PPOL 530: THE NONPROFIT SECTOR
This course provides an introduction to the U.S. nonprofit sector. The course divides into three parts. The first sessions provide an overview and brief history of the thousands of soup kitchens, shelters, think tanks, arts organizations, advocacy groups, private universities, voluntary hospitals, and other entities that comprise the nonprofit sector. The second part then considers the relation of nonprofits to their funding sources, including donors that contribute funds as well as clients that pay for services. The final section of the course examines the contribution that nonprofits make to society through the services they provide, their advocacy activity, and their efforts to increase "social capital." No prior knowledge of the nonprofit sector is required or assumed. Rather, the goal of the course is to give students a working knowledge of nonprofits and the context in which they operate. Professors Hodgkinson, Abramson.

 

PPOL 531: GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT OF A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
The purpose of this course is to provide a general introduction to the management and governance of non-profit organizations. Topics covered include the centrality of organizational mission, the responsibilities of nonprofit boards of directors, the interaction between staff and volunteers, constituency building, fundraising, financial management, basic legal and ethical requirements, strategic planning, and organizational change and renewal. The course is a seminar using the case study method. The goal is to give students the basic tools to cope effectively with the special (and especially satisfying) challenges of running a nonprofit organization in the service of the public good. Professor Mollison.

 

PPOL 532: NGO'S AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN VARIOUS NATIONS
The purpose of this course is to study the role, structure, and functions of the nonprofit sector in various nations. The course will focus on international comparative studies as well as individual country studies and the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating internationally. Areas and regions studied in the course will include the industrialized nations (including the U.S. and Japan); Russia and the eastern European countries; the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. Issues covered in the course will include prevalent theories of nonprofit sector formation; the nonprofit sector?s role in the creation and maintenance of civil societies and citizen participation; the size, scope, and dimensions of the nonprofit sector across nations; the impact of national histories and culture upon the structure and role of nonprofit sectors; and the relationship of this sector to government and business in various nations. A knowledge of the history, size and scope of the U.S. nonprofit sector is suggested. The course will be run as a seminar. Professor Hodgkinson. (also a course in the International Policy & Development track)

 

PPOL 535: PUBLIC POLICY, ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL CHANGE
This course examines the historic role nonprofit organizations have played in influencing public policy, building movements, organizing issue campaigns, and fostering civic engagement, as well as the changing relationships nonprofits have had with government, business and the media. It looks at many of the current policy and advocacy initiatives in fields such as welfare reform, the environment, poverty, civil rights, consumerism, health, and government reform. The course also provides an overview of the diverse strategies being used by nonprofit organizations to carry out their mission, such as organizing, legal services and litigation, research, voter education, lobbying, policy formulation, public education, and coalition building. A small, informal reception will follow each class to give students an opportunity to interact with outstanding guest speakers. Professor Eisenberg. (Also a course in the Education, Social and Family Policy Track)

 

PPOL 536: STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE: THEORIES AND APPLICATIONS. The goal of this course is to provide students with a basic knowledge of how state and local governments work in the United States. It is designed for students interested in state and local management as a career and for those who feel they can benefit from knowledge of governance at state and local level. State governments have major independent roles in making public policy. They are also important partners of the federal government in the implementation of many policies. Accordingly, the first part of this course focuses on state governments by examining how formal governance structures and institutional processes influence and constrain policy choices and administrative decisions at the state level. The theme of the second part of the course is the study of the local governments and their functions. This part of the course covers the origins and development of local government, its constitutional and statutory foundations, and political and social contexts of counties and municipalities. Finally, the last part is devoted to the case studies and to qualitative and quantitative analyses of state and local governments in order to give students a framework to understand, interpret and predict policy outcomes at the lower levels of the government. Professor Mete.

 

PPOL 538: FOUNDATIONS & PUBLIC POLICY. Philanthropic foundations have played a significant role in public policymaking in the United States since early in the Twentieth Century. This course examines the role of organized private philanthropy in our public life. Among other things, it explores the work of the Rockefeller and Rosenwald philanthropies in public health and the education of African-Americans in the South during the first decades of the Twentieth Century; the international programs of the Ford, Kellogg, Carnegie, and Rockefeller foundations in the years of reconstruction after World War II; and the institution-building of conservative foundations in 1970s and 1980s which propelled the modern conservative moment. The course will ask why the United States has developed so robust a tradition of private philanthropy, how foundations engage with the policy process, what limits there are and ought to be on their activities, and what, for better and for worse, they have accomplished. Professor Smith.

 

PPOL 539: PHILANTHROPY & PUBLIC POLICYThis seminar focuses critically on American foundations as well as major donor philanthropy and its effect on public policy and social change. Tax exemptions for charitable giving are based upon the expectation that public, not private, interests are being served. How do funders select the groups and issues to which they make grants? To whom are grantmakers accountable? What are the typical functions or roles of foundation staff, trustees, and donors as well as the nonprofit organizations they fund? How adept are foundations at impacting public policy? What are the partnerships they have formed with government? How much control and power do they exercise? How well are foundations regulated? Students are introduced to the philanthropic process through readings, facilitated class discussion, faculty and guest presentations. The major assignment is to select a topic, research and develop a detailed proposal for a grantmaking or operating program aimed at solving a particular social problem in an area such as criminal justice, education, the environment, employment, health care, human rights, national security, or poverty. Themes covered by the course include an overview of the history of philanthropy, the funding of advocacy and social movements, the influence of think tanks, the rise of conservative foundations, and contemporary regulatory issues. Professor Odendahl. 

 

PPOL 540: URBAN PROBLEMS
Urban Problems is an introduction to the economic and policy problems facing American cities. The course will review historical and theoretical frameworks and then uses these tools to analyze problems and potential policy solutions. The broad topics cover inner-city families, housing, schools, and case studies of Washington, DC and Detroit, Michigan. During the semester, students will complete four brief policy memoranda, a term paper, and an oral presentation.  Staff.

 

PPOL 544: THE PUBLIC SECTOR: TRENDS AND PERSPECTIVES
Effective government is critical to helping secure the public welfare, achieve a just social order, create an environment in which private enterprise can thrive, and plan for a society's future. While many would agree with these propositions, the role and capacity of government in fact is highly contested. Historically the role of government has varied over time in all countries. However, over the last 25 years, the responsibilities of governments, their size, the scope of their responsibilities, and their capacity have been particularly challenged by proponents of privatization, downsizing, deregulation and other approaches to limit government. Many of these perspectives are echoed in other democracies around the globe, and are reinforced in developing countries by international financial institutions which have tended to recommend smaller government, reduced government subsidies, and privatizing public assets. The broad theme of the course is that the scope and capacity of government is critical not only to affecting outcomes in particular policy areas such as education, health care and the environment, but as very broad policy decisions themselves. Professor Lipsky.

 

PPOL 548: NATIONAL ECONOMIC ISSUES
National Economic Issues is designed to give students an understanding of major issues facing economic policy makers at the national level and how federal economic policy is made. The course will focus on monetary policy decisions of the Federal Reserve, budgetary decisions of the administration and the congress, social security reform, and the federal government's fiscal interaction with state and local governments. It will also highlight some challenges to free-market capitalism, such as ensuring corporate integrity and providing adequate incomes. Professor Rivlin.

 

PPOL 570: PUBLIC POLICY & POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS.
Public policy and politics are inseparable. To try to make public policy without an understanding and appreciation of politics is like trying to raise fresh vegetables without gardening and fertilizer. Understanding the contemporary political campaign, its unique nature, and every campaign's distinct Seven Elements, can be enormously important in the making of public policy. A personal knowledge of the campaign --and how to participate in and influence it-- can be enormously advantageous to the policy person. This course will seek to show students the indivisibility between policy and politics, to and to help students become more effective policy maker by becoming more politically savvy and effective. Professor Shields.

 

PPOL 574: CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT & STRATEGY. This course takes a practical look at how political professional in both candidate and issue elections devise strategy, develop messages, raise funds, budget resources and use the tools of quantitative and qualitative research, targeting, paid advertising, direct mail, telephone contact and the Internet to persuade and mobilize voters. Explores how coalition-building, political party organization, interest groups, public participation, technology, media coverage, policy issue management and campaign finance regulation impact the electoral process. Includes analysis of campaign case studies and the role of political consultants. Professor Faucheux.

 

PPOL 584: US BUDGET PROCESS: FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL
Public budgeting as practiced at the federal, state, and local levels of government in the United States is the focus of this course. The course covers: the environment in which public budgeting occurs; the evolution of the budget process in the United States; the institutions, players, and processes in public budgeting; and the relationship of public budgeting to economic policy. The revenue side of the budget is examined in some detail; however, the major emphasis is placed on expenditures.  Relevant current events will be integrated into class discussion.  Professor Sitrin.

 

PPOL 586: POLITICAL ECONOMY OF CITIESThis course attempts to give students an overview of the policy issues facing citizens and their representatives in contemporary American cities, with special emphasis the Washington region. It examines how American cites evolved in response to economic, technological and demographic forces. It addresses the politics of cities, the relation of central cities to their suburbs, the evolution of federal and state policy toward cities, and contemporary efforts to revitalize distressed areas of central cities and older suburbs. The course is national in scope, but focuses especially on Georgetown University?s home town of Washington, D.C. We will talk about how national urban trends and conflicts are reflected in this region, what is unique about Washington as a city, how it is similar to other cities, and how current policy issues might be resolved Professor Rivlin. (also an Education, Social & Family Policy track course)

 

PPOL 587: ORGANIZATION THEORY
Various academic disciplines have produced different theories about the nature, purposes, and operations of organizations. In the first half of the course we will survey these theories of organizations from political science, economics, sociology, psychology, biology, physics, engineering, etc. How convincing is each theory? What characteristics of organizations does each theory appear to explain well or poorly? In the second half of the course, we will treat the various theories as alternative lenses for viewing and understanding specific organizational phenomena such as entrepreneurialism, leadership, the adoption of technology, managing a more or less political environment, and managing diversity. Which perspectives on organizations are most useful in explaining organizational outcomes regarding these important matters? Professor Wolf.

 

PPOL 588: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN GOVERNMENT
This course will introduce you to the roles, processes, challenges, and salience of financial management primarily in the public sector. You will learn about the fiscal demands and problems that public managers typically face, and how they seek to address them. Although we will spend a few weeks discussing standard budgeting questions and practices, the bulk of the course will be spent on topics related to the implementation of budgets such as public accounting, purchasing, debt management, risk management, and productivity enhancement. You should bring from the course a conceptual knowledge of the field adequate for you to converse intelligently with and understand the work of accountants, budget professionals, and financial managers. At the end of the course you also will be able to perform standard financial management operations with broad applications. Professor Wolf.

 

PPOL 595: PUBLIC LEADERSHIP: PRINCIPLES, PRACTICES AND REALITIES
This course is designed for students seeking to become more effective leaders in the public policy arena, as government officials and staff, legislative directors, issue advocates, or nonprofit managers. We will focus on effective leadership strategies for analyzing and diagnosing public problems and needs; for implementing creative and responsible solutions through policies or program delivery; and for mobilizing resources and support across organizations and sectors. Students will be challenged to think critically about the moral responsibilities and ethical dilemmas of public leadership; to understand the competing demands on leaders trying to accommodate politics, institutional constraints, and the multiple agendas of interested parties; to examine their own capacity for leadership; and to discover new ways to think about and exercise leadership for the public good. We will explore leadership principles and practices in a variety of ways: analysis of the current political scene, key actors, and forces influencing leadership decisions; case studies of leaders in action, from issue advocates to presidents; class discussions with experienced public leaders and the journalists who cover them; and participation in class activities designed to allow students to practice their leadership skills. Students also will have an opportunity to interview two leaders of their choice to learn about the issues they face, the strategies they use, and the advice they offer to emerging public leaders. Professor Kretman.

 

PPOL 664: TAX POLITICS & POLICY: HOW SHOULD WE PAY FOR A CIVILIZED SOCIETY?
How progressive should the tax system be? Should the tax system reward good behavior and punish bad? Should it provide subsidies to achieve social objectives, such as decent childcare, affordable housing, or access to health care? How should married couples and families be taxed? Should death be a taxable event? Should we tax the amount people earn or the amount people spend? The objectives of this course are: (1) to understand how the tax system got the way it is today; (2) to understand the major tax policy issues that drive the current political debate; and, (3) to understand the implications of alternative tax policy choices for the future.  PREREQUISITE:  Students must have already taken, or be concurrently enrolled in, Public Finance (PPOL 503) or its equivalent. Professor Burman.  (Also a course in the Environmental & Regulatory Policy Track)

 

PPOL 670: PROGRAM EVALUATION
This course introduces students to the approaches used by social scientists to evaluate the implementation and impacts of public policies. Topics covered include reasons for and uses of program evaluations; the different kinds of information gained through implementation analysis and the integration of qualitative and quantitative research; data collection; and cost-benefit analysis. The bulk of the course focuses on the techniques, advantages, and drawbacks of experimental and quasi-experimental designs. Prerequisites: PPOL501, PPOL508, and PPOL509.   Staff.

PPOL 688: HOMELAND SECURITY. This course is intended to provide a broad and deep understanding of a very large subject: the defense of the homeland against violent attack. The goal is to provide students a thorough understanding of the policy, strategy, legal and organizational issues and challenges associated with the defense of the U.S. homeland, the efforts underway to meet those challenges, and the range of means and methods that are or could be brought to bear on this subject. Professor Carafano. (also a course in the Environmental & Regulatory Policy track and International Development track)

 

 

PPOL 706: MANAGING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
This course will examine the challenges that development agencies face in managing projects in less developed countries, including implementation, staffing, monitoring and auditing projects. Professor Teele.  (also a course in the International Policy & Development track) (This Module is 1.5 credits)

 

PPOL 708: FISCAL ADJUSTMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
The course will begin with a general discussion of fiscal adjustment in theory and practice. Various topics or aspects of fiscal adjustment will then be reviewed. The topics include: tax policy, tax administration, public expenditure policy, public expenditure administration, and sustainable debt. Professor Vehorn. (also a course in the International Policy & Development track)  (This Module is 1.5 credits)

 

PPOL 713: POLICY IMPLEMENTATION. Policy implementation is what happens after decisions on the goals of policy and the overall mechanisms to achieve those goals have been decided. This module examines how policymakers try to turn those objectives and mechanisms into desired policy outputs and outcomes?and why they so frequently fail in doing so. The module examines the various tasks involved in implementation (e.g., interpretation of ambiguous policy objectives, coordination of actors with diverse missions, organization and routine provision of services) and problems that may arise in each of these tasks. Professor Lipsky.

 

PPOL 714: PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT. This module introduces students to the concepts, practices, and challenges of public sector organizational performance management. Students will learn about the evolution and current state-of-the-art of performance management as means of measuring and managing policy/program performance. The module includes material on strategic planning, the development and use of performance measures, reporting on performance, and efforts to link performance and budgets. Students will examine and analyze organizational performance management in at least one federal department or major program. By the end of the module, students should be able to assess an organization?s performance management system and develop a plan for improving its policy/program performance. Professor Breul.

 

PPOL 715: CONTRACTING
Contracting is a business arrangement between a government agency and a private entity in which the private entity promises, in exchange for money, to deliver certain products or services to the government agency or to others on the government?s behalf. The private entity may be a for-profit or a non-profit organization. This course will examine the defining features of purchase of service contracting, patterns of use, the basic mechanics (or nuts & bolts), management challenges for government agencies and for service providers, the growth of performance-based contracting techniques and how to maximize the benefits of purchase of service contracting for both sides. During one class we will discuss the management challenges of purchase of service contracting with a contracting official. No prior knowledge of contracting is required or assumed. Professor Breul. (This Module is 1.5 credits)

 

PPOL 716: PUBLIC POLICY & BUSINESS
Policy makers are increasingly interested in how business strategy and public policy can work together for the common good. Whether it is tackling AIDS, safeguarding Intellectual Property, or protecting the environment, there are advantages and disadvantages to this approach. For example, how should the policy maker balance the financial benefits of drug reimportation from Canada against the safety concerns of the pharmaceutical industry? Drawing lessons from both sides of the Atlantic, this course will show students how public policy decisions can influence ? and be influenced by ? business interests. The course will mix theory and case studies to encourage original thinking on persistent policy problems. Students will be required to present and defend case studies of their choice under guidance from the professor. By the end of the course, students will have insight into the real world challenges of professional policy making in a commercial environment. Professor Tucker. (This Module is 1.5 credits)

 

PPOL 717: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
This module will introduce students to the roles, processes, challenges, and salience of financial management. It will focus primarily on the implementation of budgets and may include topics such as public accounting, purchasing, debt management, risk management, and productivity enhancement. Staff. (This Module is 1.5 credits)