PUAF 706 Public Policymaking for Journalists

Spring 2007

 

Van Munching Hall Room 1101                                                     Office Hours – By appointment

Instructor – Professor Catherine I. Riley – senriley@msn.com (410-371-0011)

 

I.   Course Introduction – Welcome to PUAF 706 – Public Policymaking for Journalists.  This course is designed for School of Journalism students who either are or will be staffing the Capital News Service.  Our goal is to provide you with practical knowledge about the public policy process, local, state and national governments, with particular emphasis on the State of Maryland.  This course differs from conventional courses on public policy, public administration, or state and local government by focusing on the political, procedural, and administrative realities of policy formation and implementation.  Thus, we focus on analyzing the hows and whys policies are developed. This format should assist you in becoming more skilled observers of the policy making process.

 

II.     Course Administration – This is a Graduate level course.  You are expected to read all assigned readings prior to class and be prepared to discuss them with your instructor, guests and members of the class.  Please note the readings are focused on the early to middle parts of the course in order to allow you time to work on your paper.  Should you have any questions regarding class time, location or weather related issues, please contact Professor Riley.

 

III.  Course Requirements -  Final grades will be computed as follows:  

 

Mid-term exam  - 25%

                                                            Course Paper     - 45%

                                                     Class Participation   - 30%

                                                                                       100%

 

The course paper entails doing the research for and writing a 20-24 page (double spaced, 12 point type) analytical paper about a specific policy.  It can be local, state or federal, and can be a policy that either failed or was enacted.  It cannot be a matter that has not attained a finished status, and it must be timely, i.e. of some recent vintage.  However, the focus of this paper is not on the outcome, but rather the whys and hows that led to the final outcome.  Who did what is important but how and why they did it are the critical issues to be examined.  A brief written description of your proposed paper is due in class on March 5, and the paper itself is due at the beginning of our last class on May 7.

 

 Your instructor will be pleased to work with you on selecting a topic and accessing sources.  There must be at least one primary source.  A working draft may be submitted for comment prior to your presentation date.  Approval of your topic will be based on appropriateness to this course. 

 

IV.              Weekly Topics, Assignments, and Guests

 

January 29        Introduction to Policymaking  – What is public policy, who are policymakers,  how do they get there and why do they do what they do - Overview

 

February 5       Politics, Parties and Processes –

 

                        The Power Game – Chap. 1, 3-6 pp. 3-19, 41-118

                        State of the States   - Chap. 1-2, pages 1-28

                        Congress and its Members – Chap. 3-6 pp. 38 - 191

 

February 12     Case Study: How and Why a Sports Stadium Got Built

                        Uncovering the Dome – pages 1-164

 

February 19     Project Day

 

February 26     The Legislative Process and Decision Making Part I

 

                        State of the States – Chap. 3, pages 29-51

                        The Power Game - Chap. 2, 7 and 9 pp. 20 – 41, 119 – 160, 216-271 

                        Congress and its Members - Chap. 7-8 pp. 192-270

 

March 5           The Legislative Process and Budgets

 

                        State of the States – Chap. 7, pages 120-140, Chap. 10, pages 192-217

                        The Power Game Chap 11, 13-14 &17 pp. 333-391, 451-565, 651-667

                        Congress and its Members Chap. 9 and 14 pp. 272-301, 420-449

                        Various handouts re: budget issues

 

March 12         Mid-term exam – on topics through March 6

The Courts

                        State of the States – Chap. 5, pages 81-100

                        Congress and its Members – Chapter 12 pp. 362-391

                        Case handout

 

March 19         Spring Break               

 

March 26         Executive Branch - Presidents and Governors

 

                        State of the States – Chap. 4, pages 53-80

                        The Power Game - Chap. 8, and 12 pp. 160-215,  392- 450

                        Congress and its Members - Chap. 10 pp. 304-332

 

April 2              Project Day

                       

April 9              Sine Die - Project Day

 

April 16            Interest Groups, Lobbying

 

                        The Third House - Chap. 3-9 pp. 41-203

                        Congress and its Members - Chap. 13 pp. 393-418

 

April 23            The Bureaucracy and Staff

 

                        The State of the States – Chap. 6, pages 101-119

The Power Game – Chap. 10 pp. 272- 328

                        Congress and it s Members – Chap. 11 pp. 334-361

 

April 30            Project Day

 

May 7              Class Presentations

 

V.                 Required Readings

 

Congress and its Members, 10th Edition, Roger Davidson and Walter Oleszek, Congressional Quarterly Press, 2006

The State of the States - Van Horn, Congressional Quarterly Press, 4th Edition, 2006

The Power Game, How Washington Works, Hedrick Smith, First Ballentine Books, Trade Edition, 1996

The Third House, Lobbyists and Lobbying in the States, 2nd Edition, Alan Rosenthal,  Congressional Quarterly Press, 2001

            Uncovering the Dome, Amy Klobuchar, Waveland Press, 1986

 

VI        Student Honor Code

The University of Maryland College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council.  This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students.  As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards in this course.  It is very important to you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation and plagiarism.  For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit http://www.shc.umd.edu.

 

To further exhibit your commitment to academic integrity, remember to sign the Honor Pledge on all examinations and assignments: “I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this examination (assignment).”