Students will also learn how to read and brief legal opinions. The class will be taught primarily through a legal lens. Still, prior legal education or experience is neither required nor expected. The course will be taught through a hybrid combination of lecture and seminar-style discussion and a few guest speakers directly involved in the debate. (HCP-EL)
In this course, we will examine one of the most important documents in American history - our Constitution. Course topics will include the historical background of the document from the Magna Carta to the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. We will look at the creation of the Constitution, including the conflict between strong supporters of this proposed new Constitution (Federalists) and their opponents (Anti-Federalists). How did the Founders resolve their differences and what led the States to adopt a document limiting and balancing the powers of the President, Congress, and the Judiciary? We shall look at the constant tension (from the beginning to the present) over the balance of power between the three co-equal branches. We shall discuss the role of the Constitution from both empirical and theoretical perspectives and look at how it has evolved from 1788 to the present day. Special attention will be paid to the use of Amendments, particularly the Bill of Rights, to address events/circumstances unforeseen by the drafters. Finally, the course will discuss critical cases where the Supreme Court defined and redefined what the Constitution meant.
Population health focuses on the health and well-being of entire populations. Populations may be geographically defined, such as neighborhoods or counties; may be based on groups of individuals who share common characteristics such as age, race-ethnicity, disease status, or socioeconomic status; or may be specific patient groups attributed to accountable healthcare organizations using a variety of methods. With roots in epidemiology, public health, and demography, key tools of population health include health measurement, risk stratification, chronic care management, identifying upstream social determinants of health, cross-sector collaboration to improve prevention and wellness, and increasing health equity. Given the shifting health care environment - from fee-for-service to value-based care - students who are able to apply tools to measure analyze, evaluate, and improve the health of populations (and achieve the Triple Aim) will be well-positioned for jobs in health care, health policy, public health, and medicine (among others) as the field continues to evolve. (HCP-EL)
This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to exploring societal, business, financial, technological, ethical, and policy implications of technology-related crimes. We examine crimes against individuals, businesses, governments, and threats to public safety and national security. Questions explored include: What is cybercrime? Who commits cybercrime and why? Are Deep Fakes a real threat? Is there actual crime in virtual reality? What tools and techniques are used to enable and prevent cybercrime? What impact does cybercrime have on business, and how can businesses detect, prevent, and communicate regarding, internal and external cybercrime threats? When are business leaders liable for failing to prevent cyber-attacks? What is the right balance between online privacy and security, free speech and protection from harassment/abuse, anonymity and transparency? How are international cybercrimes investigated and prosecuted? What is the impact of AI and machine learning on cybercrime? What are the considerations for sentencing cybercriminals? Do current laws provide the right amount of protection, or are new laws and policies needed as technology changes? Who should decide these questions and how?
This course will examine the various manifestations of modern slavery and other forms of severe labor exploitation that persist in the world today, including human trafficking, bonded labor, forced labor, and child labor. The social and economic forces that promote slavery will be analyzed, as well as an examination of how global supply chains are tainted by severe labor exploitation. The course will further probe the nexus of migration, gender-based violence, poverty, and the exploitation of minority communities in the context of modern slavery. National and international policy and legal frameworks meant to eliminate these offenses will be assessed. The course will also explore slavery in the past to better understand how and why slavery persists in the modern era.
PUBPOL 3320Mental Health Care Delivery and Policy3
Mental illnesses are common in the United States. More than 1 in 5 adults (greater than 50 million people) live with a mental health illness and 1 in 5 youth (ages 13-18) will have experienced a seriously debilitating mental illness in their lifetime. Yet, less than half of those who need treatment receive it: Depression is the leading cause of disability, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among youth aged 10-14, and unmet mental health needs have profound long-term consequences including reductions in overall health and quality of life; substance use and addiction; family disruption; criminal justice system involvement; homelessness; unemployment and productivity losses; and early preventable mortality. This course provides an overview of the state of mental health in the United States with a focus on the drivers of mental well-being, mental illness, and mental health inequities. We will examine how mental health practice and policy can improve (or impede) community mental well-being, quality of mental health care, and mental health outcomes for those experiencing mental illness. Intentional focus will be given to topics such as stigma, historical trauma, and racism in addition to the importance of culturally intentional and patient-centered evidence-based care in order to collectively envision healthier and more equitable futures. (HCP-EL)
This class explores the most pressing legal and policy dilemmas in the field of children's rights. We will take a U.S. and international law approach to major topics including: protection from child abuse and neglect; alternative care and adoption; juvenile justice, police and community violence; education rights, including the rights of children with disabilities; internet freedoms and dangers, including cyberbullying and pornography; health and medical decision-making; sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking; the rights of refugee and immigrant children; child poverty; the right to a sustainable environment; and issues of child voice, including children's rights to participate in the political process and the ethical obligations governing the legal representation of children.
PUBPOL 3340Corporations, Shareholders, and Policy3
Uses economic analysis to study the interaction of the market, the corporation, and the law and how these interactions affect the well-being of shareholders and consumers. Examines the costs and benefits of the corporate form of organization. The legal institutions defining the corporation, such as limited liability and shareholder voting, are analyzed along with regulations governing these institutions. A particular focus is mechanisms that control the behavior of managers. Those mechanisms include hostile takeovers, insider trading, outside directors on the board, the role of large investors, and executive compensation plans. Additional topics include government ownership of corporations and nonprofit enterprises.
Health is shaped not only by medical care, individual behavior, and social conditions, but also by political decisions about who is recognized, whose voices are heard, and which health conditions are deemed worthy of public attention, political action, and funding. This course examines how power, political institutions, public policy, and collective action produce, sustain, and challenge health inequities. Students will explore how political decisions are embedded in laws, policies, administrative systems, and social conditions, and how these decisions affect health access, quality, and outcomes. Through case-based analyses in the United States and other countries, students will move beyond describing health disparities to identify the political actors, interests, ideologies, institutions, and power relationships that produce them. The course will prepare students to evaluate opportunities for policy reform, collective action, advocacy, and other strategies for advancing health equity and justice. (HCP-EL)
PUBPOL 3360Evolving Families: Challenges to Public Policy3
Examines the social institution of the family, challenges to the institution's well-being and stability, and the role of public policy in these transformations. Topics include family structure and responsibilities; marriage as a traditional building block of the family and challenges to the institution of marriage, including divorce, nonmarital childbearing, cohabitation, and same-sex unions; children, and the impact of family change on their wellbeing, including the effects of child poverty, maternal employment, and paternal involvement. The role of public policy in managing and shaping these developments is discussed.
This course is a survey of environmental economics and policy, covering both general models and specific applications. We learn how economists estimate the demand for environmental goods and services and the costs of preserving them, and then study the efficient extraction of oil and minerals, economics of pollution control, climate change, fisheries, forests, and endangered species. We also cover the intersection of international trade and environmental regulation, as well as sustainability.
PUBPOL 3390Economics of Inequality and Public Policy3
PUBPOL 3390 surveys how economists study racial inequality in the United States. We will explore questions such as: Why do minority workers earn less than their white counterparts? What explains the differences in educational outcomes between Black and white students? Is there evidence of racial bias in criminal justice? What are the causes and consequences of the school-to-prison pipeline, and what policies might address it? The course aims to help students think critically about these questions and the role of public policy in shaping racial inequality, with a focus on education, criminal justice, and labor markets. Selected readings apply economic methods to understand the causes and consequences of racial inequality in these domains. Through written assignments, class discussions, and presentations, students will engage with the frontier of economics research on these topics, learn how economists use empirical methods to identify causal relationships, and consider how evidence can inform public policy.
Familiarizes students with the economic analysis of consumer policy issues. Uses the tools of microeconomic analysis to investigate the interaction between government and the marketplace, with an emphasis on how that interaction affects consumers. Examines the rationale for and effects of regulation of industry. Considers alternative theories of regulation, including the capture, economic, and public interest theories. Applies those theories to specific types of regulation, including economic regulation of specific industries (e.g., telecommunications, electricity, trucking, railroads, postal services) as well as to broader social regulation (e.g., health, safety, environmental). The effects of regulatory reform in numerous industries are also examined. An attempt is made to examine current topics relating to consumer policy.
PUBPOL 3401Economics of Consumer Policy: Consumer Financial Protection1.5
This course critically examines consumer protections in markets for consumer payments, credit, savings, and insurance. With attention to the characteristics of both supply and demand in these markets, we will investigate the various rationales for and effects of consumer protection policies in the United States and elsewhere. An important role of governments in market economies is the enactment and enforcement of laws and regulations designed to protect consumers from fraudulent or deceptive actions of firms. Such policies are often premised on consumers’ lack of information or lack of sophistication. Consumer financial markets are a particular policy focus because products are complex and information asymmetries are ubiquitous, and consumers’ financial decisions have important individual and collective consequences. Rapid innovation in consumer financial products, institutions, and technologies further complicates the landscape for consumer protections in these markets.
PUBPOL 3410Economics of Consumer Protection and the Law3
The course will focus on how legal rules and regulations impact consumers in the marketplace. A significant portion of this course will focus on how developments in tort law, contract law, property law, and regulatory law influence social welfare and serve to protect consumers in their interactions with the marketplace. The course will also focus on how the federal regulatory agencies function and analyze the effectiveness of these agencies in protecting consumers. The course will focus specifically on the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission. In addition to students interested in public policy and economics, the course can be helpful to students who are interested in attending law school as students will get exposed to many of the concepts they will address in a first year law school curriculum.
This 4 credit course focuses specifically on legislative negotiations. Effective legislative negotiations share much in common with negotiations that arise in other settings. At the same time, there are key differences. Legislative bodies are generally governed by internal rules, guidelines and precedents. Politics and policy directly impact the negotiations process. There can also be an especially broad array of stakeholders and principals. Gridlock and paralysis have been hallmarks of legislative negotiations, particularly in recent times. Less well known is the fact that some deals are still getting done that usually keep the country running and, in some cases, address important problems facing the nation.This course will provide the opportunity to analyze critical negotiations techniques and strategies and apply them primarily through simulations, role playing, and case analysis in the legislative context. Key skills will include negotiation tactics, design and set up. In this class, you will have the opportunity to sharpen your negotiation skills and come away with a better understanding of the tools and dynamics of legislative negotiations and how to increase the chances of success in an often polarized environment.
PUBPOL 3450Democracy Promotion in Modern U.S. Foreign Policy3
Promotion and support of democracy is a well-established principle of U.S. foreign policy. However, even four decades after its insertion into Washington's approach overseas, it is misunderstood and still under challenge, internally within the U.S. Government and from external actors. In this course, the modern origins of democracy support, or promotion, will be examined, beginning with the values-based focus of the Carter Administration's foreign policy leading into its Cold War use in the Reagan presidency. The development of bipartisan democracy promotion through succeeding Administrations up to the challenges under Donald Trump and the Biden Administration's response, including the Summit for Democracy process, will be examined. Real-world applications and connections will be central. How democracy assistance is conducted and how it is perceived will be a focus of the course. Course participants will discuss the relationship between democracy promotion and its distinction with human rights and the concept of democracy prevention as a response by external actors to democracy promotion.
PUBPOL 3460Culture, Law, and Politics of Information Policy3
This course will address a wide range of information policy issues and their relationship to governance, government, and governmentality. While focused primarily on American political culture, it will include some international comparisons, particularly in areas such as privacy (both government surveillance and consumer), anti-trust, and regulatory compliance. We will also discuss information security, intellectual property, algorithmic fairness, (dis)misinformation, and, with emphasis, content moderation of social media platforms. Course outcomes will include familiarity with law and policy of the internet; a foundational understanding the market, social, legal, and technical dynamics that shape information policy; and, finally, how those dynamics affect the U.S. political landscape.
The course explores the organization, structure, elements and strategic imperatives involved in the 2024 Presidential and congressional elections. Students will learn the inner dynamics of both the Republican and Democratic campaigns. The course will analyze, in real time, the state of play in the 2024 election including caucuses and critical multi-state primaries. Students will learn the roles of campaign staff; how campaigns are financed; the electoral battleground; data analytics; and the unique dynamics of the 2024 election as it unfolds. Each session will feature bipartisan guest lecturers drawn from presidential and congressional campaigns. Students will be expected to track a specific candidate and analyze and assess that candidate's strengths and weaknesses at various points during the semester.
PUBPOL 3471Inside the Presidential Election and Transition1
The 2024 presidential and congressional elections will be the most important in recent memory. In a highly polarized environment, against a backdrop of often shallow punditry and sound bites, this course will provide real-time analysis of the elections; and provide students with a deep understanding of the structure, organization, and strategic imperatives of the presidential and congressional elections. It will also analyze the presidential transition and the reorganization of a new Congress.
PUBPOL 3480Sustainability Education Policy in the U.S. and Ecuador4
This course connects Cornell and USFQ students to study Sustainability Education Policy in the U.S. and Ecuador. Focusing on UN SDG 4, the course includes collaborative research, international exchange, and direct engagement with local educators and policymakers to address global education challenges and promote sustainable development. Students are expected to comply with all university, school, and program policies related to both local and international travel.
In this course, we will work to transform research into action that advances housing affordability, equity, and sustainability. Student teams will work on projects identified by community partners and policy stakeholders to conduct research that informs housing policies and programs at local, state, and national levels. Students will develop analytic research skills while learning to communicate and collaborate with a diverse set of policy stakeholders, including those with lived experiences of housing injustice. (HCP-EL)
PUBPOL 3510United We Stand - Divided We Fall: The Rise of Polarization and Social Division - and What it Means4
When did bipartisan become a bad word? Should we unfriend and unfollow people who have different opinions than our own? How did we become a country that grows more polarized and divided every year? Most importantly, can we change, or are we destined to continue down this path?
PUBPOL 3515American Defense Policy & Military History from the World Wars to the Global War on Terror4
America has fought two wars in the 21st century, in Iraq and Afghanistan. They were the longest wars in American history and ended badly, amid much ambivalence about the defense policies that created them. Those wars and policies are part of the long history of the war that America has fought as a global power and the policies that shaped those wars and shaped that global power. This course will look at US defense policies and military experience over the long 20th century, from the earth-spanning conflicts of World War I and II, to the nuclear tension of Cold War conflicts, to the global war on terror, and finally to current conflicts like Ukraine and the Middle East. Though this course is primarily about the United States, it draws in the critical global events and actors as well so as to understand the entire history ? as much as possible. (HIST-HNA)
PUBPOL 3520Economic and Policy Implications of Artificial Intelligence3
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) brings both great promise and daunting challenges for the future of humanity. This course examines the impacts of AI from an economist's perspective. We will present the economic framework conventionally used for thinking about technology in the macroeconomy and extend it to analyze the implications of AI. A special focus will be on the disparate labor market consequences of AI and policy measures to address these challenges. Additionally, we will explore, at a more micro-level, the issues of machine bias and algorithmic fairness and discuss the policy implications.
PUBPOL 3530Child Welfare in the United States: Challenges, Policy, and Practice3
An introduction to the U.S. Child Welfare System. Topics to be covered include legislation that has shaped child welfare practice, the impact on children of abuse and neglect, foster care, and adoption, including the long-term outcomes for children in residential treatment centers in congregate care facilities.
The economics of education is about understanding how and why people make decisions to invest in education, the effect of education on long-term social and economic outcomes, the behavior of those institutions that produce education, and how best to design and implement public policies affecting the level and distribution of education resources. The basic tools of economics provide a framework to evaluate education policies including K-12 school finance, student financial aid, and college admissions. Throughout the course, there will be an emphasis on examining empirical tests of the economic theory and measuring the effects of policy initiatives on educational outcomes.
This course introduces students to public policy applications of game theory and market design, including (i) matching algorithms for assignment problems such as school choice, public housing allocation, kidney exchange, refugee resettlement, and labor markets; (ii) auction design for allocation of natural resources, public radio spectrum, emission permits, and government procurement; (iii) platform/exchange design for online markets.
PUBPOL 3580Economic Development and Public Policy3
Two United States’ worth of people across the world live in extreme poverty, defined as less than $2.15 per day (adjusted for purchasing power to the United States in 2017). Cross-country income differences between high-income and low-income countries can be on the order of 2,000–4,000%. This course will discuss theories and empirical studies from development economics that aim to understand the causes and consequences of these vast differences, and formulate and evaluate policies designed to improve the lives of people living in poverty. The course will draw on readings from textbook(s) and original research papers.
PUBPOL 3583Comparative Public Policy: Political Pathways to Equality4
Why do some countries offer universal health care coverage, free higher education, or personal financial security, while others do not? What explains the alternative national approaches to similar global challenges, such as those posed by climate change, the gig economy, or migration? This course explores how the public policy strategies adopted in the United States compare to those adopted in other affluent democracies - through the lens of socio-economic inequality. Examining how different countries confront the same issue allows us to identify the policies that redress it, how their content can vary, and why so. The course therefore underscores the reason for these differences: politics and government. Together, we will examine the multiple political pathways to creating public policy across these societies, as well as their effects on the people that live in them. (GOVT-AM, GOVT-CP)
Environmental justice, as defined by the U.S. EPA, refers to the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all individuals-regardless of income, race, color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability-in agency decision-making and federal activities that impact human health and the environment. This principle ensures that all people are protected from disproportionate and adverse effects on their health and environment, including risks related to climate change, cumulative environmental burdens, and the legacy of racism and systemic barriers. It also emphasizes equitable access to a healthy, sustainable, and resilient environment for living, playing, working, learning, growing, worshipping, and engaging in cultural and subsistence practices (U.S. EPA, 2024). This hands-on seminar course explores key topics, policies, and themes in environmental justice, focusing on the disproportionate impacts of climate change and related adaptation and mitigation efforts, particularly on vulnerable groups, communities of color, and Indigenous communities. Additionally, the course examines policy drivers and levers that can create opportunities for meaningful change in the future.
This course surveys topics in crime and crime prevention, with a focus on thinking critically about empirical evidence. The first part of the course briefly introduces an economic model of crime and reviews relevant empirical methods. The remainder of the course is spent discussing a range of crime-related topics, including policing, incarceration, employment, drugs & alcohol, firearms, education, and health. Students will consider trade-offs to different crime prevention policies and gain experience framing and summarizing evidence for policymakers.
This course examines the policy-making roles of legislatures, courts, and executive agencies. How do different branches of government make policy? What makes good evidence for policy decisions? How do each of these branches consider and use empirical evidence? How can various approaches such as traditional law and economics or behavioral law and economics help us understand the potential impacts of a policy? In this course, we will consider these questions and more as part of our inquiry into the interplay between law, economics, and public policy. Using real-world case studies, we will trace the evolution of policies from state legislatures to Congress to their interpretations by federal agencies and the judiciary. Students will critically evaluate empirical research and use the tools of microeconomic theory to understand and assess policy effectiveness and unintended consequences. This course is designed for students interested in law, public policy, economics and the role of empirical evidence and economic theory in shaping policy-making.
PUBPOL 3612Politics and Processes of State and Local Government3
Federal governing systems cannot be understood without examining the differing and often overlapping structures at subnational levels. In this course, students will gain familiarity with these systems and how they cooperate or compete. The course considers history and culture to explain American federalism and its evolving impact on IGR. The course examines the federal, state, and local roles in delivering programs and services such as healthcare, transportation, education, land use, justice/incarceration, and environmental policy. The course also looks at how policy innovation flows in multiple directions among levels of government. This course offers future policy professionals a practitioner’s perspective on governing today. It is intended for individuals interested in careers in public administration, legislative affairs, intergovernmental relations, state or local government, politics, consulting, planning, and nonprofit management.
PUBPOL 3615Sustainable Finance: Southeast Asia and Global Perspectives3
Climate change presents a dilemma. Under the Paris Agreement, countries of the world committed to the goal of limiting warming to no more than two degrees Celsius from pre-industrial times. Scientists have warned that exceeding the threshold would increase the risks of heatwaves, drought, and extreme weather. Achieving the target, however, requires collective efforts to reduce emissions. Households, businesses, and governments would have to radically shift to cleaner energy supply and greener activities, which will take a great deal of financial resources. Sustainable finance attempts to address this challenge by integrating finance as a discipline into the sustainability framework. Designed for policy students, this course considers the perspectives of policymakers rather than business actors in navigating the green transition. Case studies will be drawn primarily from Southeast Asia, which is considered one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change, although much of the framework is also applicable to other regions around the globe.
Population problems are central to societal change in numerous areas- inequality, immigration and diversity, race relations, family life, health and aging, and social welfare systems. This class explores the causes and consequences of population change, paying particular attention to how population processes interact with the social, economic, and political context in which they play out. Particular attention will be paid to contemporary debates unfolding in Europe, how population problems are defined, and the policies intended to solve them.
PUBPOL 3650Social Care Navigation to Advance Health Equity3
Unmet health related social needs (HRSN) ? such as unstable housing, food insecurity, and lack of reliable transportation ? exacerbate poor health. Health care organizations are increasingly screening patients for unmet HRSNs and collaborating with local community-based organizations (CBOs) to address patient social needs to deliver whole-person care and advance health equity. Critical to the screen-and-refer process are trained community members ? patient social care navigators ? who contact patients who screen positive for one or more HRSN and connect patients to local CBOs to meet those needs. In this course, students will develop and practice in the classroom the skills that navigators in the field use to work collaboratively with patients, participating clinician practices, community health workers, and not-for-profit organizations to provide social care navigation to patients to improve health outcomes and health equity of Tompkins County residents. (HCP-EL)
PUBPOL 3660Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, and Public Policy3
In 2008, a new sector of technological opportunities emerged through the advent of cryptocurrency and blockchain with wide-reaching implications. In this course, we will examine the different types of cryptocurrencies, the underlying technology of blockchain, and the implications they have on public policy. To do so, we will go through a few steps, including a simulation of managing and updating a cryptocurrency portfolio. This will offer a unique opportunity to experience the different types of digital assets, custody solutions for digital assets, and the decentralized nature of the technology that drives data science and tech policies. In addition, you will learn about different types of cryptocurrencies and how they drive financial inclusivity through social policies to reduce inequality. Furthermore, you will analyze the process and operation of Bitcoin mining and its impact on sustainability and environmental policies. Other topics you will examine include blockchain's pseudo-anonymity, decentralized finance (DeFi), decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO), different types of tokens (e.g. non-fungible tokens and stablecoins), central bank digital currencies, the metaverse, and general regulations around the sector. Each of these areas impacts policy, politics, and economics. At the end of the course, you will write a policy paper on cryptocurrency and blockchain, explain the implications it has on public policy, and present your findings in class.
Introduction to the use of economics as a tool in forming and evaluating environmental policy, with a focus on how economists measure effects of environmental quality and regulation. Topics include: externalities in an environmental context; regulation methods such as command and control, Pigouvian taxation, and cap and trade; methods for measuring the costs and benefits of environmental policy; overview of current environmental legislation; environmental quality and health; regulation and environmental justice.
Democratic leaders are increasingly concerned with authoritarian attempts to alter long-established values and interests of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Questions as to the abuse of Interpol against dissidents, the harsh reaction by China to WHO attempts to address the pandemic, and the rejection by Russia of its international obligations bring new policy questions but also solutions to this topic. As the international liberal order framework of the last 75 years shows its age, the question of which nations and value systems will shape the world for the next 75 years becomes more pressing. Are democracies capable of jointly addressing this challenge? How far do democratic alliances go before national interests take charge? In this course, students will draw upon real-life case studies and scenarios through interaction with diplomats, civil society, and other practitioners in this arena. Students in this course will be equipped to shape the debate of a framework of human rights, the rule of law, and democracy for the future and present their ideas through the use of a structured debate as a final project.
PUBPOL 3710Migration: Histories, Controversies, and Perspectives3
This introductory course introduces students to issues and debates related to international migration and will provide an interdisciplinary foundation to understanding the factors that shape migration flows and migrant experiences. We will start by reviewing theories of the state and historical examples of immigrant racialization and exclusion in the United States and beyond. We will critically examine the notions of borders, citizenship/non-citizenship, and the creation of diasporas. Students will also hear a range of perspectives by exposing them to Cornell guest faculty who do research and teach on migration across different disciplines and methodologies and in different world areas. Examples include demographic researchers concerned with immigrant inequality and family formation, geographic perspectives on the changing landscapes of immigrant metropolises, legal scholarship on the rights of immigrant workers, and the study of immigrant culture from a feminist studies lens. Offered each fall semester.
PUBPOL 3720Addiction Medicine Practice and Policy3
A community-engaged addiction medicine course that draws from experts in the field to address the neurobiology of addiction, risk and protective factors for substance misuse and disorder, barriers to treatment such as stigma, the recovery continuum, and a focus on drug policy and law in historical and contemporary context. Students will work in teams to complete a community engaged project and field trips will be offered. This course is geared toward future clinicians, policy makers, healthcare leaders, data analysts, and engaged citizens who care about human wellbeing and health equity. (HCP-EL)
PUBPOL 3725Ethics in Data, Data Science, and AI for Public Policy3
As data science technology takes an ever-increasing role in our lives, it seems that progress frequently outpaces ethical considerations and regulation. The news is awash with stories of tech companies’ ethical failures in their acquisition, storage, and use of information. This course will begin with an examination of ethical concerns associated with data science, including biases, privacy, surveillance, discrimination, transparency, and accountability. The second half of the course will cover AI. The growing deployment of large language models (LLMs) has introduced a plethora of new ethical problems including how LLMs are trained, algorithmic bias, user addiction and misuse, accidental disclosure of confidential information, and many more problems. The course will look at several real-life ethical failures so that we may assess what went wrong and what steps need to be taken to prevent future harm.
This course focuses on environmental legislation such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), and others as a foundation for US environmental policy. Internationally, focus on Environmental Policy in multiple countries and comparative to US environmental policy. Over the course we will discuss how environmental policy directly impacts community, public health, natural ecological systems, concepts of justice, and socioeconomics. We will explore these major environmental policies in the US as a basis of comparison and then apply those mechanism domestically or internationally to address climate change and improve other environment conditions. Students who seek to work in the US will build an analytic skill set to be competitive for jobs in environmental consulting, government, public policy, public health, non-profits, and advocacy groups.
PUBPOL 3734Disasters, Vulnerability, and Resilience3
This hands-on course addresses key topics and themes to understand what makes communities vulnerable to disasters and how to build resilience and capacity to adapt with changing spaces and places. This course is designed for anyone who will be in a leadership role who wants to build a toolkit to manage and prepare for a range of crises including natural, environmental, social, and resource-related disasters. The focus is on developing innovative policy solutions to prepare for, adapt to, and mitigate natural and human-made disasters through understanding exposure and sensitivity to changes in the environmental and social system. We will actively do this through vulnerability assessments and resilience planning. The goal is to use policy and planning strategies to equitably invest in building resilience and adaptive capacity of vulnerable communities.
PUBPOL 3760Data Science Applications in Politics and Policy3
This course introduces students to the latest empirical research on the applications of novel, large-scale, and unstructured data in political science and public policy. Themes include causality and credibility; administrative and open data; geographic and geospatial data; social media and digital trace data; text, image, audio, and video data; and generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). For each type of data, students learn the set of questions it can help answer, along with appropriate methods for analysis. The course situates the rise of data-intensive social science within the broader context of political science and policy research and examines the promises and pitfalls of computational innovations and new data science methods, including their implications for ethics, transparency, and privacy.
This course covers domestic copyright law, which protects creative expression; patent law, which protects novel and useful inventions; and trademark law, which protects brand identifiers. It also explores common law intellectual property rights like trade secret protections. The aim of the course is not simply to learn what the law is, but why.
PUBPOL 3780Global Comparative Health Care Systems3
This course teaches students how to determine whether and why a health care system is achieving its three primary objectives ? broad access to medical care, high quality medical care, and relatively low medical spending. Students will learn basic methodological tools to analyze how selected high-, medium-, and low-income countries around the world finance their health care system, organize the providers of medical care, and reimburse those providers, using the U.S. system as the focal point. Students will explore how the United States might implement policies from these other countries to improve its health care system. (HCP-EL)
PUBPOL 3790Community Impact Analysis in Development Policy I1
This course embodies community-engaged learning by positioning students as collaborative learners alongside community members, emphasizing mutual exchange, and addressing an issue that holds local significance. Students will not only conduct a community impact analysis but will also engage directly with residents and local stakeholders to understand their perspectives, experiences, and priorities. This interaction enables students to learn with and from the community, building skills in cultural humility, active listening, and responsive problem-solving. Throughout the course, critical reflection will be an integral component; students will regularly examine their assumptions, document their learning through field notes, and engage in reflective discussions. These reflective practices will challenge them to consider the social and ethical dimensions of their work, helping them refine their approach to ensure it aligns with community needs and fosters equitable, sustainable outcomes.
PUBPOL 3791Community Impact Analysis in Development Policy II2
This intensive, week-long January fieldwork course immerses students in hands-on data collection for a community impact analysis. Working with a host organization and community partners, students conduct interviews, surveys, and observations, applying ethical fieldwork and participatory evaluation methods to gather insights that will inform their final analysis and recommendations.
PUBPOL 3792Community Impact Analysis in Development Policy III1
This 7-week spring course focuses on analyzing and synthesizing data collected during the January fieldwork. Students will interpret findings, assess community impact, and draft a comprehensive report for the host organization. Emphasizing ethical evaluation and policy implications, the course prepares students to present actionable recommendations based on their research.
PUBPOL 3810Mass Incarceration and Social Inequality in America3
In this course we will explore the origins and consequences of mass incarceration- extraordinarily high incarceration rates within particular demographic groups above and beyond historical levels in the United States. We will examine theories of social control and deviance to uncover how institutions and individuals use power to shape societies. This course also engages theories of state power to understand and to analyze how labeling is deployed to control groups of people, and, in doing so, we will conduct a genealogy of a contemporary driver of social inequality: the prison industrial complex. Current policy debates around the movement to reduce the number of men and women in American jails and prisons will also be covered. Contemporary social problems like homelessness and food insecurity will be discussed in detail, as well as how mass incarceration contributes to growing gaps in labor force participation, wealth accumulation, and familial instability.
This undergraduate-level course is designed for students interested in learning how to better communicate using data. Students will learn the foundations of data use and visualization tools and gain experience using these tools for the purpose of creating a shared understanding with an audience. Students will learn to organize data and create clear, creative graphs, charts, and dashboards for the purposes of story-telling and effectively conveying information.
PUBPOL 3860Women in Leadership and Entrepreneurship in Developing Country Contexts3
This course investigates the evolution of discourses surrounding gender and development, focusing on how women have gained economic independence, agency, and socio-economic mobility in developing country contexts and have thus emerged as successful entrepreneurs and leaders in their respective eco-systems. It examines how certain socio-economic factors have lifted women out of poverty, exclusion, and marginalization. By exploring both individual potential and collective power through dedicated activism, the course spans the fields of economics, sociology, and public policy.
This course covers economic evaluation methods used for decisions in the health care sector and health policy. Economic evaluations include cost analysis, cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, and cost-utility analysis. The course discusses how to measure opportunity costs, monetary benefits, and health outcomes such as quality-adjusted life years. Actual economic evaluations of pharmaceuticals, health care and public health interventions, and health and safety policy are reviewed and critiqued. (HCP-EL)
PUBPOL 3890Rewilding the American West: A Policy Incubator4
Debates over the proper aims, scope, and methods of environmental policy in America are as old as the conservation movement, from Gifford Pinchot's push for the responsible and productive use of public lands to John Muir's crusade for strict preservation. Over the last forty years, a growing number of scholars and policymakers have embraced a new approach to science-based conservation: rewilding. The term has been used by activists, ecologists, and policymakers to embrace a range of policy proscriptions, from the restoration of wide-ranging wilderness areas and large predators to restoring Pleistocene era megafauna or their ecological equivalents, to landscape restoration through the reintroduction of appropriate species, to productive land abandonment. However, a core principle uniting these disparate approaches is an emphasis on restoring biodiversity and promoting sustainability through the protection and enhancement of wilderness areas. The rewilding movement has also begun to influence public policy, offering innovative solutions to old and new policy challenges, including mitigating the impacts of climate change.
The purpose of this one-credit course is to provide a behind-the-scenes examination of the U.S. federal policy making process with examples primarily relating to labor policy. We will begin with a discussion of the statutory framework that shapes this process and defines the roles of the many entities involved. Understanding how policy is developed in law and regulation will be a major emphasis of the course. Policy implementation, administration, and oversight will also be addressed. We will focus on a variety of related topics, including the President's Budget, congressional appropriations, inter-agency collaboration, and the effect of good government initiatives on substantive policy making. Efforts to respond to the economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis will also be discussed.
PUBPOL 3920Influence of Public Policy on Financial Markets1
Although the United States' economy is said to have a laissez-faire structure, there is a significant relationship between the government and how the market operates. Public policy impacts everything nowadays - legislation that interacts with healthcare, taxes, infrastructure, and other societal areas that demand government intervention is monitored by monetary and fiscal policy. This course will cover how the government intervenes in the market via public policy to control factors that range from inflation to GDP growth to spending on public programs. We will discuss how the government interacts with Wall Street, the regulations that are often imposed on firms, and how the debt and equity markets function and react to government interaction. We will accentuate political intervention during times of crisis and how the financial world's relationship with the government changed as a result. This class will include a combination of lectures and guest speakers to formally analyze course material and to provide real world scenarios and applications.
The course explores the intersection of policy and political strategies on Capitol Hill. Students will learn the inner dynamics of how Members of Congress select, pursue and achieve their policy objectives on Capitol Hill; how policy proposals are developed within various platforms (congressional leadership, committees, working groups and caucuses, the White House); the role of communications strategies in supporting legislative initiatives; the interplay of constituents; the incorporation of policies into amendments, committee markups, report language, managers amendments and other devices. Each session will offer a guest perspective from a Member of Congress or senior staff member. Students will be expected to choose a policy initiative and develop a legislative strategy to achieve implementation.
The course will explore elements of the reorganization of the 118th Congress, including leadership elections and structure; the setting of a legislative agenda; how committee assignments are determined; the structure of legislative caucuses, conferences and working groups; and the early organization of various legislative factions and impact on the legislative agenda. This will coincide with real-time developments in the new Congress and will feature periodic visits by prominent national political figures. Each class will feature a discussion of current events that are related to coursework. Each session will offer guest perspective from Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress, and well-known media analysts, among others.
Featuring periodic visits by Members of Congress and key congressional staff, and a unique learning experience on Capitol Hill, the class is designed to present students with an informed understanding of various staff functions within a Congressional office both in Washington and the Members district; the different management styles of congressional offices (i.e.: member driven versus staff driven); the relationship of personal, committee and leadership staffs. Students will monitor the progress of legislation as a way of integrating office dynamics into the legislative process. Each class will devote time to a discussion of current events in Congress to integrate policy developments into the curricula.
For study that involves both responsible participation in a community setting and reflection on that experience through discussion, reading, and writing. Academic credit is awarded for this integration of theory and practice.
PUBPOL 4060Engaged Learning About Policy Making in Washington D.C4
The core course at Cornell in Washington is an engaged learning class that focuses on understanding and analyzing the professional experience of being in DC. Its primary purpose is to give students a chance to sunthesize the lessons of their internship work by examining and reflecting on that work, investigating the context and structures of the policy and political world with which they are engaging, and learning and practicing the professional forms of writing that the community uses. This process occurs through readings, written assignments, guest speakers, and signature events. An internship is required for the class.
This course explores social change through demographic methods, addressing how public policies aim to impact societal outcomes-such as reducing crime rates, lowering poverty levels, or increasing voter turnout-rather than focusing on individual behavior. While quantitative social science often emphasizes understanding individual actions, this course provides methods that bridge the gap between individual patterns and broader societal trends. Building on foundational techniques from introductory social statistics courses-such as univariate, bivariate, and multivariate regression-the course covers life tables, Lexis diagrams, and decomposition methods. These demographic methods focus on population-level dynamics and the changing composition of national populations, making the course essential for social scientists and policy analysts interested in examining the trends, causes, and consequences of aggregate social change.
PUBPOL 4101Causal Inference and Data Analysis for Public Policy3
This course covers methods used by social scientists to identify causal relationships in data, with a focus on evaluating the effects of real-world policies. Many social science analyses--including in the economics fields of public, labor, health, and development-aim to answer these types of policy-related causal questions: What is the effect of having health insurance on someone's health? Does the death penalty reduce crime? Will lowering class sizes increase students' academic achievement? The goal of this course is to train you to become both a high-quality consumer and producer of this type of research. You will learn about several research designs and data analysis methods for identifying causal relationships in data, read and assess empirical papers that apply these methods, and apply these methods to datasets yourself.
In-depth discussion of the growing field of applied economics research on the relationships between pollution, climate, and human health. The course will be begin with a brief introduction to the application of modern applied microeconomic causal methods - students must have taken Multiple Regression Analysis (or a course equivalent) and have basic familiarity with the statistical analysis program Stata. Areas of study include pollution and climate impacts on mortality, morbidity, human capital development, productivity, and mental cognition, as well as the role of avoidance behavior and adaptation in mitigating such effects. This course requires a good deal of reading from academic journal articles and working papers. Discussion of the articles will focus on interpretation of outcomes, potential confounders and complications in establishing the pollution, climate, and health link, and the methodologies used in modern applied microeconomics to establish causal links. (HCP-EL)
PUBPOL 4160The Ethnography of Poverty and Inequality3
This course explores poverty and inequality in American society through the lens of ethnographic and other field-based research. We will read classic and contemporary texts which have shaped our understanding of how social inequality and exclusion constrain people's daily lives and how groups develop innovative responses to these constraints.
PUBPOL 4210Artificial Intelligence: Law, Ethics, and Policy3
Machine intelligence is rapidly improving. Recent surveys of top AI experts suggest there is around a 10% chance that by 2027 machines will be smarter than humans in nearly all tasks, and about a 50% chance of this happening by the 2040s. Forecasting models add that there may be a 50% chance of “transformative AI” by 2033, systems capable of reshaping society as profoundly as the Industrial Revolution. The development of such generally intelligent systems will transform society, the economy, and global politics. The potential benefits are tremendous, but so are the potential harms, which some experts argue are greater than the risks from nuclear war and climate change. This course will examine the technical, political, and security challenges to the beneficial development of AI. How can we build, and prove to others that we built robust, beneficial AI? What legal and ethical problems are posed by autonomous machines? How will military conflict and strategy adapt to powerful AI-enabled drones, cyber weapons, military decision-making, and intelligence gathering? How can we avoid harmful AI arms races? Reducing existential risks from AI is a global public good: what global political institutions are best suited to providing it?
Many Cornell students are eager to both learn about and practice democracy. Political uncertainty at both the national and international levels is driving interest in these topics and how to think and respond to real challenges. The democracy research lab is a clinic-style course that provides instruction on democracy and research methodology, while working towards a final project deliverable related to studying and practicing democracy for undergraduates at the behest of a Cornell faculty member, research centers, or external partners. This course balances knowledge with applied practice and stresses collaborative learning. Students will form and work within small group teams over the course of the year to advance high-quality research to be delivered to their client.
PUBPOL 4232Democracy Research and Practice Lab II1.5
Many Cornell students are eager to both learn about and practice democracy. Political uncertainty at both the national and international levels is driving interest in these topics and how to think and respond to real challenges. The democracy research lab is a clinic-style course that provides instruction on democracy and research methodology, while working towards a final project deliverable related to studying and practicing democracy for undergraduates at the behest of a Cornell faculty member, research centers, or external partners. This course balances knowledge with applied practice and stresses collaborative learning. Students will form and work within small group teams over the course of the year to advance high-quality research to be delivered to their client.
This course applies statistical and economic approaches to analyze risk, the approaches to managing risk by private and government actors, and the impact of government risk policies on the private economy. The course aims to provide students with a broad understanding of risk management problems and solutions, a greater appreciation of the importance of risk management and policy, and increased comprehension of the challenges and complexities of managing key societal risks. Students will enhance their capacity to analyze risk and appreciate the importance of managing risk; will gain working knowledge of important risk management terminology, tools, and institutions; will practice identifying and quantitatively measuring risk; increase their capacity for critical analysis of risk management approaches; and acauire capacity to contribute to discussions of risk governance and its implications.
PUBPOL 4280The Economics of Risky Health Behaviors4
Risky health behaviors such as cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse, risky sex, drug use, poor diet and physical inactivity (leading to obesity), and self-harm are responsible for hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths and impose billions of dollars in medical care costs each year in the United States. This course teaches the economic approach to studying risky health behaviors. The research literature on the economic causes and correlates of risky health behaviors will be studied in detail. Numerous policies to modify risky health behaviors, such as the minimum legal drinking age and recreational marijuana use laws, will be debated in class. A policy wargame is conducted, with students creating advertisements, giving oral presentations, and lobbying policymakers to advocate a specific policy position.
PUBPOL 4281The Economics and Regulation of Risky Health Behaviors3
Risky health behaviors such as drug abuse, alcohol abuse, cigarette smoking, risky sex, poor diet, physical inactivity, and self-harm are responsible for hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths and impose billions of dollars in medical care costs each year in the United States. This course teaches the economic approach to studying risky health behaviors. The research literature on the economic causes and correlates of risky health behaviors will be studied. Numerous policies to modify risky health behaviors, such as the minimum legal drinking age and recreational marijuana laws, will be debated in class. Students will also participate in a policy wargame on the subject of taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. (HCP-EL)
This course will review and enhance existing knowledge of health care delivery and related policy issues, using the lens and tools of microeconomics. The topics covered will span consumer behavior, sources and markets for health insurance, provider markets, provider incentives and regulation, as well as market consolidation across a variety of key industries (e.g., physicians, hospitals, and post-acute care providers). Importantly, a key differentiator as well as pedagogical feature of the course will be extensive exposure to classic and contemporary empirical (i.e., data-driven) research tied to these topics. This aspect allows students to be aware of and accumulate knowledge from the frontier of what is scientifically known about key and salient health economics and health policy topics. The selected academic studies incorporated into each lecture will reinforce the core economic theories and insights accompanying a given topic and demonstrate how existing theories can be formally tested as well as refined or expanded using strong empirical research designs. This course should be highly relevant to students planning to work for or with healthcare-focused companies as well as those wishing to pursue master?s (e.g., MBA, MHA, MPH) or doctoral level academic programs (e.g., JD, MD, PharmD, or PhD) tied to healthcare. (HCP-EL)
PUBPOL 4390Foundations of Machine Learning for Public Policy3
This course is designed for students interested in learning the foundations of machine learning. Our focus will be on applying these techniques to applications in specific policy related scenarios. We will cover the intuition of the theoretical underpinnings, with a focus on practical use of supervised learning tools.
PUBPOL 4530Community Mental Health, Healing Systems, and Policy in the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve4
Mental health conditions are an increasing global concern but remain underprioritized in worldwide public health and policy, especially in low-resource and indigenous communities. This field-based course is offered at the Keystone Foundation in Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve in partnership with Cornell University. It explores mental health through an interdisciplinary lens, combining anthropology, global public health, policy, and community engagement.
Infrastructure provides essential services such as road and highway transportation, ports and airports, communications, electricity, clean drinking water, and wastewater treatment. This course examines policies related to operation, maintenance, and especially funding and financing of critical physical infrastructure. It includes regulatory issues such as controlling market power, ensuring adequate service quality, and maintaining the assets in question.
PUBPOL 4717Energy Transition: Policy, Financial, and Business Interactions3
The course utilizes discussions, presentations, research papers, and simulations to explore the policy, financial, and business implications, opportunities, and risks, of climate change, specifically the energy transition to a low-carbon economy. We will explore potential public policies in the context of their business impacts, effectiveness, and political viability. How does different policy design encourage distinct long-term pathways within a highly capital-intensive industry? What industries are most impacted by a transition to a lower carbon economy? How do incentives and structures influence business actors toward a smoother transition, or wasted capital expenditures, and stranded assets? Are financial markets pricing in an energy transition? What is the role of financial and market regulators in ensuring long-term beneficial capital allocation? With an industry in decline, what are the business strategy options for the management of a fossil fuel producer? What are the policy, financial, and business implications for clean energy firms, electric vehicle manufacturers, and the metals and mining industry? Additional readings, research, and presentations are required of Master's students.
Through discussions, presentations, and research papers, we will examine increasing US inequality, and the interaction of business's role and impacts, alongside potential policy prescriptions (UBI, tax policy, job guarantees, etc.). Topics will also include potential sources of inequality. Areas explored include: Can public policy blunt inequality without unduly harming markets? What are the responsibilities of private sector companies to society, and what are their incentives? How does inequality affect business (through customers, workers - human capital), how does business exacerbate and exploit inequality? Does inequality reduce economic growth and productivity (due to rent-seeking activities, reduced opportunity)? Does corporate influence on the political system reinforce inequality? Is labor disadvantaged by social safety net structures, such as policies tying benefits to work requirements? Does inequality destabilize financial markets and fuel speculation ((e.g., 1920's margin investing, GameStop, etc.)? Additional readings and in-depth research paper required of Master's students.
This engaged learning course offers students the opportunity to integrate and apply knowledge and skills by addressing a real-world question presented by a community partner. Students will work collaboratively on an applied research project, produce a professional report, and brief community members on the outcomes and recommendations of their research.
We will learn how to design and advocate for specific state-level public policies by practicing these skills before the legislative and administrative branches of the State of New York. In consultation with the professor, student teams will design public policy proposals based on a review of the academic, governmental and think tank literature; conversations with subject matter experts at Cornell and various NGOs; research and analysis of similar proposals in other states and countries; conversations with state and local policymakers; and discussions with community members and organizations, including community partners with lived experience. Although we will engage in policy design and advocacy primarily in New York State, we will also provide research and policy design services to stakeholders in other states, especially when a comparative or multi-state approach offers strategic benefits.
As a continuation of our work in PUBPOL 4960/PUBPOL 5960, we will learn how to design and advocate for specific state-level public policies by practicing these skills with community partners and stakeholders and before the legislative and administrative branches of the State of New York. In consultation with the professor, student teams will design and advocate for public policy proposals based on a review of the academic, governmental and think tank literature; conversations with subject matter experts at Cornell and various NGOs; research and analysis of similar proposals in other states and countries; conversations with state and local policymakers; and discussions with community members and organizations, including community partners with lived experience. Although we will engage in policy design and advocacy primarily in New York State, we will also provide research and policy design services to Stakeholders in other states, especially when a comparative or multi-state approach offers strategic benefits.
This course is part of the Brooks School Capital Semester Program. During this program, students live and work in Albany as legislative aides to a New York State Senator or Assembly Member. They also attend a course on New York State Government and engage in discussion forums with key legislators and policymakers. Additionally, students receive mentorship from Cornell Government Affairs staff on-site. This mentorship includes opportunities to work on legislative priorities that align with students' interests and their assigned legislative tasks. The on-site staff help interns connect with state government officials in their areas of interest, including Cornell alumni and dignitaries. They also offer guidance on office work and internship coursework and provide background information on Albany's policies and politics, particularly related to higher education and Cornell's role as a New York State Land Grant University. Students receive a relocation allowance and a living stipend as part of the program.
This course is designed to provide students with guidance and resources as they design and conduct their honors thesis project. As part of this process, students will be introduced to a range of topics and skills related to engaging in research in the social sciences.
Provides students with the opportunity to undertake basic or applied research that will be preparation of a thesis representing original work of publishable quality. Intended for students who desire the opportunity to extend their interests and efforts beyond the current course offerings in the department. Furthermore, the program is designed to offer the student the opportunity to work closely with a professor on a topic of interest. The number of hours of thesis credit is determined by the student's research mentor. See the director of undergraduate studies for more details.
PUBPOL 5008Designing Your Career in Policy, Data Science, and Sustainability0.5
This course prepares students to pursue full-time employment following graduation through structured career exploration, self-assessment, and professional development. Students will explore career pathways, evaluate their strengths and areas for growth, and develop a plan aligned with their individual career goals. The course emphasizes communicating the connection between one’s skills and career aspirations, as well as understanding the importance of professional relationships in gaining career insights, building skills, and accessing opportunities. Students will also learn to proactively identify and engage with individuals who can support their career development. By the end of the course, students will have developed an actionable approach to career planning and the strategies needed to pursue full-time opportunities.
PUBPOL 5009Career Management for Public Affairs1.5
This course prepares MPA students to enter the job market with the expertise and experience to launch a successful career as well as obtain professional skills necessary to be leaders in the field of public affairs workplace. Topics covered in this course include the importance of self-assessment, the independent job search, networking, and best practices in resume/cover letter writing and interviewing.
This full-semester course will provide an introduction to the diverse and contested field of security studies, including both the Traditional and Critical approaches. It covers the foundational theoretical approaches in the field of security studies - Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism, Critical Theory, Feminism and Gender Security, and PostStructural and Postcolonial Perspectives. It also questions how security policy is developed and implemented and the historical, economic, political, and social power dynamics that influence how 'security policy' is constructed and implemented by nation-states. Alongside the study of theory, the course covers a wide range of contemporary security issues - from the return of inter-state conflict and nuclear deterrence to terrorism, environmental security, and health security - and applies the theories and concepts of security studies to real-world examples. (MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL)
This graduate-level course is designed for students interested in learning about policies that shape and govern how we produce, distribute, and consume food, and how those activities shape our environments. Students will learn about major food and environmental policies and programs around the world, their history, and their impacts. Students will also learn about longstanding and current debates in food and environmental policy. Students will be expected to read a variety of texts from government, academic, and journalistic sources and come prepared to engage in discussion, reflection, and synthesis activities. (MPA-ENPO, MPA-ME)
PUBPOL 5012Professional Development for Public Affairs0.5
This course prepares MPA students to enter the job market with the expertise and experience to launch a successful career as well as obtain professional skills necessary to be leaders in the field of public affairs. Topics covered in this course include the role of change management, leading people, results-driven leadership, business acumen, and coalition-building in successful public affairs practice.
Climate change is an urgent, multi-generational, global challenge. Public policy at the local, state, national and international level plays an important role in determining our emissions trajectory, the magnitude and location of investments in adaptation and resilience, and even whether climate engineering approaches are allowable and feasible. Thus, policy choices have a large influence on the ultimate damages from climate change and on the cost of addressing them. This course applies the tools of economics to the analysis of the climate challenge and climate policy. We will start with an introduction to the multiple market failures relevant to climate change, an overview of the climate policy portfolio, and a history of international climate negotiations. In part 2 of the course, we’ll learn how economists quantify the damages from climate change and consider the role of benefit-cost analysis designing climate policy. Part 3 will cover net greenhouse gas emissions reduction opportunities, including sectorial approaches and nature-based solutions. In part 4, we’ll study the economics of pollution control and learn what theory and empirical evidence imply for climate change policy instrument choice. We will finish the course focusing on the economics of climate adaptation and resilience (part 5), the distributional implications of climate change and climate policy (part 6), and the future potential for climate engineering (part 7). (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-ME, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-TPA)
PUBPOL 5019Data-Driven Organizations, Policy, and Decision-Making for Executives1
In this class, we will use data-related case studies to understand the common problems organizations and policymakers face, how they use data to benefit their organization and key components that are driving the policy conversation. We will also get broad exposure to the related concepts behind data products and teams including data engineering, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and data visualization.
PUBPOL 5020Being Native in the 21st Century: American Indian & Alaska Native Politics, History, and Policy4
The course examines the historical political landscape of American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States and the interplay between tribal interests, politics, and the federal government. The course also looks at contemporary Native issues, federal policy and programs, tribal governance, relations between Tribal Nations and states and between Tribal Nations and the federal government. Finally, the course will explore Indigenous pop-culture and its influence on federal policy. Classes will all be in person and will be a mixture of lectures and discussion-based seminars. The majority of classes will have a guest lecturer related to that week's topic. Guest lectures will include, but not limited to, political appointees, congressional staff, political advocates, elected tribal leaders, and more. (MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
In this course, you will master multiple strategies for creating social change through community organizing, legislative action, administrative processes, and media engagement. Starting with your chosen advocacy issue, you will develop clear mission and vision statements that become the foundation of your work. You will conduct strategic research and create detailed action plans that serve as your roadmap for mobilizing community support and initiating change. By planning and executing a community organizing event, you will transform your strategic vision into tangible community action. Armed with a strong community-based foundation, you will step into the legislative arena to navigate the complexities of policy change. Here, you will identify key decision-makers, draft legislation, and create compelling fact sheets that support your cause. As your advocacy skills deepen, you will build confidence in delivering legislative testimony and learn to draft public comments that influence administrative rule-making—essential tools for shaping public policy. With your policy framework in place, you will harness the power of storytelling to amplify your advocacy message. Through carefully crafted narratives, you will develop sophisticated media engagement strategies, create attention-grabbing press releases, and write persuasive letters to editors. Your mastery of both traditional and social media platforms will exponentially expand your advocacy's reach and impact.
PUBPOL 5025U.S. Foreign Policy and Economic Statecraft4
The world has changed, and the collective global policy goals of the 2000s are no longer at the forefront of international affairs. Increasingly, economic tools--both carrots and sticks--are a core tool of the U.S. Foreign Policy toolbox. The sticks, or coercive tools, such as sanctions, tariffs, and export controls, garner more public attention, but tools of positive reinforcement are equally relevant. This course will explore the historical and geopolitical context within which U.S. Foreign Policy is shifting toward weaponizing economic interdependence -- competition with the People's Republic of China, the war in Ukraine, and organized crime in the Western Hemisphere. It will also explore the question of how a new generation of national security professionals can navigate a world and a professional space that is increasingly moving away from the pro-globalization consensus of the 2000s.
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the various applications of data and health information technology (HIT) across a variety of health care settings and how different players within the health care ecosystem are embracing HIT to improve care delivery. As the health care system in this country evolves, it is becoming increasingly reliant on robust HIT systems to improve care delivery. This course is designed to be an immersion into health care information systems: how they have been enabled by an evolution of HIT policy in the U.S., how different health care players are utilizing HIT to improve outcomes, and how a favorable funding environment has enabled innovative companies to change the way we interact with the health care system. Students are expected to comply with all university, school, and program policies related to both local and international travel.
The objective of this course is to provide a graduate-level substantive and conceptual overview for studying population dynamics. What is the demographic perspective? And how can it be applied usefully to important domestic and international policy issues (e.g., segregation, health and retirement, labor mobility and immigration, below-replacement fertility, school projections, etc.). The course will introduce students to various demographic data sources (e.g., decennial census and periodic fertility surveys), conventional measures (e.g., fertility rates and segregation), and conventional demographic techniques (e.g., life tables and population forecasting) used in social demography. It will also introduce students to the academic and professional field of population studies, highlighting key theoretical and methodological debates in population sciences. (MPA-DA, MPA-TPA, MPA-DATSCI, MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPASCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL)
This course addresses the major themes and controversies in United States immigration law and policy, including: Constitutional limits on legislative and executive power; the role of administrative agencies and the federal courts; the role of state versus federal decision-makers; the admission and removal (deportation) of noncitizens; protections of asylum-seekers and refugees; illegal immigration; strategies of immigration law enforcement; immigration detention; due process rights in removal proceedings; and civil rights of noncitizens. This course will also briefly address some key issues in alienage law and policy, including the rights of noncitizens (including noncitizens without immigration status) to education, work and public benefits. (MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
This course examines the forces that drive forced migration and the policies shaping how displaced populations are received and resettled. Topics include the global conditions underlying refugee flows, the legal and political criteria that determine refugee status, the pathways from conflict through displacement to settlement; and resettlement policies and practice in Upstate New York. Working with refugee-serving organizations in the region, students will engage in collaborative projects and participate in a site visit to a partner organization in Syracuse or Utica. (MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5060Experiential Learning in Policy Making in Washington, DC4
The core course at Cornell in Washington is an experiential learning class that focuses on engaging with the professional experience of being in DC. Its primary purposes are to give students to build their understanding of their internship work by analyzing and reflecting on that work, understanding the context and structures of the policy and political world with which they are engaging, and learning and practicing the professional forms of writing that that world uses. This process occurs through readings, written assignments, guest speakers, and signature events. (MPA-DATSCI, MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL, MPA-TPA)
The US and the global community face a number of complex, interconnected and enduring issues that pose challenges for our political and policy governance institutions and society at large. Exploring how the US and the world conceive of the challenges and take action on them is fundamental to understanding them. This course investigates such issues, especially ones in the critical areas of sustainability, social justice, technology, public health and globalization, security and conflict. Students will engage with these areas and issues and the challenges they pose, using multiple frameworks and approaches, through weekly class discussions and lectures.
PUBPOL 5072Using Big Data to Solve Economic and Social Problems3
This course will show how big data can be used to understand and address some of the most important social and economic problems of our time. The course will give students an introduction to frontier research and policy applications in economics and social science in a non-technical manner that does not require prior coursework in economics, making it suitable both for students exploring economics for the first time, as well as for more advanced students. The course will include discussions with leading researchers and practitioners, who use big data in real-world applications. Topics include equality of opportunity, education, racial disparities, innovation and entrepreneurship, health care, climate change, criminal justice, tax policy, and poverty in developing countries. In the context of these topics, the course will provide an introduction to basic methods in data science, including regression, causal inference, and machine learning. In empirical projects, students will work with real data to learn how the methods discussed in the course can be implemented in practice. (MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL, MPA-TPA)
PUBPOL 5080Economics of the U.S. Social Safety Net3
This course provides an overview of the major programs that make up the social safety net in the United States. We will review the economic rationale behind social programs, identify the economic consequences of these programs, and assess the empirical research on these topics. A major emphasis of the course will be on understanding the strengths and limitations of the core methodologies used in the existing economics literature. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-ME, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5090Strategic Advocacy: Lobbying and Interest Group Politics in Washington, D.C4
How is public policy really formed in the United States today? Who are the key actors and decision makers who shape the laws and regulations that impact us at the local, state and federal levels of government? Most importantly, how do private individuals (lobbyists, trade associations, media and other influencers) sway how laws, rules and regulations impact our daily lives? The goal of this course is to provide a foundation of how private influence impacts our public policy. Building upon this foundation, students will learn who the key policymakers are in the public sector alongside of those in the private sector who seek to influence them. Students will gain knowledge through academic texts looking at the role of interest group politics in America as well as the Instructor's 30 years of experience working as a public policy practitioner working at the highest levels of government on Capitol Hill and the White House as well as being a former lobbyist and licensed attorney at law.
This course provides an overview of management and policy issues facing the pharmaceutical industry. The course begins with the US market, which is the largest and most profitable, and then explores the state of the industry in other high-income countries as well as emerging markets and developing nations. We also explore the actions of the pharmaceutical industry in the COVID-19 pandemic.
This course prepares students to work within government departments and agencies, state and local authorities, and nonprofit public benefit corporations; and with private firms working in the public interest at the interface with governments and public benefit corporations. While the emphasis is on local and mid-size organizations, some material will address international and domestic national level organizations. As a first-year graduate program course it prepares students to conduct research on public organizations leadership and management and to be effective in public careers. It also prepares upper-level undergraduate students for internships and entry into public-sector careers.
PUBPOL 5112Public Administration: A Strategic Planning Perspective for Executives1
This graduate-level survey course addressing issues in public administration is designed for Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) students pursuing careers in government agencies, state and local authorities, and nonprofit organizations; and with private firms working in the public interest at the interface with government agencies. A central theme of the course is strategic planning-how leaders of mission-driven organizations can purposefully meet their organization's objectives in divisive political environments. The objectives of the course are to provide students with frameworks for analyzing various public management challenges from a strategic planning perspective, as well as a better understanding of the rationale and execution of strategic planning in public service. Concepts are paired with case studies from international, federal, state, and local mission-driven organizations to encourage learning through application.
PUBPOL 5113Key Management Issues in the Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industries1
This course provides an overview of the key management issues facing the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The emphasis is on the United States because it is the largest and most profitable market, but we will briefly cover issues affecting global markets. (EMHA-EL)
This course will provide MPA students with a graduate-level overview of key principles and techniques in applying systems thinking to organizational leadership, change and design in public and nonprofit contexts. Of particular note is the opportunity for students to present their original research at a public symposium/conference at the end of the semester.
PUBPOL 5118Diversity in Leadership: Experience, Perspective and Relatability in Public Affairs3
This course addresses the role of leaders and leadership in public and non-profit institutions' organizational change. A focus of the course is on how leaders can facilitate diversity, equity, and inclusion in their organizations, how they can leverage diversity for performance improvement, and how they can negotiate identity-based conflict among staff.
PUBPOL 5119Leadership for Public Service Executives1
This course, designed for Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) students, focuses on the role of leaders and leadership in public organizations, such as government entities. It is particularly valuable for students who are pursuing or currently have careers in government at the local, state, or national levels, as well as for those working in private firms that interact with the public sector.
The course will explore the theoretical foundations and politics of global citizenship, U.S. programs designed to promote global citizenship, as well as national and subnational policies in the U.S. and around the world that advance local solutions to global systems of inequality.
Public affairs is a field that is heavily shaped by conflict, as well as opportunities for collaboration. Learning how to negotiate conflict and collaboration is therefore essential for successful professional practice. In this course, you will learn how to improve your negotiation skills through applied tools, best practices, case studies and negotiations practice. Throughout this course, you will be asked to build your own negotiation case study using a scenario provided to you. These practical exercises will allow you to apply the ideas and concepts presented in each unit using case studies that will provide skills to prepare and manage negotiations.
Public affairs is a field that is heavily shaped by conflict, as well as opportunities for collaboration. Learning how to negotiate conflict and collaboration is therefore essential for successful professional practice. In this course, you will learn how to improve your negotiations skills through applied tools, best practices, and case studies. Students will also have the opportunity to practice their negotiations through live, active negotiation exercises with peers.
Debates on theories and practice of international development suggest that there have been serious challenges in ensuring aid effectiveness. Substantial investments made by 'donor' countries often fail to yield the intended development results. At the heart of such debates are varying, contested notions and frameworks to achieve 'development' and 'progress'. This short course attempts to familiarize students with how different actors perceive development and how that impacts development programming in local contexts. The course will assess the prevalent paradigms of development, from the United Nations system to the bilateral and multilateral frameworks and from international NGOs to the religious charities. Class participants will learn about the challenges faced and constraints reproduced by the international development bureaucracies. Each week, students would be expected to read and discuss the suggested readings, cite country contexts and address an applied development question. For final project, students will be given the option to apply course readings, discussions to a policy issue that they will complete with independent research and online inquires with development practitioners.
PUBPOL 5130Behavioral Economics and Public Policy3
Standard economic theory assumes that individuals are rational decision-makers; however, that is often not the case in the real world. Behavioral economics uses findings from psychology to determine ways in which individuals are systematically irrational to improve upon existing models. The first part of this course reviews these theories, while the second part of the course focuses on how these findings have been used to design better education, health, and tax policies as well as many others. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-ME, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5132Legal Aspects of Public Agency Decision-Making3
This course introduces the application of legal concepts to decision-making processes conducted by governmental agencies, particularly at the federal level. It explores how constitutional law, statutory law, and judge-made law shape agency decisions. Attention is given, for example, to roles agencies play in American government, differences between rule-making proceedings and adjudications, rights of parties to obtain judicial review of agency decisions, how judges review factual and legal determinations by agency officials, and the rights of parties appearing before agencies. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL, MPA-TPA)
PUBPOL 5133Law and Public Agency Decisions for Executives1
As technology improves and global infrastructure grows in complexity and reach, government bureaucracies struggle to keep pace. Agencies must adopt and execute new policies while conforming their actions to the rules of law. Administrative decisions affect our daily lives in countless ways, including food safety, weather forecasting, internet speed and availability, and trash collection to name a few. This course takes a comparative approach, examining different countries' methods for addressing the legal aspects of public administrative agencies with regard to their purpose, operation, rule-making, and ethics.
This course aims to teach students the basics of global food systems, their governance, and the public policies that shape them across the globe. An emphasis will be put on understanding the interconnections between the developed world and the global south in food consumption and production. (MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
This course will explore the traditional dynamic and norms of political press coverage in the United States, and the impact of those patterns on both the government and the nation; some of the ways longstanding norms have recently shifted, and continue to shift; the larger historical forces and long-term trends driving those changes; and the theoretical questions, logistical challenges and ethical dilemmas these changes pose for both political journalists and those they cover. The course will equally cover the practice of political reporting, including weekly analysis and discussion of current press coverage, in-class exercises and simulations, readings from academic and journalistic sources, and visits from leading political reporters and former spokespeople able to offer a firsthand perspective on the topics. (MPA-TPA)
PUBPOL 5147Executive Presence for Public Affairs Executives1
A vital skill in business and in life is being able to connect with other people by making your case and communicating genuine emotion, even in the most intimidating circumstances. In this course, you will learn through a cyclical pattern. You'll be instructed on a specific skill set, then asked to record and present yourself performing an activity or scripted behavior. You'll practice analyzing your performance, repeating and refining your work in exercises specially designed by Cornell Theatre Professor David M. Feldshuh.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 states that countries should: ?Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls? by 2030. What is empowerment and how will we know when it has been achieved? Why is gender inequality a problem for countries and why does it exist in the first place? In this course we formulate answers to these questions through an examination of gender and development policy past and present. We unpack different and often competing definitions of ?empowerment? and ?gender equality? deployed in global policy and understand the historical lineages of development theory and feminisms that led to ?gender? as an important policy consideration. Importantly, students build analytical tools for evaluating how intersectional experiences of gender shape the impact of these policies on the lives of women, girls and other gender minorities. This course blends practice and theory, encouraging students to evaluate the material effects of diverse approaches to reducing gender inequality through case studies, writing, and readings in gender and global policy. (MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5155Data Management and Programming for Policy and Society3
This course is designed for students interested in learning the foundations of data management and programming in R. The goal is to teach students how to obtain and curate real world data, determine its reliability, manage large databases, create variables useful for analysis, and more. Much of the work will be done using R libraries, which can help facilitate the functionality of R without increasing the complexity. (MPA-DA, MPA-DATSCI)
PUBPOL 5160Diversity, Dialogue and Ethical Leadership3
This course equips students with critical skills for leading in diverse, global organizations. By exploring public narratives, the politics of diversity, and cross-cultural leadership, students will learn to reflect on social identities, facilitate meaningful dialogue, and navigate the complexities of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in varied cultural contexts.
This intensive graduate-level course examines U.S. federal regulation of markets, from theoretical foundations to practical application. We will explore regulatory policy and administrative processes, with a focus on antitrust, transportation, aviation, food and drug, environmental protection, and firearms policy. Students will analyze regulatory rationales such as addressing market failures, ensuring safety, and mitigating negative externalities, while also gaining a better understanding of the administrative law, longstanding Presidential frameworks that guide federal regulation, and the role the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) plays in the Federal regulatory process. Students will also gain a better understanding of the role of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Through case studies, participants will compare examples of regulatory successes, failures, and controversies, and assess both intended and unintended outcomes. Course material and instruction sit at the intersection of economics, law, risk, and public policy, and coursework will require weighing efficiency, safety, public welfare, and constitutional or legal constraints in the design and application of regulations. Students are expected to have thoroughly read all materials prior to class and be well-prepared to discuss readings/cases/case memos with peers and colleagues.
PUBPOL 5174Navigating Public-Private Partnerships for Executives0.5
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly being used as strategies to address significant public policy challenges, particularly in the developing world. This summer Executive Master of Public Administration residential intensive course will examine how governments are partnering with for-profit and nonprofit organizations, shaping public policy, redefining traditional methods of public administration, and solving some of the world's most intractable problems. The course addresses the multiple contexts in which public-private partnerships have been utilized, including transportation, infrastructure, education, smart cities, and public health. Here, we will look at whether multi-stakeholder partnerships are an effective means to relieve financial burdens on states and communities, when it is most appropriate for public entities to utilize private sector expertise, and when shared risk makes fiscal sense for both the public and private sectors. Discussions will also emphasize management challenges within multi-stakeholder partnerships and their impact on performance in the delivery of public services.
This course will provide an overview of operations within hospital and ambulatory settings. We will start with the development of a definition of “operations”. It is important for students to describe operational concerns and activities distinct from, but in relation to, other domains in the provider setting (e.g. strategy, capital planning, human resources). Lectures will include deep dives into resource planning, process design, policy and governance, financial management, and performance monitoring.
PUBPOL 5180Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations1.5
This graduate-level course covers the fundamentals of strategic planning applied to the non-profit and public sectors. We will develop strategic plans and strategy maps for different organizations using stakeholder analysis, SWOT analysis, and risk analysis. The course will also focus on how to tie your strategic plan to a budget plan and how to track outcomes and metrics. We will discuss how strategic plans can form the basis for a fundraising campaign and the imposition of a new tax, fee, or toll. We will explore how to align your governance and leadership plans to effectively carry-out the strategic objectives. We will also discuss how organizations can collaborate or form alliances and joint ventures to achieve strategic goals. There will be a group strategic plan and two, five-page papers.
The Nonprofit sector plays an important role in society and makes up a growing share of the U.S. economy. In this course, we use economic theory and econometric tools to examine the nonprofit market and how it gets shaped by public policy. Topics covered include theories of the nonprofit market, determinants of charitable giving and volunteering, the role played by religion, competition between nonprofits and for-profits in labor markets, and the effects of taxes, subsidies and regulations. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-ME, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
This course examines the politics of human rights violations and the policy interventions designed to address them. The first part asks what we know about the causes and consequences of human rights abuse: Why do violations occur? How are they measured and documented? How have human rights practices changed over time? What are the effects of violations on victims and society? The second part examines policy interventions used to address human rights violations, including efforts by international treaty bodies and transitional justice mechanisms. The course considers cases drawn from a diversity of rights--including civil and political rights, social rights, and the rights of migrants and refugees--as well as actors ranging from governments and international organizations to businesses and civil society organizations. The course aims to prepare students to develop evidence-based, theoretically sound policy interventions aimed at addressing the persistent abuse of human rights in the world today. (MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5210Intermediate Microeconomics for Public Affairs3
The primary learning goals of this course are (1) to understand the core concepts of microeconomics and (2) to develop analytical/problem-solving skills. This course differs from typical intermediate-level microeconomic courses in that there will be more emphasis on the role of policy and the public sector in the economy, although understanding the role and effectiveness of markets will remain central. This course is not a substitute for a full-semester comprehensive course in public economics but is a good foundation for that field-level course.
PUBPOL 5211Artificial Intelligence: Law, Ethics, and Policy3
Machine intelligence is rapidly improving. Recent surveys of top AI experts suggest there is around a 10% chance that by 2027 machines will be smarter than humans in nearly all tasks, and about a 50% chance of this happening by the 2040s. Forecasting models add that there may be a 50% chance of ?transformative AI? by 2033, systems capable of reshaping society as profoundly as the Industrial Revolution. The development of such generally intelligent systems will transform society, the economy, and global politics. The potential benefits are tremendous, but so are the potential harms, which some experts argue are greater than the risks from nuclear war and climate change. This course will examine the technical, political, and security challenges to the beneficial development of AI. How can we build, and prove to others that we built robust, beneficial AI? What legal and ethical problems are posed by autonomous machines? How will military conflict and strategy adapt to powerful AI-enabled drones, cyber weapons, military decision-making, and intelligence gathering? How can we avoid harmful AI arms races? Reducing existential risks from AI is a global public good: what global political institutions are best suited to providing it? (MPA-DA, MPA-DATSCI, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-TPA)
PUBPOL 5213Microeconomics for Public Affairs Executives2
The primary learning goals of this course are (1) to understand the core concepts of microeconomics and (2) to develop analytical/problem-solving skills. This course differs from typical intermediate-level microeconomic courses in that there will be more emphasis on the role of policy and the public sector in the economy, although understanding the role and effectiveness of markets will remain central.
This course differs from typical intermediate-level microeconomic courses in that there will be more emphasis on the role of policy and the public sector in the economy, although understanding the role and effectiveness of markets will remain central.
This course differs from typical intermediate-level microeconomic courses in that there will be more emphasis on the role of policy and the public sector in the economy, although understanding the role and effectiveness of markets will remain central.
PUBPOL 5220Public Finance: Economics of the Public Sector3
This course covers topics in public economics and political economy. The course will use the tools of economics to consider when and how the government should intervene in the economy, and how different levels of government might intervene differently. Both theory and applications will be covered. (MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL, MPA-TPA)
This course equips students to critically evaluate the role of education in society, analyze and compare global education policies, and assess their effectiveness. By applying theoretical perspectives and comparative methods, students will synthesize insights to propose informed policy reforms addressing social, economic, and political challenges in diverse contexts. (MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
This course applies statistical and economic approaches to analyze risk, the approaches to managing risk by private and government actors, and the impact of government risk policies on the private economy. The course aims to provide students with a broad understanding of risk management problems and solutions, a greater appreciation of the importance of risk management and policy, and increased comprehension of the challenges and complexities of managing key societal risks. Students will enhance their capacity to analyze risk and appreciate the importance of managing risk; will gain working knowledge of important risk management terminology, tools, and institutions; will practice identifying and quantitatively measuring risk; increase their capacity for critical analysis of risk management approaches; and acauire capacity to contribute to discussions of risk governance and its implications.
PUBPOL 5250Neighborhoods, Housing, and Urban Policy3
This course considers the dynamics of housing markets and neighborhoods in American metropolitan areas and the public policies designed to regulate them. In the first part of the course we examine the demographic and economic forces at work in metropolitan neighborhoods, focusing on trends in inequality and segregation and how they have been influenced by macroeconomic trends and public policies. In the second part of the course, we examine federal and local housing policies related to subsidized housing, homeownership, and land regulation and we analyze the empirical and normative debates surrounding their effectiveness. Students will also gain experience locating and analyzing data about neighborhoods and housing policies.
This course will explore how American law and policy have confronted and continue to confront issues of sexuality. The focus will primarily be on how law and policy treat lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. While 2015 brought marriage equality and 2020 brought federal protections in employment, the fight for full LGBTQ equality continues. The class will discuss this fight's legal history and current status. Current debates, Constitutional and otherwise, will also be explored around topics such as the First Amendment and LGBTQ family formation. The potential effects that the 2022 abortion rights decision may have on LGBTQ rights will also be addressed. This course will provide a grounding in the contours of current sexuality law and policy while delving into some emerging areas that remain ripe for new policy formation. Students will also learn how to read and brief legal opinions. The class will be taught primarily through a legal lens. Still, prior legal education or experience is neither required nor expected. The course will be taught through a hybrid combination of lecture and seminar-style discussion and a few guest speakers directly involved in the debate.
In this course, we will examine one of the most important documents in American history - our Constitution. Course topics will include the historical background of the document from the Magna Carta to the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. We will look at the creation of the Constitution, including the conflict between strong supporters of this proposed new Constitution (Federalists) and their opponents (Anti-Federalists). How did the Founders resolve their differences and what led the States to adopt a document limiting and balancing the powers of the President, Congress, and the Judiciary? We shall look at the constant tension (from the beginning to the present) over the balance of power between the three co-equal branches. We shall discuss the role of the Constitution from both empirical and theoretical perspectives and look at how it has evolved from 1788 to the present day. Special attention will be paid to the use of Amendments, particularly the Bill of Rights, to address events/circumstances unforeseen by the drafters. Finally, the course will discuss critical cases where the Supreme Court defined and redefined what the Constitution meant. (MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
Population health focuses on the health and well-being of entire populations. Populations may be geographically defined, such as neighborhoods or counties; may be based on groups of individuals who share common characteristics such as age, race-ethnicity, disease status, or socioeconomic status; or may be attributed to accountable healthcare organizations using a variety of methods. With roots in epidemiology, public health, and demography, a key component of population health is the focus on the social determinants of health and collaborative, holistic, patient-centered and coordinated care to improve population health, identify and reduce health disparities, improve healthcare quality, and reduce healthcare costs. Given the shifting health care environment - from fee-for-service to value-based care - healthcare managers who are able to apply tools to measure, analyze, evaluate and improve population health (one aim of IHI's Triple Aim) will be well-positioned for positions in health care as the field continues to evolve. (MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5281The Economics and Regulation of Risky Health Behaviors3
Risky health behaviors such as drug abuse, alcohol abuse, cigarette smoking, risky sex, poor diet, physical inactivity, and self-harm are responsible for hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths and impose billions of dollars in medical care costs each year in the United States. This course teaches the economic approach to studying risky health behaviors. The research literature on the economic causes and correlates of risky health behaviors will be studied. Numerous policies to modify risky health behaviors, such as the minimum legal drinking age and recreational marijuana laws, will be debated in class. Students will also participate in a policy wargame on the subject of taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-ME, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
Population health focuses on the health and well-being of entire populations. Populations may be geographically defined, such as neighborhoods or counties; may be based on groups of individuals who share common characteristics such as disease status, socioeconomic status, or race-ethnicity; or may be made of patients attributed to accountable healthcare organizations using a variety of methods. With roots in epidemiology, public health, and demography, key tools of population health management include risk stratification, chronic care management, identifying upstream social determinants of health, improving health equity, and cross-sector collaboration to improve prevention and wellness. Given the shifting health care environment - from fee-for-service to value-based care - healthcare managers who are able to apply tools to measure, analyze, evaluate, and improve the health of populations (and achieve the Triple Aim) will be well-positioned to achieve value as the field continues to evolve.
PUBPOL 5290The Economics and Regulation of Risky Health Behaviors4
Risky health behaviors such as cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse, risky sex, drug use, poor diet and physical inactivity (leading to obesity), and self-harm are responsible for hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths and impose billions of dollars in medical care costs each year in the United States. This course teaches the economic approach to studying risky health behaviors. The research literature on the economic causes and correlates of risky health behaviors will be studied. Numerous policies to modify risky health behaviors, such as the minimum legal drinking age and recreational marijuana laws, will be debated in class. We will conduct a policy wargame, with students creating advertisements and giving oral presentations to advocate a specific policy position.
PUBPOL 5310Applied Econometrics for Public Policy4
This class is an applied introduction to multivariate statistical inference that is aimed at graduate students with little prior statistical experience, and satisfies the Quantitative Methods and Analytics requirement in the MPA Program. We will begin with a brief introduction to basic statistical concepts and probability theory before introducing the linear regression model. We then review several tools for diagnosing violations of statistical assumptions, including how to deal with outliers, missing data, omitted variables, and weighting. We will next consider situations in which linear regression will yield biased estimates of the population parameters of interest, with particular attention paid to measurement error, selection on unobservables, and omitted variables. The course will end with an introduction to extensions of the linear regression model, including models for binary and categorical outcomes. While statistical modeling is the focus of the course, we proceed with the assumption that models are only as good as the theoretical and substantive knowledge behind them. Thus, in covering the technical material, we will spend considerable time discussing the link between substantive knowledge and statistical practice. The course is designed primarily for professional masters students.
PUBPOL 5313Managerial Statistics for Public Affairs Executives1
An introduction to statistical methods commonly used in managerial decision making. Topics to be covered include the descriptive analysis of data, inferential methods (estimation and hypothesis testing), regression and correlation analysis, as well as quality control methods. The course will involve a research project designed to give experience in collecting and interpreting data.
PUBPOL 5320Mental Health Care Delivery and Policy3
Mental illnesses are common in the United States. More than 1 in 5 adults (greater than 50 million people) live with a mental health illness and 1 in 5 youth (ages 13-18) will have experienced a seriously debilitating mental illness in their lifetime. Yet, less than half of those who need treatment receive it: Depression is the leading cause of disability, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among youth aged 10-14, and unmet mental health needs have profound long-term consequences including reductions in overall health and quality of life; substance use and addiction; family disruption; criminal justice system involvement; homelessness; unemployment and productivity losses; and early preventable mortality. This course provides an overview of the state of mental health in the United States with a focus on the drivers of mental well-being, mental illness, and mental health inequities. We will examine how mental health practice and policy can improve (or impede) community mental well-being, quality of mental health care, and mental health outcomes for those experiencing mental illness. Intentional focus will be given to topics such as stigma, historical trauma, and racism in addition to the importance of culturally intentional and patient-centered evidence-based care in order to collectively envision healthier and more equitable futures. (MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
This course serves as an introduction to the art of model building, especially related to public sector planning and management issues. The course also introduces the quantitative approach for identifying, evaluating and estimating the physical, economic, environmental, and social impacts of alternative decisions planners and managers are asked to make.
This class explores the most pressing legal and policy dilemmas in the field of children's rights. We will take a U.S. and international law approach to major topics including: protection from child abuse and neglect; alternative care and adoption; juvenile justice, police and community violence; education rights, including the rights of children with disabilities; internet freedoms and dangers, including cyberbullying and pornography; health and medical decision-making; sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking; the rights of refugee and immigrant children; child poverty; the right to a sustainable environment; and issues of child voice, including children's rights to participate in the political process and the ethical obligations governing the legal representation of children. (MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5334Corporations, Shareholders, and Policy3
The term firm has very broad usage. It refers to any organizational form that people use to create teams or groups that focus on achieving a specific purpose. Firms provide a structure through which people can organize themselves into those groups or teams. They are categorized by the nature of the property rights owners hold in the firm, and by the details of the firm's contractual arrangements. Common firm types include partnerships, sole proprietorships, non-profits, mutuals, and publicly traded corporations, among others. This course focuses on one important firm type: the modern publicly traded, privately owned corporation. The course uses economic and statistical analysis to study the interaction of the public corporation, the market, and the law, and how those interactions affect the welfare of managers, shareholders and consumers. The costs and benefits of that standard corporate form of organization are examined. A variety of legal institutions, some of which have evolved over decades, are analyzed. Those institutions define and govern the corporation. They include limited liability, fiduciary duties, the business judgment rule, and shareholder voting. The mechanisms of corporate governance, i.e., those legal and market-based forces that help control the corporation and ensure that managers operate it in shareholders' interest, are examined. Corporate governance mechanisms include hostile takeovers, insider trading, outside directors on the board, the monitoring role of institutional investors, audits, and executive compensation plans. State corporate law and anti-takeover devices are also discussed. The role and impact of federal policies, such as the 1933-34 Exchange Acts, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Act in affecting corporate structure and managerial behavior will be an important focus. Other institutions and policies related to publicly traded corporations, such as sovereign wealth funds and government-sponsored enterprises, will also be examined along the way.
Infrastructure provides essential services such as road and highway transportation, ports and airports, communications, electricity, clean drinking water, and wastewater treatment. This course examines policies related to operation, maintenance, and especially funding and financing of critical physical infrastructure. It includes regulatory issues such as controlling market power, ensuring adequate service quality, and maintaining the assets in question. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-ME, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL)
This course is a general introduction to evaluation research for assessing social programs and interventions. The course uses an evolutionary and systems thinking perspective on evaluation. Students will learn essential concepts in program evaluation that will enable them to design a high-quality evaluation plan for a program or intervention. The basic steps involved in creating any evaluation plan are explained, including: 1) Preparation (entering the system, developing a memorandum of understanding, identifying internal stakeholders, creating working group(s), and assessing evaluation capacity); 2) Program Model Development (stakeholder analysis, program review, program boundary analysis, program lifecycle analysis, logic modeling, program pathway models, setting evaluation scope, identifying relevant prior research); and 3) Evaluation Plan Creation (evaluation purpose, evaluation questions/hypotheses, measurement, sampling, design, data management and analysis, reporting and utilization).
PUBPOL 5345Evaluation of International Programs and Projects3
This course examines results-based management of the programs and projects of international organizations, with an emphasis on evaluation. The course covers how results-based management concepts can be applied at the international level, the process of planning an evaluation, the main analytical techniques that are usually employed and, as a final step, undertakes evaluations of specific projects and programs made by the main organizations at the international level.
PUBPOL 5353Health Care Organizations and Behavior1.5
This course examines the various stakeholders of the U.S. health care system and how the stakeholders interact with one another, examining the objectives and structure of key financers of medical care utilization in the system: private insurance companies and public insurance programs, providers of medical services and pharmaceutical and medical device firms that supply products that providers use. Building upon our understanding of the structures, features, and incentives of various health care organizations, we will end the course with an examination of the organizational behaviors commonly seen in these organizations, identifying the key leadership behaviors that enable success in addressing the myriad challenges that face the organizations that fund, manage, supply, and provide health care in the U.S. system.
PUBPOL 5360Program Evaluation for Community Organizations4
This course serves as an introduction to the principles and practice of collaborative program evaluation for community-based organizations. This is an applied research methods course in which students will learn how to develop frameworks and tools that help small and mid-sized nonprofits and NGOs answer the question: Is our program working? and/or how can our program be improved? This course is part conceptual and part applied, teaching students critical thinking for evaluation and practical skills in M&E planning and evaluation design. During the semester students will work with a community development organization in a consultancy project to design and present an evaluation plan for use in a real practice setting. ALL students will produce a rigorous non-experimental evaluation design for a local practice-partner organization or ?client.? Client organizations are recruited from a variety of sectors including education, health, and the environment, and include both domestic (US-based) and international NGOs. This is an intensive field-based engaged course that requires substantial collaborative group work. (MPA-DA, MPA-DATSCI, MPA-TPA)
This is a hands-on course in spreadsheet-based modeling and data. This course is designed for professionals who have a basic understanding of Microsoft Excel and want to take their data analysis and quantitative modeling skills to a new level. The footprint is a compilation of highly reusable material that has been selected for its relevance, immediate applicability, and productivity value. Topics include making data usable, developing flexible dashboards to enable insight discovery, and building evaluation models to quantify tradeoffs in the presence of uncertainty. A variety of data analysis and decision problems will be introduced that incorporate relevant concepts from probability, and statistics. User-friendly design and robust construction will be emphasized.
This course will review and enhance existing knowledge of health care delivery and related policy issues, using the lens and tools of microeconomics. The topics covered will span consumer behavior, sources and markets for health insurance, provider markets, provider incentives and regulation, as well as market consolidation across a variety of key industries (e.g., physicians, hospitals, and post-acute care providers). Importantly, a key differentiator as well as pedagogical feature of the course will be extensive exposure to classic and contemporary empirical (i.e., data-driven) research tied to these topics. This aspect allows students to be aware of and accumulate knowledge from the frontier of what is scientifically known about key and salient health economics and health policy topics. The selected academic studies incorporated into each lecture will reinforce the core economic theories and insights accompanying a given topic and demonstrate how existing theories can be formally tested as well as refined or expanded using strong empirical research designs. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
This course is the first of a two-part sequence for Executive Master of Health Administration (EMHA) students. The sequence is largely dichotomized into demand-side (first course) and supply-side (second course) health economics material. Both courses will review and enhance existing knowledge of health care delivery and related policy issues, using the lens and tools of microeconomics. Within Health Economics for Managers I, the specific topics covered will span consumer behavior, sources and markets for health insurance, health behaviors, and environmental and population health.
This course is the second of a two-part sequence (i.e., Health Economics I & Health Economics II). The sequence is largely dichotomized into “demand-side” (prior course) and “supply-side” (this course) health economics material. Both courses review and enhance existing knowledge of health care delivery and related policy issues, using the lens and tools of microeconomics. Within Health Economics II, the specific topics covered will span provider markets and regulation, healthcare workforce, hospital markets, health care mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and private equity ownership.
This course is a survey of environmental economics and policy, covering both general models and specific applications. We learn how economists estimate the demand for environmental goods and services and the costs of preserving them, and then study the efficient extraction of oil and minerals, economics of pollution control, climate change, fisheries, forests, and endangered species. We also cover the intersection of international trade and environmental regulation, as well as sustainability. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-ME, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
The goal of this course is to provide students with an overview of the challenges and benefits of bridging research, practice, and policy. More specifically, the course focuses on the process of expanding, strengthening, and speeding the connections between cutting-edge research and the design, evaluation, and implementation of policies and practices that enhance human development, health, and well-being.
PUBPOL 5390Foundations of Machine Learning for Public Policy3
This course is designed for students interested in learning the foundations of machine learning. Our focus will be on applying these techniques to applications in specific policy related scenarios. We will cover the intuition of the theoretical underpinnings, with a focus on practical use of supervised learning tools. (MPA-DA, MPA-DATSCI)
This graduate-level course is designed for students interested in learning the foundations of unstructured data analytics. The focus will be on applying these techniques to applications in specific policy related scenarios. We will cover the intuition of the theoretical underpinnings, but the focus here is on using tools to understand and use unstructured data. We will cover topics manifold learning, clustering, topic modeling, and deep neural networks. We will use Python and learn to utilize Jupyter Notebooks. Using these tools, students will learn the underpinnings of each method so that they can choose the most appropriate for particular applications. This course is designed for students in the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy MS in Data Science for Public Policy program. Other students may only enroll with permission of the instructor. As a graduate-level course, students are expected to have thoroughly read all materials prior to class and be well-prepared to discuss readings and cases with colleagues.
PUBPOL 5393Unstructured Data Science Modeling for Executives I1
This graduate-level two part course is designed for students interested in learning the foundations of unstructured data analytics. The focus will be on applying these techniques to applications in specific policy related scenarios. We will cover the intuition of the theoretical underpinnings, but the focus here is on using tools to understand and use unstructured data. We will cover topics manifold learning, clustering, topic modeling, and deep neural networks. We will use Python and learn to utilize Jupyter Notebooks. Using these tools, students will learn the underpinnings of each method so that they can choose the most appropriate for particular applications.
PUBPOL 5394Unstructured Data Science Modeling for Executives II1
This graduate-level two part course is designed for students interested in learning the foundations of unstructured data analytics. The focus will be on applying these techniques to applications in specific policy related scenarios. We will cover the intuition of the theoretical underpinnings, but the focus here is on using tools to understand and use unstructured data. We will cover topics manifold learning, clustering, topic modeling, and deep neural networks. We will use Python and learn to utilize Jupyter Notebooks. Using these tools, students will learn the underpinnings of each method so that they can choose the most appropriate for particular applications.
This course is designed to develop students' critical understanding of government policies aimed toward protecting consumers' wellbeing in markets. The course uses the tools of microeconomic analysis to investigate the various rationales for and the effects of these forms of government regulation. Economic theory is applied to the study of specific consumer protection policies in the United States and elsewhere. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-ME, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5401Economics of Consumer Policy: Consumer Financial Protection1.5
This course critically examines consumer protections in markets for consumer payments, credit, savings, and insurance. With attention to the characteristics of both supply and demand in these markets, we will investigate the various rationales for and effects of consumer protection policies in the United States and elsewhere. An important role of governments in market economies is the enactment and enforcement of laws and regulations designed to protect consumers from fraudulent or deceptive actions of firms. Such policies are often premised on consumers’ lack of information or lack of sophistication. Consumer financial markets are a particular policy focus because products are complex and information asymmetries are ubiquitous, and consumers’ financial decisions have important individual and collective consequences. Rapid innovation in consumer financial products, institutions, and technologies further complicates the landscape for consumer protections in these markets.
In today’s rapidly evolving media landscape, even the most impactful initiatives can fail without strategic media communication that moves audiences to action. This course is designed for professionals in or looking to transition to public-facing roles, providing essential skills for anyone who needs to amplify their message, build public support, and drive meaningful change through effective media engagement. In the course, students will gain practical tools and strategies to enhance their media presence while advancing their organization's mission. They will discover the art of building relationships with key media influencers and create powerful narratives that drive action and support for public initiatives. As the course progresses, students will have the opportunity to explore ways to craft and deliver memorable spoken content that captures media attention through strategic storytelling and impactful delivery. By examining persuasive writing techniques for press releases, op-eds, and other media formats, they will discover how to transform complex issues into compelling narratives. Finally, they will strengthen their message in the media by building strategic validator networks that give their stories credible support and authenticity. The courses are particularly valuable for students who want to translate their technical work into narratives that resonate with broader audiences and influence public policy.
PUBPOL 5407Mediation for Managers and Executives0.5
Conflict is an inherent part of organizational life. Nevertheless, organizational members often lack the adequate skills necessary to manage and resolve the host of tensions and disagreements that arise at work. Negotiation is a broad category that encompasses direct negotiation between two or more parties, mediation, and arbitration to help settle disputes. This course is designed to develop and strengthen students' conflict resolution skills with a focus on the mediation of organizational conflicts. As such, the course will provide students with a theoretical and practical understanding of the mediation process. This foundation will then be used to apply mediation concepts and principles to everyday workplace conflict. By understanding how to properly set expectations, adapt to the needs of the disputing parties, channel emotions in a productive way, and help the parties to problem solve in a way that addresses everyone's interests, students will be better able to handle the inevitable workplace conflict and prevent it from escalating.
Provides students with a practitioner's focus on financial, managerial, and leadership issues in the non-profit sector, both domestic and international, including universities, hospitals, environmental groups, arts organizations, government agencies, and foundations. The course will include an overview of non-profit financial statements, financial ratios, debt issuance, bond ratings, endowment management, budgeting, venture philanthropy, auditing and ethics, tax issues, organizational governance, leadership, strategy, mergers and alliances, and executive compensation. The course includes such guest speakers as the founder of a major Indian non-profit organization, the head of credit ratings at Moody's, the leader of a social services agency, and others. The course has a mid-term and final exam along with three 5-page papers on completing a bond rating for a university, balancing a budget for a hospital, and recommending merger partners for a struggling non-profit. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL, MPA-TPA)
Artificial intelligence (AI), computers, and digital technologies including robotics, machine learning, large language models (LLMs), internet-enabled platforms, and other ?high-tech? drivers of automation have revolutionized the nature and organization of work in the U.S., with material implications for workers and their families, among others. This upper-level course begins with a rhetorical inquiry into whether and when the technological change engendered by digitization, information technology, and AI benefits workers. We then consider the broader impact of recent technological advances on manufacturing and fabrication, low- and semi-skilled service work, i.e., restaurant servers and bus drivers, and even on expert and professional work like that to which most of you presumably aspire. Among the central themes is the notion that technology does not unilaterally act upon workers, their employers, or society-at-large. Rather, workers, managers, customers, institutions, and policymakers shape which advances take hold and which do not, the ways that these technologies are deployed in the workplace, and the ways that society can actively mitigate the costs to technological advancement while harnessing its benefits. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5413Strategic Nonprofit Management for Executives1.5
Designed for Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) students, this course provides a practitioner's focus on financial, managerial, and leadership issues in the non-profit sector, including universities, hospitals, environmental groups, government agencies, and foundations. The course will include an overview of non-profit financial statements, financial ratios, debt issuance, endowment management, credit analysis, tax issues, organizational governance issues, mergers & alliances, and industry-sector trends.
This hands-on, graduate-level course is designed to prepare leaders how to best manage public sector projects including but not limited to government agencies, nonprofits, consulting firms, and think tanks. The goal of this course is to build project management strategies including fundamental processes as well as invest in innovative trends and new approaches to plan, manage, and implement projects. The class also includes skill building to effectively manage teams which includes leadership, equity, critical thinking, and conflict resolution. As a graduate-level course, students are expected have thoroughly read all assigned materials prior to class and to be well-prepared to participate meaningfully throughout the semester. This course is highly engaged, and students will be working on teams collaborating throughout the semester to practice these skills.
This Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) course is designed to prepare leaders on how to best manage public sector projects including but not limited to government agencies, nonprofits, consulting firms, and think tanks. The goal of this course is to build project management strategies including fundamental processes, innovative trends, and approaches to plan, manage, and implement projects. The course also invests in skill building to effectively manage teams which includes equity, critical thinking, and conflict resolution. This course is highly engaging, and students will be working on teams collaborating to build these skills.
This graduate-level survey course addresses the key concepts and tools of stakeholder identification, mapping, analysis and engagement. Concepts, tools, and strategies may be applied across multiple sectors, including nonprofit/human services, municipal planning/government, community and economic development, and corporate/business clients or consumer-facing organizations. During this course, we will also consider how individuals working in the respective fields listed above can engage historically marginalized, underrepresented, or disadvantaged communities as part of their stakeholder engagement plans.
In this course, you will construct and interpret accounts of revenue, accounts receivable, inventory, assets, long-term debt, and equity. You will have the opportunity to examine the rules for financial statements and learn how the field of financial accounting has evolved over time to meet the needs of businesses, particularly those in the healthcare industry. This understanding of core financial accounting principles will enable you to independently analyze an organization's financial standing and viability as well as understand when organizations are using gaps in accounting rules to their financial advantage.
PUBPOL 5424Public Budgeting and Finance for Executives1
This course will contribute to the success of future public and nonprofit leaders by introducing them to a critical aspect of public service management - budgeting and finance. The class covers the terminology, components, practices, documents, and methods of public budgeting and finance at all levels of government and in the non-profit world.
PUBPOL 5425Fundamentals of Accounting and Financial Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations3
This course is designed for students who have no previous training or experience in accounting. It consists of 5 modules: Fundamental Accounting Issues, Financial Accounting Issues, Managerial Accounting Issues, Nonprofit Accounting Issues, and Governmental Accounting Issues. In each module, where appropriate, financial statement analysis/ratio analysis will be incorporated to facilitate a deeper understanding of the material. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of the material in three ways: exams, case studies, and participation/article discussions.
PUBPOL 5426Public Budgeting, Finance and Analysis3
This course will contribute to the success of future public and nonprofit leaders by introducing them to a critical aspect of public service management, budgeting and finance. The course covers the terminology, components, practices, documents, and methods of public budgeting and finance at all levels of government and in the non-profit world.
PUBPOL 5431Fundraising, Grantmaking, and Lobbying1.5
This course will provide an overview of philanthropy, specific giving vehicles (annual fund, major gifts, capital gifts, deferred gifts, etc.), capital campaigns, grant writing, working with private foundations and community foundations, and crowdfunding techniques. At the completion of the course students will have a strong working knowledge of key principles and techniques of fundraising and a familiarity with gift vehicles and instruments. (MPA-TPA)
This course covers the foundations of nonprofit and public policy marketing. Students will learn how to develop marketing strategies and campaigns for nonprofit organizations and apply them to the promotion of public policy. We will explore how traditional and emerging marketing techniques, alongside theories of engagement and behavior change, can be leveraged to increase charitable donations, gain support for public issues, recruit volunteers, and achieve an organizational mission. The course will focus on building tactical campaigns across three practical pillars: funding and resource development (fundraising initiatives and corporate partnerships), strategic messaging (public communications, media relations, and digital content production), and constituent relations (grassroots mobilization and stakeholder engagement). We will explore real-world cases of mission-driven organizations and public entities, including government; health and human services; social, economic, and racial justice; education; and the environment.
PUBPOL 5433Managing Change in Public Affairs for Executives1
This graduate-level course addressing change management processes in public administration is designed for Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) students pursuing careers in government agencies, state and local authorities, and nonprofit organizations; and with private firms working in the public interest at the interface with government agencies. A central theme of the course is planning and understanding how to implement change processes within public institutions to ensure they welcome change and remain vibrant learning organizations at the service of their constituents. The objectives of the course are to provide students with analytical tools to properly implement change management processes in government institutions where organizational change is rarely encouraged or practiced. Concepts are paired with a case study for the class as well as empower students to develop a controlled case study of their own to encourage learning through application. As a graduate-level course, students are expected to have thoroughly read all materials prior to class and be well-prepared to discuss readings/cases/case memos with colleagues.
This course will provide an overview of philanthropy, specific giving vehicles (annual fund, major gifts, capital gifts, deferred gifts, etc.), capital campaigns, grant writing, working with private foundations and community foundations, and crowdfunding techniques. At the completion of the course students will have a strong working knowledge of key principles and techniques of fundraising and a familiarity with gift vehicles and instruments.
PUBPOL 5435Public and Nonprofit Marketing for Executives0.5
In this course students will learn how to develop marketing strategies and messages for nonprofit organizations and how to apply these strategies to the promotion of public policy. Students will understand how traditional marketing techniques can be very useful for increasing charitable donations, gaining support for a public issue, recruiting volunteers, and achieving an organizational mission. The course will cover how to develop key elements of strategic marketing campaigns, including SWOT analysis, SMART goals and objectives, message construction, and creative stories for digital media. We will be exploring cases of mission-driven organizations and entities including government; health and human services; social, economic, and racial justice; education; and the environment.
The course explores policy writing in its various forms, including: memos, briefs, position papers, op-eds, legislative testimony, formal letters, email, press releases, and social media. This course will feature lectures, interactive discussion, written deliverables, workshops, and guest speakers. As a graduate-level course, students are expected to have thoroughly read all materials prior to class and be prepared to discuss readings in class.
PUBPOL 5442Effective Policy Writing for Public Affairs Executives1
The course explores policy writing in its various forms, including: memos, briefs, position papers, op-eds, legislative testimony, formal letters, email, press releases, and social media. While this course is designed for Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) students. This course will feature lectures, interactive discussion, written deliverables, workshops, and guest speakers. As a graduate-level course, students are expected to have thoroughly read all materials prior to class and be prepared to discuss readings in class.
This course serves as an introduction to systems thinking methods and technical tools that are foundational to all other advanced Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) coursework. This course focuses on answering three essential questions: (1) Why does systems thinking exist (i.e., its promise and popularity)? (2) What is systems thinking? (3) How do we do systems thinking? We also explore two subsequent questions: (4) How do we apply systems thinking to personal mastery and professional development? (5) How do we apply systems thinking to the social and policy challenges we face?
This course explores the functional elements required to design, develop, lead, and manage a complex adaptive organization (CAO) through the lens of Systems Thinking. Students will explore the essential importance of organizational learning and development of culture through shared mental models in order to perform a thorough analysis of mission-critical systems that yield capacity for carrying out coordinated daily tasks that subsequently achieve the vision of the organization.
This course serves as an introduction to systems thinking methods and technical tools in the field of public affairs. Students will develop skills that allow them to understand how to improve their analysis of complex, unpredictable, real-world systems.
PUBPOL 5450Democracy Promotion in Modern U.S. Foreign Policy3
Promotion and support of democracy is a well-established principle of U.S. foreign policy. However, even four decades after its insertion into Washington's approach overseas, it is misunderstood and still under challenge, internally within the U.S. Government and from external actors. In this course, the modern origins of democracy support, or promotion, will be examined, beginning with the values-based focus of the Carter Administration's foreign policy leading into its Cold War use in the Reagan presidency. The development of bipartisan democracy promotion through succeeding Administrations up to the challenges under Donald Trump and the Biden Administration's response, including the Summit for Democracy process, will be examined. Real-world applications and connections will be central. How democracy assistance is conducted and how it is perceived will be a focus of the course. Course participants will discuss the relationship between democracy promotion and its distinction with human rights and the concept of democracy prevention as a response by external actors to democracy promotion. (MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5451International Public and NGO Management3
This course offers students the opportunity to understand and analyze the key structural, operational, and ethical issues involved in the governance of international NGOs. What does it mean to be the leader of an international nonprofit organization in an era of globalizing operations, donor-funded policy agendas, and decolonial social movements? We construct an answer to this question through a broad examination of the role of international nonprofit organizations in global policy, and a detailed study of the accountability mechanisms produced by basic nonprofit structure, and diverse models of nonprofit leadership and governance. Course learning is delivered through lectures, in class discussion, and case study analysis. (MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL, MPA-TPA)
PUBPOL 5453International Public Management for Executives1.5
This course develops from a general discussion of the differences between management of international public and NGO organizations and similar organizations at the national level or below, through an examination of the management process in the context of results-based management, which is the dominant approach taken in both public and non-governmental organizations. It then examines the application of analysis methods to specific organizations. The goal is to provide students with the tools to be intelligent consumers of international services, effective participants in their governance and, at an introductory level, how to evaluate them.
PUBPOL 5455Comparative Public and Healthcare Administration2
The purpose of this seminar is to provide graduate students with an introduction to the scholarly development of comparative public and health administration, as well as criteria for comparison in public and healthcare leadership. Topics will explore the economic, political, and sociocultural factors that influence policy design and healthcare outcomes. Students are expected to comply with all university, school, and program policies related to both local and international travel. (MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL, MPA-TPA)
PUBPOL 5460Culture, Law, and Politics of Information Policy3
This course will address a wide range of information policy issues and their relationship to governance, government, and governmentality. While focused primarily on American political culture, it will include some international comparisons, particularly in areas such as privacy (both government surveillance and consumer), anti-trust, and regulatory compliance. We will also discuss information security, intellectual property, algorithmic fairness, (dis)misinformation, and, with emphasis, content moderation of social media platforms. Course outcomes will include familiarity with law and policy of the internet; a foundational understanding the market, social, legal, and technical dynamics that shape information policy; and, finally, how those dynamics affect the U.S. political landscape.
This elective sits at the intersection of emerging technologies, politics, and national and global security. Modern conflict is characterized by remotely-controlled capabilities enhanced with Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as unmanned aerial systems or drones. Drones are thought to reconcile military effectiveness with unintended consequences. They help keep soldiers safe and through their surveillance enable operations that potentially reduce civilian casualties. At the same time, they increasingly threaten countries’ domestic security. For democratic political regimes, especially, protecting against drones presents complicated policy issues for national security. This course is designed to develop and strengthen students’ understanding of core international relations theory, which underwrite policy options to address the challenges of emerging technologies. Students’ will apply this foundation to analyze the implications of emerging technologies for national and global security. This broader understanding will enable students to evaluate and design policy options to address the challenges imposed by emerging technologies, in both domestic and international contexts. Knowledge gained from this course will enhance students’ ability to engage in key policy debates surrounding emerging technologies, which is critical for democratic accountability and public oversight.
PUBPOL 5472Technology Strategy for Public and Nonprofit Management1.5
Information technologies, including both established technologies and emerging technologies such as e-commerce, social media, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and artificial intelligence, have been fundamentally transforming public and nonprofit sectors and shaping markets, economies, and policies worldwide. This course explores the strategic, managerial, societal, and policy issues surrounding technologies, while equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and mindsets for analyzing, designing, and leveraging technology in diverse settings. Specifically, the course integrates: I. managerial concepts and practices, including technology acquisition, sourcing models, project management, risk governance, cybersecurity, and digital strategies; II. technology trends, such as online platform, cryptocurrency, and artificial intelligence; III, case studies spanning diverse markets and industries, such as arts, health, retail, finance, and government; IV. conceptual frameworks and problem-solving toolkits, such as the value chain model, platform strategy, and design thinking. This course is designed for students both with and without technical background. (MPA-TPA)
PUBPOL 5475Public Interest Technology for Executives1
This course will equip students with an understanding of the technical, strategic, organizational, managerial, societal, and policy-related issues surrounding technologies in public and related sectors, and enable students to develop the knowledge and skills for analyzing, conceptualizing, designing, and managing technologies in diverse settings. The course integrates: I. key managerial topics, such as technology acquisition, sourcing model, project management, risk governance, and digital strategies; II. emerging technology trends shaping global economies and policies; III. case studies from different regions and sectors; IV. analytical frameworks for problem-solving and decision-making in real-life scenarios. The course is designed for students both with and without a technical background.
PUBPOL 5480Sustainability Education Policy in the U.S. and Ecuador4
This course connects Cornell and USFQ students to study Sustainability Education Policy in the U.S. and Ecuador. Focusing on UN SDG 4, the course includes collaborative research, international exchange, and direct engagement with local educators and policymakers to address global education challenges and promote sustainable development. Students are expected to comply with all university, school, and program policies related to both local and international travel. (MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5490Economics of Consumer Protection and the Law3
The course will focus on how legal rules and regulations impact consumers in the marketplace. A significant portion of this course will focus on how developments in tort law, contract law, property law, and regulatory law influence social welfare and serve to protect consumers in their interactions with the marketplace. (MPA-DATSCI, MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-ME, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL, MPA-TPA)
PUBPOL 5500Introduction to Senior Living and Related Programs2
With the aging population, longer life expectancies and the population bulge of the baby boomers, serving both the hospitality and housing/care needs of seniors will be a tremendous growth area. The facilities and programs to serve these populations have certain specialized aspects related to healthcare, but they also share a number of the operating characteristics of many hospitality and real estate operations and design.This course will provide students with a basic introduction to some of the concepts, approaches and related terminology regarding the planning, development, and operations of the growing sector of senior living and assisted living plus to a lesser degree, the area of continuous care retirement communities (CCRCs). We also expect to touch on some related programs such as home health, and PACE programs, hospice etc. We will discuss some associated entrepreneurial opportunities and potential relationships to develop affiliations and new ventures with hospitals as acute care providers look to more closely coordinate care across post-acute providers to manage readmissions and look towards various government and insurance initiatives to manage care, and in some cases risk across the continuum of care. (MHA-EL)
PUBPOL 5510United We Stand - Divided We Fall: The Rise of Polarization and Social Division - and What it Means4
When did bipartisan become a bad word? Should we unfriend and unfollow people who have different opinions than our own? How did we become a country that grows more polarized and divided every year? Most importantly, can we change, or are we destined to continue down this path? (MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5515American Defense Policy & Military History from the World Wars to the Global War on Terror4
America has fought two wars in the 21st century, in Iraq and Afghanistan. They were the longest wars in American history and ended badly, amid much ambivalence about the defense policies that created them. Those wars and policies are part of the long history of the war that America has fought as a global power and the policies that shaped those wars and shaped that global power. This course will look at US defense policies and military experience over the long 20th century, from the earth-spanning conflicts of World War I and II, to the nuclear tension of Cold War conflicts, to the global war on terror, and finally to current conflicts like Ukraine and the Middle East. Though this course is primarily about the United States, it draws in the critical global events and actors as well so as to understand the entire history — as much as possible.
PUBPOL 5520Health Care Services: Consumer and Ethical Perspectives1.5
Focuses on consumer and ethical issues faced by professionals in the health care field today. Broad topics discussed include ethical standards and guidelines, health care costs and accessibility of services, government role in health care delivery, health care as a right or privilege, private industry role in health care, services for the medically indigent and elderly, practitioner burnout and training, ethics of transplant surgery and funding, reproductive technology, AIDS research and funding, animals in medical research, right to die, and baby and granny Doe cases.
PUBPOL 5521Health Care Leadership, Communication, and Ethics3
This course provides an introduction to relational and ethical leadership skills in health care, focusing on three areas of professional competency: leadership and organizational behavior, communication, and ethics. Classes are structured to be highly interactive and participatory, allowing students to practice applying practical tools to the real-world challenges they will face professionally.
PUBPOL 5525Economic and Policy Implications of Artificial Intelligence3
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) brings both great promise and daunting challenges for the future of humanity. This course examines the impacts of AI from an economist's perspective. We will present the economic framework conventionally used for thinking about technology in the macroeconomy and extend it to analyze the implications of AI. A special focus will be on the disparate labor market consequences of AI and policy measures to address these challenges. Additionally, we will explore, at a more micro-level, the issues of machine bias and algorithmic fairness and discuss the policy implications. (MPA-DATSCI, MPA-ME, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-TPA)
PUBPOL 5533Human Resource Strategy for Executives1
In this course, you will explore the policies, procedures, and systems required to attract, select, develop, and retain quality employees in today?s labor-intensive service industry. Along the way, you will analyze the major environmental factors that affect employees? lives, the service-industry's HR function, day-to-day operations, and broad decision making. You will also explore ways to align a firm's core values with its performance objectives and develop strategies to mitigate, manage, and improve customer and employee satisfaction as well as business performance. (EMHA-EL)
This course examines how health law and regulations affect health care systems so that administrators and executives can proactively plan to avoid pitfalls that impede operational efficiencies, quality of care delivered and organizational profitability.
This course examines how health law and regulations affect health care systems so that administrators and executives can proactively plan to avoid pitfalls that impede operational efficiencies, quality of care delivered and organizational profitability. By presenting a wide range of legal issues encountered in health care, this course is designed to equip students with an understanding of the legal environment in which health care services are provided and to develop skills in analyzing many of the current legal and ethical issues facing health care practitioners, administrators and other decision-makers.
PUBPOL 5551Ethics of Data Science and AI for Executives I0.5
As data science technology plays an ever-increasing role in our lives, it seems that progress frequently outpaces ethical considerations and regulation. The news is awash with stories of tech companies’ ethical failures in their acquisition, storage, and use of information. This 3 part course will begin with an examination of ethical concerns associated with data science, including biases, privacy, surveillance, discrimination, transparency, and accountability. The second half of the course will cover AI. The growing deployment of large language models (LLMs) has introduced a plethora of new ethical problems including how LLMs are trained, algorithmic bias, user addiction and misuse, accidental disclosure of confidential information, and many more problems. The course will look at several real-life ethical failures so that we may assess what went wrong and what steps need to be taken to prevent future harm.
PUBPOL 5552Ethics of Data Science and AI for Executives II1.5
As data science technology plays an ever-increasing role in our lives, it seems that progress frequently outpaces ethical considerations and regulation. The news is awash with stories of tech companies’ ethical failures in their acquisition, storage, and use of information. This 3 part course will begin with an examination of ethical concerns associated with data science, including biases, privacy, surveillance, discrimination, transparency, and accountability. The second half of the course will cover AI. The growing deployment of large language models (LLMs) has introduced a plethora of new ethical problems including how LLMs are trained, algorithmic bias, user addiction and misuse, accidental disclosure of confidential information, and many more problems. The course will look at several real-life ethical failures so that we may assess what went wrong and what steps need to be taken to prevent future harm.
PUBPOL 5553Ethics of Data Science and AI for Executives III1
As data science technology plays an ever-increasing role in our lives, it seems that progress frequently outpaces ethical considerations and regulation. The news is awash with stories of tech companies’ ethical failures in their acquisition, storage, and use of information. This 3 part course will begin with an examination of ethical concerns associated with data science, including biases, privacy, surveillance, discrimination, transparency, and accountability. The second half of the course will cover AI. The growing deployment of large language models (LLMs) has introduced a plethora of new ethical problems including how LLMs are trained, algorithmic bias, user addiction and misuse, accidental disclosure of confidential information, and many more problems. The course will look at several real-life ethical failures so that we may assess what went wrong and what steps need to be taken to prevent future harm.
This course introduces students to public policy applications of game theory and market design, including (i) matching algorithms for assignment problems such as school choice, public housing allocation, kidney exchange, refugee resettlement, and labor markets; (ii) auction design for allocation of natural resources, public radio spectrum, emission permits, and government procurement; (iii) platform/exchange design for online markets. (MPA-INTPMN, MPA-ME, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
This course provides an introduction to business finance through video lectures and assignments. Topics include basic financial accounting, time value of money, stock and bond valuation, capital budgeting, portfolio theory, asset-pricing models, cost of capital, dealing with risk, capital structure, acquisitions, and options. Application of theory to practical applications will be emphasized.
Speaking and understanding the language of finance are essential skills for leaders and managers in every organization; smart business decisions rest on this fundamental knowledge. Without a clear understanding of financial analysis and management, you lack credibility with finance managers and business leaders. This course in financial management consists of units that demystify financial terminology and concepts, giving you the tools you need to communicate fluently with finance managers and articulate business investment and project proposals to decision makers. Upon completion of this course, you will have a solid foundation in finance that will serve you throughout your career, regardless of the field you choose to pursue. Working through the examples in this course using both a financial calculator and popular spreadsheet applications like Excel will help you practice applying the tools and strategies and will set you up to make project decisions that lead to growth and profitability, as well as help you improve your personal financial management.
The course examines the various stakeholders of the US healthcare system and how the stakeholders interact with one another. We will intentionally start with a strong historical foundation for a relevant stakeholder and then capture the accompanying evolutions over years and decades that lead us to the contemporary circumstances facing the stakeholder today. Our first journey examines the objectives and behavior of key financers of the US healthcare system: patients, employers, and taxpayers who pay for medical care consumption as well as key insurance intermediaries that manage the funds: private and public (i.e., Medicare and Medicaid). We then shift to the supply of medical services via hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare professional industries that provide the actual care consumed. We will finish the semester by investigating pharmaceutical and medical device firms, which ultimately supply medical products that providers use to care for patients.
This graduate-level course provides an overview of the area of corporate responsibility, with particular emphasis on the finance industry. The focus will be on understanding how a growing recognition of the challenge of sustainability affects corporate behavior. Through a combination of classroom presentations, discussion of assigned reading and case studies, and independent research, students will learn about the most important themes at the intersection of business and sustainability, including environmental and social risk management, sustainability initiatives and self-regulation in the corporate sector, stakeholder engagement and management, and the growth of sustainable business, including environmental finance and impact investing. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL, MPA-TPA)
PUBPOL 5573Corporate Responsibility for Executives1
In this course, you will critically examine the sustainability-based interactions between corporate entities, their peers, regulators, the public, and other stakeholders to identify opportunities for improving the outcomes of these interactions. To do this, you will examine how corporate structure affects business practices and how different industries are affected by the sustainability movement. You will then identify how these factors influence a company's motivation to act more sustainably. Next, you will appraise the complex relationships between corporations and their stakeholders and consider the balancing act today's corporate leaders face as they uphold their corporate fiduciary duties and navigate ever-changing sustainability demands. Last, you will assess the impacts of business activities on the environment and pinpoint a company's positive and negative sustainability efforts.
This course will teach you basic “frequentist” statistical techniques used by researchers to investigate social, economic, and political phenomena. These techniques are really just tools to effectively organize data and present information about the world. For example, researchers have recently employed these statistical techniques to answer the following kinds of questions: “To what extent do women and men differ in their opinions about same-sex marriage?”, “Does receiving a college degree increase or decrease preferences for living in diverse neighborhoods?”, “Are birth defects related to local levels of water pollution?”, “Are there significant regional differences in student test score achievement?”. By the end of this semester, you will be skilled enough in the art of statistics to address questions like these. Just as important, this course is designed to help you become an informed consumer of social statistics. You will develop an awareness of the uses of statistics in everyday life, gaining the ability to think critically about statistics, and building skills to interpret and critique research employing these techniques.
PUBPOL 5576Statistics for Public Policy for Executives2
This graduate-level course is designed for students interested in developing data analysis skills for data science related applications. This course will teach statistical analysis, probability, and basic regression analysis methods. This class will emphasize understanding how to perform and interpret basic statistical tests, interpret regression output, and approach research design in the presence of endogeneity. This course will cover both theoretical and practical issues, and problem sets will contain applications to real data and require the use of statistical software.
PUBPOL 5580The Healthcare Industry from a Consulting Perspective0.5
This course aims to help students develop a holistic and pragmatic view of the healthcare industry and enhance their consulting toolkit. It offers an overview of different segments (pharma, payer, provider), the major challenges different players are trying to solve, and the consulting approach to address these challenges. Students will get to practice core consulting skills such as problem solving, synthesis and storytelling.
PUBPOL 5581Economic Development and Public Policy3
Two United States’ worth of people across the world live in extreme poverty, defined as less than $2.15 per day (adjusted for purchasing power to the United States in 2017). Cross-country income differences between high-income and low-income countries can be on the order of 2,000–4,000%. This course will discuss theories and empirical studies from development economics that aim to understand the causes and consequences of these vast differences, and formulate and evaluate policies designed to improve the lives of people living in poverty. The course will draw on readings from textbook(s) and original research papers. (MPA-ME)
This course prepares students to think analytically and managerially about operations processes, and to use the tools and intuition they acquire to ensure that the operations in production and service systems support the business strategies for these systems. A process view of operations will be used to analyze different key operational dimensions such as flow time management, service operations management, quality management, inventory management and supply chain management.
Environmental justice, as defined by the U.S. EPA, refers to the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all individuals-regardless of income, race, color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability-in agency decision-making and federal activities that impact human health and the environment. This principle ensures that all people are protected from disproportionate and adverse effects on their health and environment, including risks related to climate change, cumulative environmental burdens, and the legacy of racism and systemic barriers. It also emphasizes equitable access to a healthy, sustainable, and resilient environment for living, playing, working, learning, growing, worshipping, and engaging in cultural and subsistence practices (U.S. EPA, 2024). This hands-on seminar course explores key topics, policies, and themes in environmental justice, focusing on the disproportionate impacts of climate change and related adaptation and mitigation efforts, particularly on vulnerable groups, communities of color, and Indigenous communities. Additionally, the course examines policy drivers and levers that can create opportunities for meaningful change in the future. (MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5605Political Analysis and the Policy Process3
This course is designed to provide an understanding of the key political dimensions of the policymaking process in the United States. We will examine the roles of government institutions and political actors both inside and outside government in developing and implementing policy. Past and present policy debates will be used to illustrate the concepts and theories discussed in class. Students will acquire an understanding of the political processes in which public policies are considered, and gain practical experience executing political strategies in the context of policy campaigns. Case studies will focus on policy and politics related to data science and technology.
PUBPOL 5606Political Analysis and Policy Process for Executives1
This course is designed to provide an understanding of the key political dimensions of the policymaking process in the United States. We will examine the roles of government institutions and political actors both inside and outside government in developing and implementing policy. Past and present policy debates will be used to illustrate the concepts and theories discussed in class. Students will acquire an understanding of the political processes in which public policies are considered and gain practical experience executing political strategies in the context of policy campaigns. Case studies will focus on policy and politics related to data science and technology.
This course will provide an overview of critical global policy challenges, with a focus on their implications for international relations and international policy. Students will explore the complexities of effective policymaking in light of global climate change, demographic shifts, the changing role of the state and the new rise of the individual power broker, the challenges to multilateralism and international norms as well as the risks and opportunities brought on by artificial intelligence. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with the knowledge and analytical skills necessary to address pressing global issues and propose informed policy solutions. (MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5610Causal Inference and Data Analysis for Public Policy3
This course covers methods used by social scientists to identify causal relationships in data, with a focus on evaluating the effects of real-world policies. Many social science analyses--including in the economics fields of public, labor, health, and development-aim to answer these types of policy-related causal questions: What is the effect of having health insurance on someone's health? Does the death penalty reduce crime? Will lowering class sizes increase students' academic achievement? The goal of this course is to train you to become both a high-quality consumer and producer of this type of research. You will learn about several research designs and data analysis methods for identifying causal relationships in data, read and assess empirical papers that apply these methods, and apply these methods to datasets yourself.
PUBPOL 5611Data Analytics and Regression for Executives2
This course introduces students to the study of modern econometric techniques employed in economics and policy analysis. For example, these techniques have been used to answer questions like: Does increasing the minimum wage raise unemployment? Do employers discriminate based on names? Does a shorter workweek affect productivity? Are unconditional cash transfers effective at reducing poverty? During the course we will study the basic linear regression model, learn how to estimate multivariate relationships in a data sample, and test hypothesis about the underlying population. We will then consider situations where linear regressions can go wrong, and what to do about it. Examples include measurement error, selection on unobservables, and omitted variables. We will also introduce time- series and forecasting techniques. The course will end with a brief introduction to panel data techniques and regression discontinuity techniques, which are important in modern empirical policy analysis. Throughout the course we will discuss how these techniques can be used to conduct policy analysis as well as the potential problems and pitfalls with doing so. The course will cover both theoretical and practical issues, and problem sets will contain applications to real data and require the use of Python. Gaining additional experience and expanding your Python toolkit will also be helpful for your future studies because many elective courses require the use of Python. You will also have first-hand experience working on a research paper of your own, where you will be guided through the process of finding adequate data, data cleaning, analysis and presentation.
PUBPOL 5612Politics and Processes of State and Local Government3
Federal governing systems cannot be understood without examining the differing and often overlapping structures at subnational levels. In this course, students will gain familiarity with these systems and how they cooperate or compete. The course considers history and culture to explain American federalism and its evolving impact on IGR. The course examines the federal, state, and local roles in delivering programs and services such as healthcare, transportation, education, land use, justice/incarceration, and environmental policy. The course also looks at how policy innovation flows in multiple directions among levels of government. This course offers future policy professionals a practitioner?s perspective on governing today. It is intended for individuals interested in careers in public administration, legislative affairs, intergovernmental relations, state or local government, politics, consulting, planning, and nonprofit management. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5613The Politics of Policymaking for Executives0.5
Public affairs professionals require a working understanding of political systems in order to accurately interpret policy proposals and anticipate potential policy changes. This course is designed to offer students a view into the challenges, processes, and political dynamics inherent in contemporary policy-making in the United States.This course focuses on political aspects of policy making that increasingly dictate policy outcomes. Students will gain a familiarity with political concepts covered in the course, providing tools to help separate consequential policy proposals and political actions from political antics. The course will examine the U.S. political system, how the major political parties have evolved and operate today, and how partisan politics impacts governing at federal, state, and local levels. The course will address how various interest groups influence politics and policy-making through campaigns, public engagement, lobbying, and activism.
PUBPOL 5615Sustainable Finance: Southeast Asia and Global Perspectives3
Climate change presents a dilemma. Under the Paris Agreement, countries of the world committed to the goal of limiting warming to no more than two degrees Celsius from pre-industrial times. Scientists have warned that exceeding the threshold would increase the risks of heatwaves, drought, and extreme weather. Achieving the target, however, requires collective efforts to reduce emissions. Households, businesses, and governments would have to radically shift to cleaner energy supply and greener activities, which will take a great deal of financial resources. Sustainable finance attempts to address this challenge by integrating finance as a discipline into the sustainability framework. Designed for policy students, this course considers the perspectives of policymakers rather than business actors in navigating the green transition. Case studies will be drawn primarily from Southeast Asia, which is considered one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change, although much of the framework is also applicable to other regions around the globe.
PUBPOL 5617Data Programming and Management for Executives2
This graduate-level course is designed for students interested in learning the foundations of data management and programming in Python. The goal is to teach students how to obtain and curate real world data, determine its reliability, manage large databases, create variables useful for analysis, and more. Much of the work will be done using Python libraries, which can help facilitate the functionality of Python without increasing complexity. This course is designed for students in the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy Executive MS in Data Science for Public Policy program. Other students may only enroll with permission of the instructor. As a graduate-level course, students are expected to have thoroughly read all materials prior to class and be well-prepared to discuss readings and cases with colleagues.
PUBPOL 5619Politics, Policy, and Political Management3
This course will focus on the political aspects of policy making that increasingly influence policy outcomes. Students pursuing careers in public administration, legislative affairs, and intergovernmental relations will gain a familiarity with concepts and tools for developing political advocacy strategies within the administrative process. (MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
The purpose of this course is to provide a framework for evaluating how firms should make investment and financing decisions to create value for their shareholders or stakeholders. For most of the course we will focus on profit-maximizing firms, although we will discuss whether and how the investment and financing decisions are different for nonprofit firms that are prevalent in the health care industry. Therefore, this is primarily a course on general corporate finance. Specifically, we will discuss why the net present value (NPV) of discounted cash flows is the best investment criterion; calculate NPVs; derive appropriate discount rates; estimate the value of bonds, stocks, and options; and determine the optimal amount a firm should borrow. In order to understand how firms make investment and financing decisions, we will also consider how financial markets function and how investors in those markets should make decisions.
This case-based course focuses on the financial analyses that managers in the health care industry use to make strategic and operating decisions. We will begin by examining how health insurers design and price their products and manage enrollees' medical expenditures. The reimbursement methods that public and private insurers use in turn affect how physicians, health systems, and other providers are organized and managed. Therefore, we will measure a health system's profitability by product/service line and examine how reimbursement can be used to align physician and hospital incentives. In the second half of the course we will we will review how firms set prices and forecast sales and cash flows. We will then review and apply three different methods of valuing medical products/services and companies: the expected net present value of free cash flows, multiples, and the venture capital method, and explore how to price products/services.
This case-based course focuses on the financial analyses that managers in the health care industry use to make strategic and operating decisions. We will begin by examining how health insurers design and price their products and manage enrollees' medical expenditures. The reimbursement methods that public and private insurers use in turn affect how physicians, health systems, and other providers are organized and managed. Therefore, we will measure a health system's profitability by product/service line and examine how reimbursement can be used to align physician and hospital incentives. In the second half of the course we will review bond financing, estimating the value of drugs in development, and how firms set prices. We will then review and apply three different methods of valuing medical products/services and companies: the expected net present value of free cash flows, multiples, and the venture capital method.
PUBPOL 5633Health Care Finance for Managers0.5-1.5
This case-based course focuses on the financial analyses that managers in the health care industry use to make strategic and operating decisions. We will begin by examining how health insurers design and price their products and manage enrollees' medical expenditures. The reimbursement methods that public and private insurers use in turn affect how physicians, health systems, and other providers are organized and managed. Therefore, we will measure a health system's profitability by product/service line and examine how reimbursement can be used to align physician and hospital incentives. In the second half of the course we will we will review how firms set prices and forecast sales and cash flows. We will then review and apply three different methods of valuing medical products/services and companies: the expected net present value of free cash flows, multiples, and the venture capital method, and explore how to price products/services.
PUBPOL 5634Corruption, Governance, and Development3
This interdisciplinary graduate-level survey course addresses issues related to the nature and extent of corruption and fraud, waste, and abuse in the public sector, and in private/nonprofit sector organizations interfacing with the public sector.
PUBPOL 5640SQL for Administrative Health and Policy Data1.5
This course provides students with a hands-on understanding of how to make the best use of the data available within a healthcare setting to improve patient care, healthcare operations and overall healthcare system. Students will be expected to complete case studies and hands on analysis with healthcare data. Throughout the course students will learn basic and intermediate SQL concepts.
PUBPOL 5650Social Care Navigation to Advance Health Equity3
Unmet health related social needs (HRSN) – such as unstable housing, food insecurity, and lack of reliable transportation – exacerbate poor health. Health care organizations are increasingly screening patients for unmet HRSNs and collaborating with local community-based organizations (CBOs) to address patient social needs to deliver whole-person care and advance health equity. Critical to the screen-and-refer process are trained community members – patient social care navigators – who contact patients who screen positive for one or more HRSN and connect patients to local CBOs to meet those needs. In this course, students will develop and practice in the classroom the skills that navigators in the field use to work collaboratively with patients, participating clinician practices, community health workers, and not-for-profit organizations to provide social care navigation to patients to improve health outcomes and health equity of Tompkins County residents.
PUBPOL 5657Alternative Paradigms, Practices and Challenges in International Development3
This course will focus on international development strategies, the historical failures of aid and how rethinking the role of development processes can result in better outcomes for the global south. Students pursuing careers in public administration, international development, and public policy will acquire knowledge and skills to review, design, implement and evaluate development projects and programs.
PUBPOL 5658Fixing the Future: Policy Solutions for Development Dilemmas1.5
This course will address dilemmas or contradictions impeding progress toward achieving sustainable and equitable development goals. Discussions will revolve around six wicked development dilemmas and will provide students with the tools required to develop options for governments seeking to avoid systemic problems on their paths toward sustainability. These development dilemmas include the value vs. wealth proposition, eliminating poverty in the context of resource intensity, cleaner production, governance with common values, the role of government in sustainability, and the capacity of intergovernmental systems. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL, MPA-TPA)
PUBPOL 5659Cross-Cultural Communication for Executives0.5
When you're at work, you probably interact with employees, clients, and leaders from different backgrounds and cultures. Your Social Style? plays a role in how you communicate and behave in the workplace and how others, in turn, interact with you. This course will prepare you to communicate effectively, efficiently, and empathetically with people of different cultural backgrounds no matter your Social Style?.In this course, you will examine the four Social Styles? so you can communicate appropriately and effectively in a cross-cultural environment. You will practice becoming more aware of how your Social Style? is interpreted by others and how that impacts your interactions with others at work. You will also develop strategies for overcoming blind spots in order to mitigate the risk of ineffective communication in cross-cultural settings. Finally, you will discover the ways you can adapt your Social Style? for effective communication without compromising your core values.
PUBPOL 5660Strategic Management and Organizational Design of Health Care Systems3
This course is designed to help students develop a thorough understanding of health care strategy and strategic management in order to provide effective leadership in future roles. In this course students will grapple with key strategic questions and develop an analytical framework for strategic management. Students will read and discuss various theoretical concepts and models, and then apply this knowledge to actual case studies focusing on many of the major issues and common challenges in health care. In doing so, students will assume the position of the leader and determine how best to lead and manage in that situation. This course is designed to provide students with confidence in working with strategy. (MPA-ECONPL)
Examines strategy and design issues faced by health care organizations. Topics include analysis of market conditions, organizational culture issues, development of an organizational mission and management strategy, the management of professionals, and the importance of roles, structure, and inter and intra-institutional relationships within organizations. Taught via a case study approach.
This graduate-level survey course is designed for students pursuing executive roles in government agencies, state and local authorities, and nonprofit organizations; and with private firms working in the public interest at the interface with government agencies. Through this course, students will develop capabilities uniquely suited to managing and leading organizations in an ethical and sustainable manner. This course is designed for students in the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy MS in Environmental and Sustainability Policy and MS in Data Science and Technology Policy programs. Other students may only enroll with permission of the instructor. As a graduate-level course, students are expected to have thoroughly read all materials prior to class and be well-prepared to discuss readings and cases with colleagues.
This graduate-level survey course, part of a two-course sequence, is designed for students pursuing executive roles in government agencies, state and local authorities, and nonprofit organizations; and with private firms working in the public interest at the interface with government agencies. Through this course, students will develop capabilities uniquely suited to managing and leading organizations in an ethical and sustainable manner. This course is designed for students in the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy Executive Master of Science in Data Science and Technology Policy program. Other students may only enroll with permission of the instructor. As a graduate-level course, students are expected to have thoroughly read all materials prior to class and be well-prepared to discuss readings and cases with colleagues.
This graduate-level survey course, part of a two-course sequence, is designed for students pursuing executive roles in government agencies, state and local authorities, and nonprofit organizations; and with private firms working in the public interest at the interface with government agencies. Through this course, students will develop capabilities uniquely suited to managing and leading organizations in an ethical and sustainable manner.
Addresses major health policy issues and the critical processes that influence them. Focuses primarily on the United States, with some coverage of health policy in other countries. Topics include Medicare, Medicaid, the uninsured, public health, the effect of welfare policy on health care, managed care development and regulation, state and federal health care reform, and many others. The course analyzes the politics of health policy in terms of legislative and executive processes; the forces involved including economic, social, ethical, and political factors; and key players in health policy, such as special interest groups, public agencies, and elected officials. (MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
This course addresses major U.S. health policy issues and the critical processes that influence them. Topics include policy process, public health, the effect of welfare policy on health care, social policy as health policy, health care reform, and others. The course analyzes the politics of health policy in terms of legislative and executive processes; the forces involved including economic, social, ethical, and political factors; and key players in health policy, such as special interest groups, public agencies, and elected officials.
This course presents an advanced approach to data-intensive problem-solving using Microsoft Excel. Advanced concepts such as external queries, data tables, arrays, iterative techniques and macros will be reviewed. These will then be incorporated into an integrated business model. Emphasis will be on clear, separated input and output, data integrity, user interface design, documentation, maintainability, robustness and user support. (MPA-DA, MPA-DATSCI, MPA-TPA)
Democratic leaders are increasingly concerned with authoritarian attempts to alter long-established values and interests of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Questions as to the abuse of Interpol against dissidents, the harsh reaction by China to WHO attempts to address the pandemic, and the rejection by Russia of its international obligations bring new policy questions but also solutions to this topic. As the international liberal order framework of the last 75 years shows its age, the question of which nations and value systems will shape the world for the next 75 years becomes more pressing. Are democracies capable of jointly addressing this challenge How far do democratic alliances go before national interests take charge? In this course, students will draw upon real-life case studies and scenarios through interaction with diplomats, civil society, and other practitioners in this arena. Students in this course will be equipped to shape the debate of a framework of human rights, the rule of law, and democracy for the future and present their ideas through the use of a structured debate as a final project. (MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5690Regression Analysis and Managerial Forecasting3
Teaches various statistical methods for managerial decision making, with a particular emphasis on regression and forecasting. Other topics include ANOVA, correlation, confounding, interaction, and statistical process control. Emphasizes applications to health care organizations.
An introduction to statistical methods. Topics to be covered include the descriptive analysis of data, probability concepts and distributions, estimation and hypothesis testing, regression and correlation analysis. Applications from business, economics, and the biological sciences are used to illustrate the methods covered in the course.
PUBPOL 5700Accounting, Financial Reporting and Decision Making3
Introduces the basic concepts of financial and managerial accounting with emphasis on health care applications. Explains the measurement system of business operations, business valuation, financial reporting, budgeting, cost allocation, service and product costing, and special reports for managerial use. Ethical and international issues are integrated throughout the course materials with real world applications. At the conclusion of the course, students should be able to read, understand, and analyze the annual financial reports of an organization. Collaborative learning, cases, discussions, readings, research, presentations, speakers, problem solving, videotapes, and lectures are used for teaching the course.
Health Care Accounting is an introductory analytical course which emphasizes theory and concepts. However, accounting is a technical discipline and some mastery of technique is needed to demonstrate an understanding of theory. The course introduces the basic assumptions and concepts underlying the preparation and measurement of financial data related to a business organization. Measurement of business operations, financial reporting, budgeting, cost volume profit analysis, and and product costing are among the subjects to be discussed. Topics relevant to the health care industry will be emphasized. Ethical and global issues are integrated throughout the course along with real world issues.
PUBPOL 5710Organizational Development and Human Resource Management in Health Care Organization3
Explores (1) the theoretical foundation of organizational theory, research, and human resource management with an emphasis on implementation; (2) real-world problems while analyzing, exploring, and discussing varied interpretations of selected cases; (3) the building blocks of managerial activity, internal organizational issues, performance issues related to organization design, and strategic issues. Key organizational change and development concepts enhance students' perspectives on how the theories, strategies, and practices relate to today's organizations. The course serves as a framework to establish the theory and the conceptual and competency foundations necessary for applying interventions.
PUBPOL 5713Leadership, Innovation and Change Management2
This course will take on two major topics: organizational culture and identifying and aligning products, services, and strategies throughout a health care organization. The course will equip students with the proper tools to lead innovation and change within a health care organization. Topics will include culture, business analysis models such as BCG matrix, SWOT analysis, porters five forces, and strategic plans.
PUBPOL 5717Energy Transition: Policy, Financial, and Business Interactions3
The course utilizes discussions, presentations, research papers, and simulations to explore the policy, financial, and business implications, opportunities, and risks, of climate change, specifically the energy transition to a low-carbon economy. We will explore potential public policies in the context of their business impacts, effectiveness, and political viability. How does different policy design encourage distinct long-term pathways within a highly capital-intensive industry? What industries are most impacted by a transition to a lower carbon economy? How do incentives and structures influence business actors toward a smoother transition, or toward wasted capital expenditures, and stranded assets? Are financial markets pricing in an energy transition? What is the role of financial and market regulators in ensuring long-term beneficial capital allocation? With an industry in decline, what are the business strategy options for management of a fossil fuel producer? What are the policy, financial, and business implications for clean energy firms, electric vehicle manufacturers, and the metals and mining industry? Additional readings, research, and presentations are required of Master's students. (MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5720Addiction Medicine Practice and Policy3
A community-engaged addiction medicine course that draws from experts in the field to address the neurobiology of addiction, risk and protective factors for substance misuse and disorder, barriers to treatment such as stigma, the recovery continuum, and a focus on drug policy and law in historical and contemporary context. Students will work in teams to complete a community engaged project and field trips will be offered. This course is geared toward future clinicians, policy makers, healthcare leaders, data analysts, and engaged citizens who care about human wellbeing and health equity.
PUBPOL 5725Ethics in Data, Data Science, and AI for Public Policy3
This graduate-level course is designed for students pursuing leadership or managerial roles in organizations across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors involved with shaping or making data science and technology. Special attention will be paid to ethical concerns associated with data science, including biases, privacy, surveillance, discrimination, transparency, accountability, and implications for artificial intelligence. This course is designed for students in the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy MS in Data Science for Public Policy program. Other students may only enroll with permission of the instructor. As a graduate level course, students are expected to have thoroughly read all materials prior to class and be well-prepared to discuss readings and cases with colleagues. (MPA-DA, MPA-DATSCI, MPA-ECONPL, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-TPA)
This course focuses on environmental legislation such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), and others as a foundation for US environmental policy. Internationally, focus on Environmental Policy in multiple countries and comparative to US environmental policy. Over the course we will discuss how environmental policy directly impacts community, public health, natural ecological systems, concepts of justice, and socioeconomics. We will explore these major environmental policies in the US as a basis of comparison and then apply those mechanism domestically or internationally to address climate change and improve other environment conditions. Students who seek to work in the US will build an analytic skill set to be competitive for jobs in environmental consulting, government, public policy, public health, non-profits, and advocacy groups. (MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5733Vulnerability and Resilience Planning for Executives1
This is an Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) course designed to prepare leaders and develop an understanding of problems and trends in disaster policy, recovery, planning, and management. These concepts can translate to manage for the unexpected and equitably invest in building community capacity. This course focuses on the challenges leaders face working with vulnerable communities and how to build capacity and resilience. Students will learn about climate change, as well as the fields of vulnerability, resilience, and adaptation. The class will think through likely outcomes of innovative policy interventions and discuss risk and pathways for evaluative decisions about hazards. What is a disaster, and how do disasters impact communities, governments, and organizations? What makes people vulnerable, and how to build their resilience to facilitate recovery and adaptation? How does climate change contribute to disasters?
PUBPOL 5734Disasters, Vulnerability, and Resilience3
This hands-on course addresses key topics and themes to understand what makes communities vulnerable to disasters and how to build resilience and capacity to adapt with changing spaces and places. This course is designed for anyone who will be in a leadership role who wants to build a toolkit to manage and prepare for a range of crises including natural, environmental, social, and resource-related disasters. The focus is on developing innovative policy solutions to prepare for, adapt to, and mitigate natural and human-made disasters through understanding exposure and sensitivity to changes in the environmental and social system. We will actively do this through vulnerability assessments and resilience planning. The goal is to use policy and planning strategies to equitably invest in building resilience and adaptive capacity of vulnerable communities. (MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5740Health Facilities Planning Fundamentals for Managers/Entrepreneurs/Pre-Clinicians1
Provides M.H.A. and other students who may be interested in careers in health care management with a basic familiarity regarding some of the concepts and terminology related to health facility planning projects. The course touches on areas that a manager might encounter, including working with designers, the relationship between strategic planning issues and facility planning, basic cost estimating techniques, simplified plan interpretation, and use of architectural and engineering scales. The course have two primary components. One portion is lectures and hands-on demonstrations on plan reading/measurements and an overview of the process of project planning. We anticipate a tour of an active or recently completed project at either Cornell or Cayuga Medical Center as time allows. The other involves live or videoconference presentations from invited practitioners and researchers in the health facilities area. (EMHA-EL)
PUBPOL 5750Causal Analysis and Impact Evaluation in Public Policy3
Second semester of a two-semester sequence in applied statistics for Public Policy. Review of key material (regression analysis, and statistical inference for regression). Advanced topics in regression analysis such as: interaction terms, log transformations, binary independent and dependent variables. Introduction to research design for causal analysis, including: experiments, Differences-in-Differences, and Regression Discontinuity.
PUBPOL 5751Data Science and AI Modeling for Executives I1
This graduate-level course, part of a 3 part sequence, is designed for students interested in learning the foundations of machine learning. The focus will be on applying these techniques to applications in specific policy related scenarios. We will cover the intuition of the theoretical underpinnings, but the focus here is on using supervised and unsupervised learning tools. We will cover topics ranging from predictions and classification to clustering. We will use Python and learn to utilize Jupyter Notebooks. Using these tools, students will learn the underpinnings of each method so that they can choose the most appropriate for particular applications.
PUBPOL 5752Data Science and AI Modeling for Executives II0.5
This graduate-level course, part of a 3 part sequence, is designed for students interested in learning the foundations of machine learning. The focus will be on applying these techniques to applications in specific policy related scenarios. We will cover the intuition of the theoretical underpinnings, but the focus here is on using supervised and unsupervised learning tools. We will cover topics ranging from predictions and classification to clustering. We will use Python and learn to utilize Jupyter Notebooks. Using these tools, students will learn the underpinnings of each method so that they can choose the most appropriate for particular applications.
PUBPOL 5753Data Science and AI Modeling for Executives III0.5
This graduate-level course, part of a 3 part sequence, is designed for students interested in learning the foundations of machine learning. The focus will be on applying these techniques to applications in specific policy related scenarios. We will cover the intuition of the theoretical underpinnings, but the focus here is on using supervised and unsupervised learning tools. We will cover topics ranging from predictions and classification to clustering. We will use Python and learn to utilize Jupyter Notebooks. Using these tools, students will learn the underpinnings of each method so that they can choose the most appropriate for particular applications.
This course is designed for graduate students considering a career in the public sector in budgeting and debt management, a career in planning, implementing and operating public infrastructure (including transportation, water and sewer, power, education, etc.) or a career in capital markets. At the completion of the course students will have a strong working knowledge of key principles and techniques of public finance and a familiarity with finance instruments. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-TPA)
Large, multi-billion dollar mega transportation projects can fundamentally change how we move people and goods, but they are tough to deliver - requiring decades to develop, complex capital structures, sophisticated technology solutions, highly technical engineering, advanced construction methods, consensus across diverse stakeholders, and overcoming difficult environmental and legal challenges. This course explores strategies for bringing these types of projects to fruition.
PUBPOL 5761Data Science Applications in Politics and Policy3
This course introduces students to the latest empirical research on the applications of novel, large-scale, and unstructured data in political science and public policy. Themes include causality and credibility; administrative and open data; geographic and geospatial data; social media and digital trace data; text, image, audio, and video data; and generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). For each type of data, students learn the set of questions it can help answer, along with appropriate methods for analysis. The course situates the rise of data-intensive social science within the broader context of political science and policy research and examines the promises and pitfalls of computational innovations and new data science methods, including their implications for ethics, transparency, and privacy.
Cybersecurity is continuously evolving, with new threats and vulnerabilities constantly emerging, making the need to be vigilant in security measures and protocols more important than ever. This course will guide students through the regulatory framework that can often feel like a maze of changing requirements and security system updates. They will explore the various risks faced by different industries and examine ways to adopt best practices that enable them to efficiently safeguard against cyber threats and attacks. As students investigate the responsibilities their organization has to ensure cybersecurity, they will recognize it as a team effort and discover how building a cybersecurity culture can be the foundation of their organization's ability to do business safely in today's cyber world.
This course provides an introduction to health care services marketing and the role of essential tools and functions of marketing for creating, communicating and delivering value for patients, the community, the organization, and stakeholders. The course explores the history, perspectives, concepts, processes, and roles of marketing within the healthcare industry. The growing importance of social media for communicating the organization's brand, mission, values and vision is covered as is the emergence of value-based reimbursement, population health management, telehealth, community benefit, health equity, transparency, rise of consumerism, and data security. The course will focus on selected marketing themes including services versus product marketing, segmentation, pricing, target marketing, customer experience, branding, and more.
This case-based course serves as an introduction to health care services marketing. The course is intended to give students an appreciation for the marketing discipline and how it can be used as a tool to understand and address the needs and wants of the consumer. Students will be expected to think critically about health care marketing, speak the marketing language and apply the tools and concepts from readings and lectures to assigned cases and classroom discussion.
PUBPOL 5780Artificial Intelligence and Public Sector Decision Making3
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been playing increasingly prominent roles in today?s public and private sectors. The recent rise of ChatGPT and other generative AI applications, in particular, has accelerated the adoption of AI among individuals, institutions, industries, communities, and societies. As a technology dating back decades, AI is complex, multifaceted, and dynamic, involving different techniques, categories, philosophies, use cases, and varied value and risks. Developing and maintaining an in-depth, nuanced, and up-to-date understanding of AI, AI-related technologies including big data and digital platforms, and the best practices and lessons learned during the design, implementation, and use of these technologies in diverse regions and sectors is critical to public policy. Such knowledge enables today?s and tomorrow?s practitioners and policymakers to design roadmaps, frameworks, strategies, artifacts, services, and policies to make a positive impact on our society. The course is designed for students both with and without a technical background. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL, MPA-TPA)
PUBPOL 5781Global Comparative Health Care Systems3
This course teaches students how to determine whether and why a health care system is achieving its three primary objectives – broad access to medical care, high quality medical care, and relatively low medical spending. Students will learn basic methodological tools to analyze how selected high-, medium-, and low-income countries around the world finance their health care system, organize the providers of medical care, and reimburse those providers, using the U.S. system as the focal point. Students will explore how the United States might implement policies from these other countries to improve its health care system.
PUBPOL 5783Comparative Health Care Systems for Managers1
This course is designed to make students familiar with comparative health care system analyses. Students learn about basic methodological tools to analyse and compare different health care systems using the example of the U.S. We learn about a unifying framework that allows us to categorize health care systems and benchmark them against each other. (EMHA-EL)
PUBPOL 5787Leadership in the Algorithmic Age: AI and Public Policy0.5
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in society, impacting various facets of our lives. As AI technologies advance, the need for effective public policy frameworks becomes increasingly critical. This graduate-level course explores the dynamic intersection of AI and public policy, delving into the ethical, regulatory, and practical considerations that shape the development and implementation of policies governing AI. This course also emphasizes the need for proactive development of policies to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by AI technologies. Through a combination of lectures, readings, discussions, and a practical policy project, students will gain a holistic perspective on the challenges and opportunities presented by AI technologies in society.
PUBPOL 5790Community Impact Analysis in Development Policy I1
This course embodies community-engaged learning by positioning students as collaborative learners alongside community members, emphasizing mutual exchange, and addressing an issue that holds local significance. Students will not only conduct a community impact analysis but will also engage directly with residents and local stakeholders to understand their perspectives, experiences, and priorities. This interaction enables students to learn with and from the community, building skills in cultural humility, active listening, and responsive problem-solving. Throughout the course, critical reflection will be an integral component; students will regularly examine their assumptions, document their learning through field notes, and engage in reflective discussions. These reflective practices will challenge them to consider the social and ethical dimensions of their work, helping them refine their approach to ensure it aligns with community needs and fosters equitable, sustainable outcomes.
PUBPOL 5791Community Impact Analysis in Development Policy II2
This intensive, week-long January fieldwork course immerses students in hands-on data collection for a community impact analysis. Working with a host organization and community partners, students conduct interviews, surveys, and observations, applying ethical fieldwork and participatory evaluation methods to gather insights that will inform their final analysis and recommendations.
PUBPOL 5792Community Impact Analysis in Development Policy III1
This 7-week spring course focuses on analyzing and synthesizing data collected during the January fieldwork. Students will interpret findings, assess community impact, and draft a comprehensive report for the host organization. Emphasizing ethical evaluation and policy implications, the course prepares students to present actionable recommendations based on their research.
Cybersecurity is a top priority for individuals, organizations, and governments. Cyber risks impact public health and safety, financial systems, business operations, national security, geopolitical relationships, and more. Because systems are interconnected and interdependent, and cybercriminals and nation-state actors often look for the weakest link to gain access, reasonable cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. Policies, laws, and frameworks addressing cybersecurity have advanced considerably over the years, but do not always keep pace with evolving technologies, uses, and threats. Now, with the widespread use of AI and the ever-expanding Internet of Things, the implications and impact of cybersecurity policy have become all the more critical.
This graduate-level course is designed for students interested in learning the foundations of data management and programming in Python. The goal is to teach students how to obtain and curate real world data, determine its reliability, manage large databases, create variables useful for analysis, and more. Much of the work will be done using Python libraries, which can help facilitate the functionality of Python without increasing the complexity. This course is designed for students in the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy MS in Data Science for Public Policy program. Other students may only enroll with permission of the instructor. As a graduate level course, students are expected to have thoroughly read all materials prior to class and be well-prepared to discuss readings and cases with colleagues.
PUBPOL 5801Communication for Data Science Executives I0.5
This graduate-level course, a four part course sequence, is designed for students pursuing leadership or managerial roles in organizations across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors involved with shaping or making data science and technology. Special attention will be paid to “storytelling” technical or data-rich information, including assessing the audience for policy communication, assembling evidence, structuring an effective written argument, providing relevant charts/graphs/tables and delivering oral presentations.
PUBPOL 5802Communication for Data Science Executives II1
This graduate-level course, a four part course sequence, is designed for students pursuing leadership or managerial roles in organizations across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors involved with shaping or making data science and technology. Special attention will be paid to “storytelling” technical or data-rich information, including assessing the audience for policy communication, assembling evidence, structuring an effective written argument, providing relevant charts/graphs/tables and delivering oral presentations.
PUBPOL 5803Communication for Data Science Executives III1
This graduate-level course, a four part course sequence, is designed for students pursuing leadership or managerial roles in organizations across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors involved with shaping or making data science and technology. Special attention will be paid to “storytelling” technical or data-rich information, including assessing the audience for policy communication, assembling evidence, structuring an effective written argument, providing relevant charts/graphs/tables and delivering oral presentations.
PUBPOL 5804Communication for Data Science Executives IV0.5
This graduate-level course, a four part course sequence, is designed for students pursuing leadership or managerial roles in organizations across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors involved with shaping or making data science and technology. Special attention will be paid to “storytelling” technical or data-rich information, including assessing the audience for policy communication, assembling evidence, structuring an effective written argument, providing relevant charts/graphs/tables and delivering oral presentations.
Studying public policy communication requires thinking about systems, strategy, and power. In this course, we will practice analyzing and producing public policy communication products from these three directions. First, we will learn how the organization of the U.S. policy system structures routes by which demands can be communicated into the system and addressed through policy products. Second, we will consult communication theory and practice for strategies that can help us to identify key audiences, reach them, and influence their policy positions. Third, we will step back and consider how power and politics shape the conditions of possibility for policy-making and communicating—who does the system serve, and how can effective policy communication help it serve more people? Students will gain experience producing a variety of practical products throughout the semester, including a policy brief and data visualization. Through readings and additional writing assignments, students will also strengthen their understanding and application of policy communication theory. We will engage with varied policy areas, with an emphasis on data science and sustainability.
PUBPOL 5813Disruptive Innovation in Health Care I1.5
What will US health care look like in five years? Who will gain or lose influence in the battle for value and market position? While the debate rages on how to improve US health care, major players are jockeying to reinvent US health care as we know it. In this 1.5 credit course the instructor applies research in disruptive innovation to health care, drawing from interviews with venture capitalists, health system innovation leaders, start-ups, and Big tech.
PUBPOL 5820Policy Communication for a Sustainable World3
The course will cover the basics principles of communicating policy, with an emphasis on the distinctive challenges and politicization of climate change policy at the sub-national, national, and international levels. This course meets the NYSED requirements for what constitutes a given number of credit hours through a minimum of 45 hours of instruction and 90 hours of supplementary assignments, where students will practice written, oral, and visual communication techniques, while developing a deep understanding of the complexity for building public support for climate change policies.
PUBPOL 5823Disruptive Innovation in Health Care II1
The goal of this course is to empower students with current, cutting-edge insights on the external threats and opportunities presented by technology and insurgent forces in healthcare, and how incumbents can successfully respond to these threats and opportunities in a COVID and post-COVID world. My hope is that you will be inspired to understand and embrace disruption, and to become an innovator, an influencer, and a force in creating a new and better healthcare world. (EMHA-EL)
PUBPOL 5830Randomized Controlled Trials for Policy and Society3
This course is designed for graduate students interested in learning how to evaluate the quality of, design, conduct, and analyze data for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The goal is to teach students why RCTs are the scientific gold standard for causal evidence, how to assess published or proposed RCTs, avoid common errors in designing their own RCTs, conducting RCTs, and analyzing the data from RCTs. (MPA-DA, MPA-DATSCI, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-TPA)
This graduate-level course is designed for students interested in learning how to better communicate using data. Students will learn the foundations of data use and visualization tools and gain experience using these tools for the purpose of creating a shared understanding with an audience. Students will learn to organize data and create clear, creative graphs, charts, and dashboards for the purposes of story-telling and effectively conveying information. (MPA-DA, MPA-DATSCI)
This graduate-level course, part of a two course sequence, is designed for students interested in learning how to better communicate using data. Students will learn the foundations of data use and visualization tools and gain experience using these tools for the purpose of creating a shared understanding with an audience. Students will learn to organize data and create clear, creative graphs, charts, and dashboards for the purposes of story-telling and effectively conveying information.
This graduate-level course, part of a two course sequence, is designed for students interested in learning how to better communicate using data. Students will learn the foundations of data use and visualization tools and gain experience using these tools for the purpose of creating a shared understanding with an audience. Students will learn to organize data and create clear, creative graphs, charts, and dashboards for the purposes of story-telling and effectively conveying information.
If you're an entrepreneur, you may have an original or disruptive idea and you need to seek funding sources. If you're an investor, you may be looking for an appropriate opportunity and you need to evaluate choices. In this course, you'll explore how to articulate a business model and evaluate how it fits with an investor type in order to identify good opportunities for investment.For an entrepreneur, this means determining the type of investment you need in your startup.For an investor, it means determining the type of startup investment most suitable to your needs and goals.
PUBPOL 5853AI and Digital Transformations for Executives1
Digital transformation isn't just for tech startups. It's a critical strategic focus area for today's leaders - and an initiative necessary for nearly every organization or venture to compete. In this course, you will learn how to find and produce new, streamlined, and disruptive business ideas through digital auditing and a rapid ideation process. (EMHA-EL)
PUBPOL 5856International Human Rights Law and Policy for Executives0.5
We will address major challenges in international human rights law, policy and practice. Specific topics include children's rights, the rights of refugees and migrants, freedom from torture, the death penalty, modern slavery, and the right to sustainable development. We will also discuss the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and corporations with respect to human rights, as well as the impact of actions (and inactions) by states and institutions in the Global North on the realization of human rights in states in the Global South.
This course is an introductory overview of the R programming language as it is applied to social science research, specifically data management and descriptive statistics. Through the fourteen (14) modules of this course, you will learn essential skills for getting started with the open-source R programming language in the context of social science research and policy analysis. These technical skills will be taught through accessible applications of real world data to pressing social policy issues like inequality, COVID-19, and criminal justice.
Through discussions, presentations, and research papers, we will examine increasing US inequality, and the interaction of business's role and impacts, alongside potential policy prescriptions (UBI, tax policy, job guarantees, etc.). Topics will also include potential sources of inequality. Areas explored include: Can public policy blunt inequality without unduly harming markets? What are the responsibilities of private sector companies to society, and what are their incentives? How does inequality affect business (through customers, workers - human capital), how does business exacerbate and exploit inequality? Does inequality reduce economic growth and productivity (due to rent-seeking activities, reduced opportunity)? Does corporate influence on the political system reinforce inequality? Is labor disadvantaged by social safety net structures, such as policies tying benefits to work requirements? Does inequality destabilize financial markets and fuel speculation (e.g., 1920's margin investing, GameStop, etc.)? Additional readings and in-depth research paper required of Master's students.
Even organizations with the best intentions could negatively impact human rights. Has your organization conducted due diligence of its operations to identify potential human rights concerns? Does your organization have a business and human rights policy? This course will help you explore the human rights problems your organization could face. You will examine the various rules, laws, and guidelines that apply to your specific organization or industry, both in the United States and abroad. You will learn how a commitment to respect human rights can benefit your workforce as well as your organization. You will then discover the steps to conducting human right due diligence and developing and implementing a human rights policy to ensure your organization can meet its human rights responsibilities as it accomplishes its objectives.
PUBPOL 5860Women in Leadership and Entrepreneurship in Developing Country Contexts3
This course investigates the evolution of discourses surrounding gender and development, focusing on how women have gained economic independence, agency, and socio-economic mobility in developing country contexts and have thus emerged as successful entrepreneurs and leaders in their respective eco-systems. It examines how certain socio-economic factors have lifted women out of poverty, exclusion, and marginalization. By exploring both individual potential and collective power through dedicated activism, the course spans the fields of economics, sociology, and public policy. (MPA-DATSCI, MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL, MPA-TPA)
PUBPOL 5865Legal and Regulatory Aspects of Environmental Policy3
This graduate-level course is designed for students pursuing leadership or managerial roles in organizations across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors involved with shaping or making environmental policy. Special attention will be given to practice at the intersections of law, regulation, and ethics, including recent developments in the fields of environmental justice and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. This course is designed for students in the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy MS in Environmental and Sustainability Policy program. Other students may only enroll with permission of the instructor. As a graduate-level course, students are expected to have thoroughly read all materials prior to class and be well prepared to discuss readings and cases with colleagues.
This course covers economic evaluation methods used for decisions in the health care sector and health policy. Economic evaluations include cost analysis, cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, and cost-utility analysis. The course discusses how to measure opportunity costs, monetary benefits, and health outcomes such as quality-adjusted life years. Actual economic evaluations of pharmaceuticals, health care and public health interventions, and health and safety policy are reviewed and critiqued.
The course is designed to act as an integrative experience combining the competencies and knowledge gained during the student’s time in the Executive Masters of Data Science for Public Policy program and the experiences gained in employment. The field study allows students to work on a long-term project within their organization that has been identified as relevant to the coursework and important to the organization. Students will work on a project within their own organization throughout the 18-month 7-Parts of this course. Applying what has been learned in courses and in their career, the students are expected to develop relevant and actionable strategic solutions for the project, culminating in an oral presentation, with a written summary of analysis, documentation, and rationale.
The course is designed to act as an integrative experience combining the competencies and knowledge gained during the student’s time in the Executive Masters of Data Science for Public Policy program and the experiences gained in employment. The field study allows students to work on a long-term project within their organization that has been identified as relevant to the coursework and important to the organization. Students will work on a project within their own organization throughout the 18-month 7-Parts of this course. Applying what has been learned in courses and in their career, the students are expected to develop relevant and actionable strategic solutions for the project, culminating in an oral presentation, with a written summary of analysis, documentation, and rationale.
The course is designed to act as an integrative experience combining the competencies and knowledge gained during the student’s time in the Executive Masters of Data Science for Public Policy program and the experiences gained in employment. The field study allows students to work on a long-term project within their organization that has been identified as relevant to the coursework and important to the organization. Students will work on a project within their own organization throughout the 18-month 7-Parts of this course. Applying what has been learned in courses and in their career, the students are expected to develop relevant and actionable strategic solutions for the project, culminating in an oral presentation, with a written summary of analysis, documentation, and rationale.
The course is designed to act as an integrative experience combining the competencies and knowledge gained during the student’s time in the Executive Masters of Data Science for Public Policy program and the experiences gained in employment. The field study allows students to work on a long-term project within their organization that has been identified as relevant to the coursework and important to the organization. Students will work on a project within their own organization throughout the 18-month 7-Parts of this course. Applying what has been learned in courses and in their career, the students are expected to develop relevant and actionable strategic solutions for the project, culminating in an oral presentation, with a written summary of analysis, documentation, and rationale.
The course is designed to act as an integrative experience combining the competencies and knowledge gained during the student’s time in the Executive Masters of Data Science for Public Policy program and the experiences gained in employment. The field study allows students to work on a long-term project within their organization that has been identified as relevant to the coursework and important to the organization. Students will work on a project within their own organization throughout the 18-month 7-Parts of this course. Applying what has been learned in courses and in their career, the students are expected to develop relevant and actionable strategic solutions for the project, culminating in an oral presentation, with a written summary of analysis, documentation, and rationale.
The course is designed to act as an integrative experience combining the competencies and knowledge gained during the student’s time in the Executive Masters of Data Science for Public Policy program and the experiences gained in employment. The field study allows students to work on a long-term project within their organization that has been identified as relevant to the coursework and important to the organization. Students will work on a project within their own organization throughout the 18-month 7-Parts of this course. Applying what has been learned in courses and in their career, the students are expected to develop relevant and actionable strategic solutions for the project, culminating in an oral presentation, with a written summary of analysis, documentation, and rationale.
The course is designed to act as an integrative experience combining the competencies and knowledge gained during the student’s time in the Executive Masters of Data Science for Public Policy program and the experiences gained in employment. The field study allows students to work on a long-term project within their organization that has been identified as relevant to the coursework and important to the organization. Students will work on a project within their own organization throughout the 18-month 7-Parts of this course. Applying what has been learned in courses and in their career, the students are expected to develop relevant and actionable strategic solutions for the project, culminating in an oral presentation, with a written summary of analysis, documentation, and rationale.
This course, known as the Cornell Brooks Engaged Learning Capstone, provides students with opportunities to practice concepts and skills gained in prior coursework and professional experiences to address policy or management problems for real-world clients. Brooks Masters students work on research projects in consultation with leaders in organizations working in the public and policy space.
PUBPOL 5881Dialogue Across Differences for Public Policy3
How can we practice critical dialogue to analyze and address complex policy issues? Increasing polarization in our political climate has underscored the importance of dialogue across differences in political beliefs, social identities, and experiences. In this course, we will explore how we can put this aim into action by: learning key dialogue skills for listening to different perspectives and sharing our own; reflecting on how our connections to one another and to societal structures inform our responsibility and agency as political actors; and practicing dialogue through exploration of key policy issues. This course will be experiential and engaged. Students will be active participants in dialogue and will take responsibility for sustaining a learning community throughout the semester. This community will extend beyond our class and will include invited guests from among Brooks School faculty and Ithaca community practitioners, who will provide greater insights into each of the key policy issues. (MPA-DATSCI, MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL, MPA-TPA)
PUBPOL 5900Special Topics in Health Administration and Finance0.5-3
A special topics course specifically designed for students in the Sloan Program in Health Administration. Possible multiple offerings using adjunct faculty teaching in areas of expertise not covered in depth in the Sloan core curriculum and relevant to students preparing for careers in health management. Format ranges from intensive courses offered over several full days to longer courses meeting on a weekly basis. Each section represents a separate stand-alone course occurring over the dates indicated. (EMHA-EL)
The course examines the various stakeholders of the US healthcare system and how the stakeholders interact with one another as well as the federal policy environment. We specifically embark on this trek to spend time learning from and engaging with industry experts, federal agency representatives, healthcare consumer advocates, and federal policymakers all working in Washington DC. Our Friday and Saturday time in DC will be populated by a series of guest speakers and expert panels focused on a variety of current health policy issues with important implications for healthcare industries and businesses, such as value-based payment reforms, Executive branch health policy priorities, Congressional health policy priorities, digital health (e.g., AI) and regulation, prescription drug pricing, and the future of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. (EMHA-EL)
PUBPOL 5902Special Topics in Public Administration0.5-1
Practitioner-Led Intensive Courses (PLICs) are short, applied courses taught by experienced practitioners. Each PLIC focuses on a specific topic or professional skill relevant to public administration, public policy, nonprofit leadership, environmental policy, consulting, or related fields. Through discussions, cases, workshops, simulations, and applied exercises, students will connect their broader academic training with the practical challenges, constraints, and decisions encountered by professionals working in public affairs. (MPA-TPA, MPA-DATSCI, MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL)
The course introduces students to the predominant roles that Clinical Outcomes, Patient Safety, and Patient Satisfaction have in the health care industry and their growing impact on reimbursement. The focus of the course is to provide students with the abilities to lead collaborative efforts between physicians, front-line clinical staff, and hospital operations personnel in efforts that maximize quality, safety, and service for patients.
PUBPOL 5905Environmental and Sustainability Policy Colloquium3
This colloquium course is offered in Fall Semester to students enrolled in the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy MS in Environmental and Sustainability Policy program. It examines the complex interplay between policy, environment, and society and equips students with the knowledge and analytical tools to address pressing global concerns through effective policy formulation and implementation. Through case studies and guest speakers, students will examine policy responses to issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, resource management, community resilience, and more. Case studies have been developed by students under the supervisions of faculty and are designed to facilitate discussion-based, interactive learning about environmental and sustainability policy issues and management strategies in the public and not-for-profit sectors.
PUBPOL 5910Master of Public Administration Capstone I1.5
This seven-week course is Part I of the capstone course for second-year MPA students. In this course, MPA Capstone students work with client organizations to conduct research to address a current policy or public administration problem. Students in the Domestic Capstone section will work with client organizations working in public affairs in the United States. Students in the International Capstone section will work with client organizations working in public affairs internationally.
PUBPOL 5911Master of Public Administration Capstone II2
PUBPOL 5911 is the second part of the MPA Capstone course, which provides students with opportunities to practice project management, research, and analysis skills gained through their previous coursework while conducting projects and developing reports and presentations that address policy or public management problems for real-world organizations. Students work in small teams and develop leadership and team management skills, gain experience in conducting policy-related research and communicating research with policymakers and decisionmakers, and learn how to navigate organizational demands and constraints. In this course you will develop a report and several presentations that address policy and public management problems, weigh possible options and their consequences, and provide recommendations to an organization working in the policy and public affairs space. Second-year MPA students use the reports produced in this course to meet their Brooks MPA writing requirement for graduation.
PUBPOL 5912Master of Public Administration Capstone III1.5
PUBPOL 5912 is the third part of the MPA Capstone course, which provides second-year MPA students with opportunities to practice project management and research and analysis skills gained through their previous coursework while conducting projects and developing reports and presentations that address policy or public management problems for real-world organizations. Students work in small teams and develop leadership and team management skills, gain experience in conducting policy-related research and communicating research with policymakers and decisionmakers, and learn how to navigate organizational demands and constraints. In this course you will develop a report and several presentations that address policy and public management problems, weigh possible options and their consequences, and provide recommendations to an organization working in the policy and public affairs space. Second-year MPA students use the reports produced in this course to meet their Brooks MPA writing requirement for graduation.
This course is designed to provide students with an opportunity to expand their knowledge and understanding of the key leadership skills required for success in today's volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous business world. It will build on the skills discussed in NCC 5040 Leading Teams and Managing and Leading Organizations, through discussion and interaction with an experienced practitioner and former leader of the United States Army. The course will be comprised of four modules: 1) Leadership Principles for a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous World; 2) Developing and Communicating Vision and Strategy; 3) Setting Conditions for Success; and, 4) Character and Leadership. (EMHA-EL)
Combines a professional public affairs externship in a metropolitan area with academic study to provide experience and understanding of the planner's role in formulating and implementing plans and policies. Externships are available in international organizations, federal, state, and local government agencies, legislative offices, and comparable settings include development of research, analysis, and other technical skills. Weekly seminars draw on student field experiences, assigned readings, and guest speakers to examine current issues of federal, urban, and regional policy from the perspective of public affairs practice. (MPA-DATSCI, MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL, MPA-TPA)
This course provides students with a framework for critical thinking and techniques that can be adopted by customer-facing employees in any role. It provides tools that can be applied to any situation involving internal or external customers. (EMHA-EL)
PUBPOL 5930Writing Professional Reports for Public Affairs1.5
This seven week course will focus on writing for policy and professional audiences in public affairs. This course is directed toward second-year students in the MPA program who plan to complete a professional report to meet the MPA degree writing requirement. Students will define their research project for a client organization, and develop the professional report proposal, project management workplan, and literature review for their professional report. (MPA-TPA)
PUBPOL 5933Introduction to Driving High Reliability in Healthcare1
This course is intended to provide future health care leaders core knowledge leading to competencies based on high-reliability principles of operational design and management, team leadership and collaboration within adaptive complex health care environments.
PUBPOL 5940Consulting for Nonprofit and Government Organizations3
This graduate-level course covers the fundamental toolkit of a management consultant, with a particular emphasis on applying those skills to public and nonprofit sector contexts. Students will practice the skills that they will need to effectively work with partners on projects, either formally as external consultants, or as leaders within their organizations. The course covers the practice of management consulting, project definition, conceptual frameworks for approaching problems, quantitative and qualitative insights, written, and verbal communications. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SCITEC, MPA-SOCPOL, MPA-TPA)
Negotiation is the art and science of securing an agreement between two or more interdependent parties. A basic premise of the course is that while a manager needs technical and analytical skills in order to develop optimal solutions, a broad array of negotiation skills is needed for these solutions to be accepted and implemented.The course is designed to help you approach negotiations with confidence. You have the opportunity to develop your negotiating skills experientially and to gain insight into what works, what does not, and why. (EMHA-EL)
PUBPOL 5949Systems Thinking, Mapping, and Leadership Practicum I1.5
This engaged learning course will connect students to real-world problems in systems thinking, mapping, and leadership. Students will learn about how to apply a range of cutting-edge tools in systems thinking to a complex problem presented by a public affairs client organization (topics change annually). Note that this course requires a one-week field component held over winter break that represents .5 credit of the overall course grade.
PUBPOL 5950Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) Capstone0.5-7.5
The course is designed to act as an integrative experience combining the competencies and knowledge gained during the student's time in the EMPA Program and the experiences gained in employment. The field study allows students to work on a long-term project within their organization that has been identified as relevant to the coursework and important to the organization.
PUBPOL 5951Field Studies in Health Administration and Planning I1
Students interested in developing administrative and program-planning research skills are given an opportunity to evaluate an ongoing phase of health care agency activity in the light of sound administrative practice and principles of good medical care. In planning and carrying out the research, students work closely with a skilled practicing administrator and with members of the faculty.
PUBPOL 5952Field Studies in Health Administration and Planning II3
Students interested in developing administrative and program-planning research skills are given an opportunity to evaluate an ongoing phase of health care agency activity in the light of sound administrative practice and principles of good medical care. In planning and carrying out the research, students work closely with a skilled practicing administrator and with members of the faculty.
The course is the first half of the integrative capstone experience combining the competencies and knowledge gained during the first three semesters of the students' time at Sloan and the experiences gained in employment. In part 1 of this course, students work with their managers, capstone faculty, and Executives-In-Residence to identify a performance improvement project, strategy implementation project, or business development project that is of high importance to their organization. Students define the problem, research best practices, and trial solutions. Students present their preliminary findings and how they applied their coursework to their field study while on campus.
The course is the second half of the integrative capstone experience combining the competencies and knowledge gained during the last two semesters of the students' time at Sloan and the experiences gained in employment. In part two of this course, students track and analyze their data, perform a financial analysis, and present their findings.
PUBPOL 5959Systems Thinking, Mapping, and Leadership Practicum II1.5
This course is a real-world immersion experience into the kind of work Fellows will undertake. Dealing with wicked and non-trivial problems in large and complex systems where the client may or may not be ambiguous, the work may or may not be contracted and the product may or may not be welcomed. Deliverables for the course include a single, team-based Professional Report and a Professional Presentation. These products will summarize the results of the STML Fellows research and propose a framework for clients to understand and act upon the problem using systems thinking and leadership methods. The report relies heavily on a review of the literature on the topic, Fellows' discussions and interviews with experts in the field, and their own original analysis.
We will learn how to design and advocate for specific state-level public policies by practicing these skills before the legislative and administrative branches of the State of New York. In consultation with the professor, student teams will design public policy proposals based on a review of the academic, governmental and think tank literature; conversations with subject matter experts at Cornell and various NGOs; research and analysis of similar proposals in other states and countries; conversations with state and local policymakers; and discussions with community members and organizations, including community partners with lived experience. Although we will engage in policy design and advocacy primarily in New York State, we will also provide research and policy design services to stakeholders in other states, especially when a comparative or multi-state approach offers strategic benefits.
As a continuation of our work in PUBPOL 4960/PUBPOL 5960, we will learn how to design and advocate for specific state-level public policies by practicing these skills with community partners and stakeholders and before the legislative and administrative branches of the State of New York. In consultation with the professor, student teams will design and advocate for public policy proposals based on a review of the academic, governmental and think tank literature; conversations with subject matter experts at Cornell and various NGOs; research and analysis of similar proposals in other states and countries; conversations with state and local policymakers; and discussions with community members and organizations, including community partners with lived experience. Although we will engage in policy design and advocacy primarily in New York State, we will also provide research and policy design services to Stakeholderrs in other states, especially when a comparative or multi-state approach offers strategic benefits.
PUBPOL 5963Process Thinking and Quality Improvement in Health Care1
Quality improvement and process thinking; you've likely heard these phrases before. But what do they mean for the health care industry? In this course, you'll examine how principles developed and refined in manufacturing can be applied to healthcare. You'll examine case studies that explore the impact of changing processes and talk with your peers about what quality means for the healthcare industry. You'll access resources to help you identify the best solution to a problem, to analyze your data for useful information and to identify the root causes of a problem. (EMHA-EL)
This class will focus on the use of economics as a tool in forming and evaluating environmental policy, with a focus on how economists measure the health and economic effects of pollution and environmental regulation in the United States. Topics include: externalities in an environmental context; regulation methods such as command and control, Pigouvian taxation, and cap and trade; overview of current environmental legislation; environmental quality and health; regulation and environmental justice. (MPA-ECONPL, MPA-ENPO, MPA-INTPMN, MPA-ME, MPA-PUBNON, MPA-SOCPOL)
PUBPOL 5971Data Science and AI Policy Colloquium I0.5
The data colloquium is designed to provide Executive Master of Science in Data Science and Public Policy students with tools, as well as perspectives on leadership and general management, required to launch successful careers. This speaker series will expose students to the perspectives of senior professionals in the field of data science through interactive, case-based discussions.
PUBPOL 5972Data Science and AI Policy Colloquium II0.5
The data colloquium is designed to provide Executive Master of Science in Data Science and Public Policy students with tools, as well as perspectives on leadership and general management, required to launch successful careers. This speaker series will expose students to the perspectives of senior professionals in the field of data science through interactive, case-based discussions.
PUBPOL 5973Data Science and AI Policy Colloquium III1
The data colloquium is designed to provide Executive Master of Science in Data Science and Public Policy students with tools, as well as perspectives on leadership and general management, required to launch successful careers. This speaker series will expose students to the perspectives of senior professionals in the field of data science through interactive, case-based discussions.
PUBPOL 5974Data Science and AI Policy Colloquium IV0.5
The data colloquium is designed to provide Executive Master of Science in Data Science and Public Policy students with tools, as well as perspectives on leadership and general management, required to launch successful careers. This speaker series will expose students to the perspectives of senior professionals in the field of data science through interactive, case-based discussions.
PUBPOL 5979Environmental Finance and Impact Investing Practicum0.5-2.5
This experiential learning course will provide the opportunity for students to work as a team on some of the leading questions in the area of sustainable finance and impact investing today, while developing skills in client relationship management and project execution. Students will work with experts at South Pole, a leading sustainable finance firm based in Zurich, Switzerland, to develop and propose a financial product intended to deliver both economic as well as environmental and social returns. Specifically, the student team will be charged with conceptualizing and proposing a fund focused on investments in companies and projects in the area of sustainable tourism.
PUBPOL 5980Executive Master of Public Administration Capstone I0.5
The course is designed to act as an integrative experience combining the competencies and knowledge gained during the student’s time in the EMPA program and the experiences gained in employment. The field study allows students to work on a long-term project within their organization that has been identified as relevant to the coursework and important to the organization. Students will work on a project within their own organization throughout the 18-month course of the program. Applying what has been learned in courses and in their career, the students are expected to develop relevant and actionable strategic solutions for the project, culminating in an oral presentation, with a written summary of analysis, documentation, and rationale. The project, which will be determined in conjunction with the Capstone Advisor and a designated Executive-in-Residence (EIR), will allow the student to: experience firsthand project execution (including data collection and analysis), apply tools and concepts learned in EMPA coursework to actual organizational processes, hone skills for creative problem-solving, and develop and practice communication and leadership skills.
PUBPOL 5981Executive Master of Public Administration Capstone II1.5
The course is designed to act as an integrative experience combining the competencies and knowledge gained during the student’s time in the EMPA program and the experiences gained in employment. The field study allows students to work on a long-term project within their organization that has been identified as relevant to the coursework and important to the organization. Students will work on a project within their own organization throughout the 18-month course of the program. Applying what has been learned in courses and in their career, the students are expected to develop relevant and actionable strategic solutions for the project, culminating in an oral presentation, with a written summary of analysis, documentation, and rationale. The project, which will be determined in conjunction with the Capstone Advisor and a designated Executive-in-Residence (EIR), will allow the student to: experience firsthand project execution (including data collection and analysis), apply tools and concepts learned in EMPA coursework to actual organizational processes, hone skills for creative problem-solving, and develop and practice communication and leadership skills.
PUBPOL 5982Executive Master of Public Administration Capstone III1.5
The course is designed to act as an integrative experience combining the competencies and knowledge gained during the student’s time in the EMPA program and the experiences gained in employment. The field study allows students to work on a long-term project within their organization that has been identified as relevant to the coursework and important to the organization. Students will work on a project within their own organization throughout the 18-month course of the program. Applying what has been learned in courses and in their career, the students are expected to develop relevant and actionable strategic solutions for the project, culminating in an oral presentation, with a written summary of analysis, documentation, and rationale. The project, which will be determined in conjunction with the Capstone Advisor and a designated Executive-in-Residence (EIR), will allow the student to: experience firsthand project execution (including data collection and analysis), apply tools and concepts learned in EMPA coursework to actual organizational processes, hone skills for creative problem-solving, and develop and practice communication and leadership skills.
PUBPOL 5983Executive Master of Public Administration Capstone IV1.5
The course is designed to act as an integrative experience combining the competencies and knowledge gained during the student’s time in the EMPA program and the experiences gained in employment. The field study allows students to work on a long-term project within their organization that has been identified as relevant to the coursework and important to the organization. Students will work on a project within their own organization throughout the 18-month course of the program. Applying what has been learned in courses and in their career, the students are expected to develop relevant and actionable strategic solutions for the project, culminating in an oral presentation, with a written summary of analysis, documentation, and rationale. The project, which will be determined in conjunction with the Capstone Advisor and a designated Executive-in-Residence (EIR), will allow the student to: experience firsthand project execution (including data collection and analysis), apply tools and concepts learned in EMPA coursework to actual organizational processes, hone skills for creative problem-solving, and develop and practice communication and leadership skills.
PUBPOL 5984Executive Master of Public Administration Capstone V2.5
The course is designed to act as an integrative experience combining the competencies and knowledge gained during the student’s time in the EMPA program and the experiences gained in employment. The field study allows students to work on a long-term project within their organization that has been identified as relevant to the coursework and important to the organization. Students will work on a project within their own organization throughout the 18-month course of the program. Applying what has been learned in courses and in their career, the students are expected to develop relevant and actionable strategic solutions for the project, culminating in an oral presentation, with a written summary of analysis, documentation, and rationale. The project, which will be determined in conjunction with the Capstone Advisor and a designated Executive-in-Residence (EIR), will allow the student to: experience firsthand project execution (including data collection and analysis), apply tools and concepts learned in EMPA coursework to actual organizational processes, hone skills for creative problem-solving, and develop and practice communication and leadership skills.
PUBPOL 5990Challenges and Trends in the Health Services Industry1
Provides students with information and exposure to current and emerging issues in the health services industry. Topics may include financial management of health care facilities, human resource management, information systems, cost-effective clinical decision making, quality measurement and outcomes, public health, and entrepreneurship in the health services industry.
PUBPOL 6020Intermediate Statistics for Sociological Research4
This course provides the second part of a two-semester introduction to quantitative methods in sociological research. It is designed for first-year graduate students in sociology. The course covers intermediate topics in linear regression, and provides an introduction to models for categorical and count data, the analysis of time data, and longitudinal data. We'll also discuss data-related issues such as missing data and weighting, and data that are complicated by issues of non-random design. While statistical modeling is the focus of the course, we proceed with the assumption that models are only as good as the theoretical and substantive knowledge behind them. Thus, in covering the technical material, we will spend considerable time discussing the link between substantive knowledge and statistical practice.
PUBPOL 6040Qualitative, Survey, and Mixed Method Approaches to Policy Research3
Introduces students to theories and methods of data collection techniques such as in-depth interviews, ethnography, focus groups, and surveys as well as mixed-method approaches used in policy and evaluation research. Addresses the strengths and weaknesses of various methods and the design of qualitative and mixed-method studies. Covers epistemology, ethics, induction and deduction, measurement, validity, and triangulation. Also discusses more concrete issues such as gaining access to a field site, developing a qualitative interview guide and survey questionnaire, conducting a qualitative interview, managing data, and assessing data quality. (MPA-DA, MPA-DATSCI, MPA-TPA)
The objective of this course is to provide a conceptual overview and technical tool-kit for studying population issues and public policies. What is a demographic perspective? And how can it be applied usefully to important domestic and international policy issues of the day (e.g., housing segregation, health and retirement, labor mobility and immigration, and above- and below-replacement fertility, school projections, etc.). The course will introduce students to various demographic data sources (e.g., decennial census and periodic fertility surveys), conventional measures (e.g., fertility rates and measures of poverty/inequality), and conventional demographic techniques (e.g., life tables, rate standardization, and population forecasting) used in social demography. For the most part, the course places the emphasis on the appropriate application of demographic tools and on scientifically-sound interpretations.
This is the second course in the demographic techniques sequence. It has two foci. First, we will learn the basics of constructing single and multiple decrement life tables, along with extensions to cause-deleted life tables. Second, we will learn the basics of survival analysis, as well as how survival analysis relates to life tables. Although the primary goal is learning to use these techniques, this class also has a heavy emphasis on thinking about how to use these methods to produce something new and important for research. The grad students will also be asked to complete a 10 page research proposal. (MPA-DA, MPA-DATSCI, MPA-TPA)
PUBPOL 6090Empirical Strategies for Policy Analysis3
Focuses on empirical strategies to identify the causal effects of public policies and programs. The course uses problem sets based on real-world examples and data to examine techniques for analyzing nonexperimental data including control function approaches, matching methods, panel-data methods, selection models, instrumental variables, and regression-discontinuity methods. The emphasis throughout, however, is on the critical role of research design in facilitating credible causal inference. The course aids students in both learning to implement a variety of statistical tools using large data sets, and in learning to select which tools are best suited to a given research project. (MPA-DA, MPA-DATSCI)
PUBPOL 6091Empirical Strategies for Policy Research II3
This course is the second of a two-course sequence. Both PUBPOL 6090 and this course are, for the most part, targeted at students looking to do empirical research into the effects of some X on some Y. Both courses require students to complete problem sets that involve hands-on exercises - some based on real data and some using Monte Carlo simulations. The hope is that this learning by doing will reinforce what is taught in class. Usually, the first course covers core methods, specifically regression adjustment, matching and instrumental variables. This second course covers additional topics in matching (we will touch on machine learning methods in the process), regression discontinuity designs, panel data methods, and mediation analysis.
It is hard to find any domain of international politics untouched by international law, norms, or institutions. Even in what scholars term an "anarchic'' system -- one lacking a central authority over sovereign states -- international politics increasingly occurs in, through, and by international institutions. This advanced research seminar examines the complex politics among states, international organizations, and non governmental actors as they create, enforce, and contest the institutions and rules that govern the international order. Why do states create international institutions? How do these bodies influence state behavior and global outcomes? And through what processes do institutions persist, adapt, stagnate, or die? This course will explore these and other questions through an examination of foundational scholarship in the field of international relations and recent research at the empirical and theoretical frontier of the discipline. The course aims to prepare students to make their own contributions to the field. (GOVT-IR, MHA-EL)
The course provides an overview of key concepts and current issues in education, drawing on theoretical and empirical research in the field. Includes reading and discussion of academic literature on various topics: purpose and contemporary aims of education, school spending and accountability, school choice and competition, early childhood education.
This graduate seminar explores changes in family behaviors and household relationships from a demographic perspective. It focuses centrally on contemporary trends in the United States, considering (sometimes competing) interpretations of the causes and consequences of family change and variation, drawing on literature from demography, sociology, economics, and human development. Emphasis is placed on critically evaluating research in this area, including assessments of data quality, research design, and causal inference. Topics include union formation and dissolution, fertility, family structure, parenting, and the intersection of work and family. Cross-cutting these topics, we examine variation in family patterns by social class, race/ethnicity, and gender, and we think about their implications for the well-being of family members, social inequality, and public policy.
This comprehensive course covers microeconomic theory and its application to public policy analysis. Topics addressed include consumer decision-making, the theory of the firm, general equilibrium, welfare economics, monopolies and oligopolies, strategy, and market imperfections.
This course belongs to the health economics sequence. In addition to health economics, some topics cover public and labor economics. Students will also learn how to develop research sketches. First, we talk about U.S. health insurance and its intersection with the labor market. Then, we talk about health care providers, their reimbursement and behavior. Next, we study social insurance systems for health risks, such as disability or sick leave insurance. Finally, we cover specific topics like health measurement, the value of a statistical life or cost-benefit analysis. The lectures will not cover health behaviors (PUBPOL 6410), human capital and early childhood effects, the environment-health literature, and effects of income, education, and unemployment on health (behaviors).
Presentations of completed papers and work in progress by faculty members, advanced graduate students, and speakers from other universities. Focuses on professionalization and on the formulation, design, and execution of research papers and dissertations.
PUBPOL 6810Demography Training Series Proseminar0.5
The Demography Training Series (DTS) Proseminar is a professional development and speaker series hosted by the Cornell Population Center. The DTS series provides students with exposure to the highest-quality research in the field of demography, strengthens skills in demographic techniques, broadens knowledge of demographic data, and facilitates discussions on career development. To receive the graduate demography minor, students must complete this half-credit course a minimum of three times. Given the importance of these topics and to further develop a culture of demography on campus, all demography students are strongly encouraged to continually enroll and attend the DTS proseminar.
PUBPOL 6830Randomized Controlled Trials for Policy and Society3
This course is designed for graduate students interested in learning how to evaluate the quality of, design, conduct, and analyze data for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The goal is to teach students why RCTs are the scientific gold standard for causal evidence, how to assess published or proposed RCTs, avoid common errors in designing their own RCTs, conducting RCTs, and analyzing the data from RCTs.
PUBPOL 6854Law, Economics, and Public Policy Seminar0.5
The Law, Economics, and Policy seminar is a speaker hosted in the Brooks School of Public Policy. Outside (and sometimes internal) speakers give talks on a variety of topics relevant to advanced research in law, economics, and/or policy topics. This series provides graduate students with exposure to high-quality research, strengthens their skills in interpreting economics and policy research, and allows them networking opportunities with the external speakers.
This course consists of an introduction to policy research and the PhD program for graduate students. Enrolled students will become familiar with: a) current topics in policy research, b) resources and opportunities available for research in public policy and at Cornell more broadly, and c) best practices for success in graduate school.
Spatial Demography introduces core concepts and techniques for analyzing spatially referenced population data. Students learn about the spatial structure of social phenomenon and how to analyze and account for spatial relationships in formal analyses. We draw from examples in housing, health, and education to evaluate how populations are spatially distributed. The course covers methods for addressing spatial dependence and heterogeneity, as well as tools for describing spatial relationships (including various indices of segregation). A substantial portion of the course is also dedicated to practical skills for managing and presenting spatial data using GIS software, including geographic projections, geoprocessing, geocoding addresses, spatially joining layered data, and distance buffering. (MPA-DA, MPA-DATSCI, MPA-TPA)
The principal objective of this course is to explore empirical evidence on the role of government intervention in the economy. The focus of the course will be on reading important papers and learning techniques that will allow you to produce original research in public economics and to analyze critically existing research in the field.
PUBPOL 6971Topics in Public Finance and Behavioral Economics3
In this course, we will cover topics in public finance and explore how behavioral economics has influenced our thinking and analysis of major questions in the field. We will focus on reading and discussing important papers, as well as building an experimental toolkit. The goal of the course is to identify open questions at the research frontier and to develop new research ideas.
