Horizons Programs at Camden Hills Regional High School
PUBLIC AFFAIRS 101: INTRODUCTION TO THE ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC POLICY
Course Syllabus and Description—Fall 2009
This Course is offered by Dr. Thom Buescher who is an Adjunct Faculty Member of the Public Affairs program of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Pubic Affairs at Syracuse University. He has been trained by Professor William D. Coplin, Director of the Public Affairs Program, College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School, and he is in contact with the program staff throughout the course. Part of your grade for this course is determined by submitting selected materials in May to Professor Coplin for his review and grading. At Syracuse University, PAF 101 fulfills a ‘social science and critical reflection requirement’ for the College of Arts and Sciences core. In your future college it would be a part of Political Science requirement.
The Focus of this Course:
PAF 101: Introduction to the Analysis of Public Policy introduces you to basic skills of public policy analysis. These skills are:
Become willing and able to “do good” effectively and publicly
Define and identify the components of public policy issues.
Communicate ideas and findings with respect to public policy issues.
Collect information on public policy issues.
Use graphs, tables, and statistics to analyze public policy.
Examine the use of surveys and informal interviewing procedures.
Identify a social problem and come up with a proposed public policy to deal with it.
List the benefits and costs of a proposed public policy. Develop benchmarks to assess the impact of your policy on Societal
Conditions.
Analyze the political factors and develop strategies to implement a proposed public policy.
PAF 101 Course Description (2)
Identify essential features of major current public policy issues. Work in teams effectively.
PAF 101 fulfills a social science and a critical reflection requirement for the College of Arts and Sciences core at Syracuse University. It introduces you to research skills that you will use throughout your college career and the rest of your life as a professional worker and a good citizen.
PAF 101 is divided into five parts. For each part, you will submit a module paper. The papers consist of exercises that you will download from the “download module link” on the SUPA PAF 101 web page http://supa.syr.edu/paf101/. Each module must be typed following the correct format. Absences, tardiness, or poor participation in class will result in deductions from each of your module grades as indicated. Class time will be used for lectures, speakers, and group exercises—including some of the team work on particular modules. Your own MODULE work will be done largely outside of class meetings.
MODULE DUE DATES (may adjust as needed) AND WEIGHTS: Exercise Due Dates Point Value
Module 1 (Chapter 1) SEPTEMBER
125 points
Module 2 (Chapters 2, 3, 4) SEPTEMBER 155 points
Module 3 (Chapters 5, 6) OCTOBER 120 points
Module 4 (Chapters 7, 8) NOVEMBER 120 points
Module 5 (Chapters 9, 10, 11) JANUARY 130 points
OTHER REQUIREMENTS from the Public Affairs Program: To avoid receiving up to one letter grade deduction from the Public Affairs Program of Syracuse University, you must go to the course website and complete the following also on http://supa.syr.edu/paf101/:
Fill in a pre-test questionnaire no later than five days after school starts. Fill in a post-test questionnaire before five days before the last class. Send your summary report no later than your last PAF class at CHRHS this term.
Course Desciption (3)
OTHER REQUIREMENTS In the Course for Dr. Buescher (see attached)
(A) Observation/report: Participation in Government in Five Towns (B) Regular reading/discussion of local/regional/national public policy issues
(C) Presentation/discussion: Editorial/ Op-Ed presentation & critique (D) Presentation/discussion in assigned areas from How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (provided)
SOURCE MATERIALS:
Coplin, William D. The Maxwell Manual for Good Citizenship. Croton on the Hudson: Policy Studies Associates, 2007.
Coplin, William D. How You Can Help: An Easy Guide to Doing Good Deeds in Your Everyday Life. New York: Routledge, 2000.
Carnegie, Dale. How to Win Friends and Influence People. New York: Pocket Books, 1982.
REGULATIONS AFFECTING GRADES You can obtain 650 points by handing in perfect papers on time, participating in all classes, and completing the community experience. The following rules should be carefully read and followed because they will directly affect your grades:
COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE (FIVETOWNS COMMUNITY). Each student must complete a community service experience of five hours and a one-page reflection paper. Failure to complete the experience by the specified date (DEC 15th) will result in a loss of 35 points from the 650 points available in the course. No points are added if you do the community service.
CHEATING Students must hand in their own work. Collaboration in research is permitted as long as there is not even the slightest evidence of direct copying or paraphrasing. Collaborating students should not be using the same articles, websites, or books. Any similarity in wording between two papers, including a consistent case of the same sources will result in a zero for both papers and a letter to your dean. The French legal system operates here: you are guilty until proven innocent. NO INCOMPLETES If your work is not finished by the last day of class, a zero for the unfinished work will be averaged into the grade. A grade of incomplete will not be given. No exceptions to this rule. SU does not permit INCOMPLETES.
LATE PAPER POLICY Any module papers LATE will pay a 5 pts per DAY penalty from the total module grade. As Dr. Coplin says to all: “Excuses due to computer and printer problems are not accepted.” Modules are due in electronic format to the instructor on the date specified. There is a one day ‘grace period’ you can invoke ONCE.—Friday to Monday.
Horizons Programs at Camden Hills Regional High School
PUBLIC AFFAIRS 101: INTRODUCTION TO THE ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC POLICY
Course Syllabus and Description—Fall 2009
This Course is offered by Dr. Thom Buescher who is an Adjunct Faculty Member of the Public Affairs program of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Pubic Affairs at Syracuse University. He has been trained by Professor William D. Coplin, Director of the Public Affairs Program, College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School, and he is in contact with the program staff throughout the course. Part of your grade for this course is determined by submitting selected materials in May to Professor Coplin for his review and grading. At Syracuse University, PAF 101 fulfills a ‘social science and critical reflection requirement’ for the College of Arts and Sciences core. In your future college it would be a part of Political Science requirement.
The Focus of this Course:
PAF 101: Introduction to the Analysis of Public Policy introduces you to basic skills of public policy analysis. These skills are:
Become willing and able to “do good” effectively and publicly
Define and identify the components of public policy issues.
Communicate ideas and findings with respect to public policy issues.
Collect information on public policy issues.
Use graphs, tables, and statistics to analyze public policy.
Examine the use of surveys and informal interviewing procedures.
Identify a social problem and come up with a proposed public policy to deal with it.
List the benefits and costs of a proposed public policy. Develop benchmarks to assess the impact of your policy on Societal
Conditions.
Analyze the political factors and develop strategies to implement a proposed public policy.
PAF 101 Course Description (2)
Identify essential features of major current public policy issues. Work in teams effectively.
PAF 101 fulfills a social science and a critical reflection requirement for the College of Arts and Sciences core at Syracuse University. It introduces you to research skills that you will use throughout your college career and the rest of your life as a professional worker and a good citizen.
PAF 101 is divided into five parts. For each part, you will submit a module paper. The papers consist of exercises that you will download from the “download module link” on the SUPA PAF 101 web page http://supa.syr.edu/paf101/. Each module must be typed following the correct format. Absences, tardiness, or poor participation in class will result in deductions from each of your module grades as indicated. Class time will be used for lectures, speakers, and group exercises—including some of the team work on particular modules. Your own MODULE work will be done largely outside of class meetings.
MODULE DUE DATES (may adjust as needed) AND WEIGHTS: Exercise Due Dates Point Value
Module 1 (Chapter 1) SEPTEMBER
125 points
Module 2 (Chapters 2, 3, 4) SEPTEMBER 155 points
Module 3 (Chapters 5, 6) OCTOBER 120 points
Module 4 (Chapters 7, 8) NOVEMBER 120 points
Module 5 (Chapters 9, 10, 11) JANUARY 130 points
OTHER REQUIREMENTS from the Public Affairs Program: To avoid receiving up to one letter grade deduction from the Public Affairs Program of Syracuse University, you must go to the course website and complete the following also on http://supa.syr.edu/paf101/:
Fill in a pre-test questionnaire no later than five days after school starts. Fill in a post-test questionnaire before five days before the last class. Send your summary report no later than your last PAF class at CHRHS this term.
Course Desciption (3)
OTHER REQUIREMENTS In the Course for Dr. Buescher (see attached)
(A) Observation/report: Participation in Government in Five Towns (B) Regular reading/discussion of local/regional/national public policy issues
(C) Presentation/discussion: Editorial/ Op-Ed presentation & critique (D) Presentation/discussion in assigned areas from How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (provided)
SOURCE MATERIALS:
Coplin, William D. The Maxwell Manual for Good Citizenship. Croton on the Hudson: Policy Studies Associates, 2007.
Coplin, William D. How You Can Help: An Easy Guide to Doing Good Deeds in Your Everyday Life. New York: Routledge, 2000.
Carnegie, Dale. How to Win Friends and Influence People. New York: Pocket Books, 1982.
REGULATIONS AFFECTING GRADES You can obtain 650 points by handing in perfect papers on time, participating in all classes, and completing the community experience. The following rules should be carefully read and followed because they will directly affect your grades:
COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE (FIVETOWNS COMMUNITY). Each student must complete a community service experience of five hours and a one-page reflection paper. Failure to complete the experience by the specified date (DEC 15th) will result in a loss of 35 points from the 650 points available in the course. No points are added if you do the community service.
CHEATING Students must hand in their own work. Collaboration in research is permitted as long as there is not even the slightest evidence of direct copying or paraphrasing. Collaborating students should not be using the same articles, websites, or books. Any similarity in wording between two papers, including a consistent case of the same sources will result in a zero for both papers and a letter to your dean. The French legal system operates here: you are guilty until proven innocent. NO INCOMPLETES If your work is not finished by the last day of class, a zero for the unfinished work will be averaged into the grade. A grade of incomplete will not be given. No exceptions to this rule. SU does not permit INCOMPLETES.
LATE PAPER POLICY Any module papers LATE will pay a 5 pts per DAY penalty from the total module grade. As Dr. Coplin says to all: “Excuses due to computer and printer problems are not accepted.” Modules are due in electronic format to the instructor on the date specified. There is a one day ‘grace period’ you can invoke ONCE.—Friday to Monday.