DPI-122: Politics and American Public Policy

How do major, transformative changes in public policy take place? Why do some big public policy reforms succeed while others fail or languish for decades? Major public policy changes often begin in the orderly world of analysis - but end in the messy world of partisan politics. To succeed a new initiative has to coincide with a political climate and a leadership capacity that allows the proponents to overcome the natural resistance to change. This course explores the major political institutions and organizations in the U.S. policy process. A "lobbying simulation" plays an important role in integrating elements of the course, and the course underscores the important roles of state, local, and tribal governments in addition to the federal government.