198. Experimental Course
Science and Public Policy
Why do some public policies fail while others work? Why does Congress pay attention to certain issues and enact public policy while ignoring other issues? Who sets the political agenda and determines what public policies will be enacted? What are the factors that determine who the winners and losers are in the policymaking process? This course provides an introduction to these questions through an examination of U.S. public policy and the policymaking process and its application to science policy. We will pay particular attention to the political, social, and economic institutions and actors that shape the policymaking process and implementation of U.S. public policy. Throughout the course, we will regularly use and apply case studies to understand the multiple dimensions of the policymaking environment.