Course: PSCI 3325 American Public Policy

Professor: Gregory Combs and Euel Elliott

Term: Fall 2008
Meetings: Thursday, 10 AM -12:45 PM
Classroom: SOM 2.116

Professor’s Contact Information: Elliott Combs

Office Phone 972-883-2066 972-883-4929
Office Location GR 3.104 GR 3.516
Email Address eelliott@utdallas.edu gcombs@utdallas.edu
Office Hours Thursday 8-9:30AM and by appt. Tuesday 11AM-12PM and by appt.
Teaching Assistant TBA TBA
TA Office and phone TBA TBA
TA Office Hours TBA TBA

General Course Information

Course Description This course examines the development of U.S. public policy and public
policymaking. The course begins with an overview of the constitutional
foundations of the U.S political system and proceeds to a discussion of the public
policy process, examining the stages of policymaking and theories of the policy
process, including pluralism, rational choice, elite theory, and others. These
theories are discussed in the context of specific public policies and public policy
controversies, including social welfare, defense, tax policy, and other important
policy arenas.

Learning Objectives The objectives of this course are to provide students with an understanding of the
constitutional foundations of U.S. public policy, a working knowledge of the
policy process and an application of this knowledge and theories of the policy
process to understanding the specific contemporary public policy issues. Also,
since this course has been defined by the University as a core curriculum writing
course, a major element of GOVT 3325 will be to develop written communication
skills through an iterative process of feedback in the writing of the research paper.
Details are available below.

Course The course requirements will consist of a (1) 15 page research paper. Details are
Requirements given below. (2) There will also be two tests, the First Test is scheduled for
and Grading September 25 and the Final Exam is scheduled for December 11, the final being
Criteria non-comprehensive. (3) There will be three or four unannounced quizzes and
finally, (4) general class participation.

(1) The writing assignment will consist of a 15 page research paper on a piece of
legislation. Students will submit a short one-two paragraph abstract of their topic
by September 18. This process is designed to be iterative in order to maximize
feedback for the student. Therefore, the paper will be done and submitted in
successive drafts. The first installment is due on October 23. Feedback will be
provided and revisions suggested. The second draft will be turned in one
November 13. As with the first draft, feedback will be given, and the final version
of the paper submitted at the last day of class on December 4. a detailed
description of the desired content of each section or draft is provided on the
following page.
The key dates for the paper are as follows:

October 23 – submit first draft of paper

November 6 – first draft graded and returned
November 13 – submit revised paper
December 4 – final submission returned with comments and final grade

As noted above, the research paper will consist of analysis of a piece of legislation
of your choice. You may select federal, or state legislation. The legislation should
be reasonably contemporary, having been enacted in the last 20 years. The
analysis will consist of the following:

• What problem or problems was the legislation designed to deal with?

What were the origins of the problem?
• How was the problem/issue defined? Were there competing versions of
the definition of the problem?
• What political actors were most engaged regarding the issue (whether in a
supportive or opposition role)? This may include individuals, interest
groups, think tanks, bureaucracies, and so forth.
• How would you describe the agenda setting process? What explains the
ability of supporters to achieve sufficient agenda control and being this
issue to the attention of decision-makers in the legislative and executive
branches?
• Discuss the actual legislative process. Trace the key points in the
legislative process. Who were the key supporters/opponents? What
happened in the committee? Were there amendments?
• Evaluate the overall effectiveness of the legislation. Did it accomplish,
partially or in its entirety, what it was supposed to accomplish? Or did it
fail in our objectives?
• If it succeeded or failed, why did it do so? Was it a result of flawed policy
design? What could have been done differently?
• Has the legislation you examined spawned additional legislation, or
discussion of other legislation?
• Conclusion: What important lessons might we have learned from this
study? What does it say about decision-making and the efficiency of
political institutions?
• Remember that this is a research paper; as you need to draw upon the
literature in this area. This may include peer research scholarly journals,
journal of opinion, or newspapers. Use the citation style as dictated by the
APSA style manual.

(2) There will be one test and one non-comprehensive Final Exam. They will
consist of a combination of short answer and short essay questions. Note that the
First Test is scheduled for September 25, and the Final Exam, for December 11.

(3) Three or four short quizzes consisting of two or three short essay questions
will be given periodically, and unannounced, during the semester.

(4) Students are expected to attend and participate in class discussions.

 Grading Scheme
Quizzes 15%
Research Paper (first draft) 20%
Research Paper (revised final paper) 20%
Test no. One 20%
Final Exam 20%
Class participation 5%
TOTAL: 100%

The first grade assigned to the research paper will be based on your initial draft
submission. The final research paper grade will be determined by assessment of
your performance following feedback and suggestions and all revisions, i.e. it will
be based on a reading of your final revision of the paper.

Grading Scheme A+ = 97-100

A = 93-96
A- = 90-92
B+ = 87-89
B = 83-86
B- = 80-82
C+ = 77-79
C = 73-76
C- = 70-72
D+ = 67-69
D = 63-66
D- = 60-62
F = 0-59

Required Course
Readings Thomas R. Dye. 2006. Understanding Public Policy, 12th ed. Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Prentice Hall.

David A. Rochefort and Roger W. Cobb, 1994. The Politics of Problem Definition.
Lawrence.: University Press of Kansas.

There is also a packet of readings that can be purchased at the Off-Campus

Bookstore, Stanza Bookstore, and University Bookstore.

Schedule

Section I.
August 21 Introduction to the course

August 28 Constitutional Foundations of U.S. Political System

The Articles of Confederation, Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the U.S., and
Federalist papers 10 and 51 in Ginsburg, el al. We the People: An Introduction to American
Politics, A3-A25.

Federalism. Dye, Chapter 12

 September 4 The Evolution and Expansion of Government Responsibilities

Theodore Lowi. 1995. The End of the Republican Era, Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma
Press, PP: 1-79 [ebook].

September 4-11 Policy Analysis, Models of Politics and Policy Process

Dye, Chapters 1,2,and 3

Library Research Presentation [tentative]

Review: “How a Bill Becomes a Law” and “How a Bill Becomes a Law in Texas” in Ginsburg et
al. pg. 477 and 920 [packet]

September 11-18 A closer look at Problem Definition and Agenda Setting

David A. Rochefort and Roger W. Cobb. “Problem Definition: An Emerging Perspective” in The
Politics of Problem Definition

John Portz “Plant Closings, Community Definition, and the Local Response” in Rochefort and
Cobb, pp. 32-49.

Joseph F. Coughlin. “The Tragedy of the Concrete Commons: Defining Traffic Congestion as a
Public Problem: in Rochefort and Cobb. Pp 138-158.

David A. Rochefort and Roger W. Cobb “Instrumental Versus Expressive Definitions of AIDS
Policymaking” in Rochefort and Cobb. Pp 159-181.

Frank R. Baumgartner and Bryan D. Jones. 1993. Agendas and Instability in American Politics,
Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, pp.: 39-102.

A Closer Look at Policy Implementation and Evaluation

Dye, Chapter 15.
Paper Abstracts Due [ungraded]
September 25 Test No. One

Section II. Public Policy and Their Dynamics

October 2 Criminal Justice

Dye, Chapter 4

October 9 Health and Welfare

Dye, Chapter 5

October 16 Education
Dye, Chapter 6

October 23 Economic Policy

Dye, Chapter 7

Tax Policy
Dye, Chapter 8

FIRST DRAFT OF PAPER DUE

 October 30 International Trade and Immigration
Dye, Chapter 9

November 6 Environmental Policy

Dye, Chapter 10

Civil Rights
Dye, Chapter 11

FIRST DRAFT OF PAPER GRADED AND RETURNED

November 13 Defense Policy and Homeland Security

Dye, Chapters 13 & 14

SECOND DRAFT OF PAPER DUE

Section III. Political Decision-making and the Limits of Public Policy
November 20
Bryan D. Jones. 2001. Politics and the Architecture of Choice: Bounded Rationality and
Governance, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, pp.: 24-53 [found in packet of readings].

Bryan D. Jones, and Frank R. Baumgartner. 2005. “A Model of Choice for Public Policy.” Journal
of Public Administration Research and Theory. 15: 325-351.
November 27 Thanksgiving – No Class
December 4 Wrap-up and Review
PAPERS RETURNED
December 11 Final Exam

Course Policies
Make-up Tests and Makeup tests and Exams will be administered only if there is clear evidence the student was
Exams unable to take the test at the scheduled time. Students, in consultation with the instructor, may
choose to have the Final be given additional weight. A final exam is required.

Attendance Class roll will be taken on a regular basis. Attendance is not a component of the student’s grade;
however, it will be very difficult to do well in the course without attending on a regular basis.

Academic The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty.
Dishonesty Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by
the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual
honor in his or her scholastic work. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to,
statements, acts or omissions related to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree,
and/or the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic records.
Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings. (See
Appendix of the current undergraduate catalog).

Student Conduct & The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations
Discipline for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and
each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern
student conduct and activities. General information on student conduct and discipline is
contained in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each
academic year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of
recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and
Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and
in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating
Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the
 Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship.
He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules,
university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the
standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or
criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty.
Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by
the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual
honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to
applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or
material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the
following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students
suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other
source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see
general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the
web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.
Email Use The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between
faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues
concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university
encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email
address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a
UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the
identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD
furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with
university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level
Class courses. These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration
procedures must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements
from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any student. You must do the proper
paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to
attend the class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities,
Procedures of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments
of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to
resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the
grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”). Individual faculty members retain
primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at
that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the
respondent’s School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the
respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not
resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of
Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic
Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic
appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.
 Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations.

Incomplete Grade As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at
Policy the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade
must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the
required work to complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the
specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities
equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the
Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and
Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments
necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary
to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for
students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment requirement may be substituted (for example,
a research paper versus an oral presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes
enrolled students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities.
The college or university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or
mobility assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members
to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiring
special accommodation should contact the professor after class or during office hours.

Religious Holy Days The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for
the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are
exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding
the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to
take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period
equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies the
instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A
student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a
failing grade for that exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of
observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has
been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the
student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or
his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative
intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief
executive officer or designee.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor. Any
changes will be announced well ahead of time.