Policy Problems of the 21st Century: State Law, Policy, and Advocacy

This section of Policy Problems of the 21st Century examines the changing role of states in the American system – the ways in which states are simultaneously limited in their ability to respond to certain social challenges, but increasingly empowered and expected to engage in other spheres of policymaking. After reviewing the fundamentals of state policymaking, we will focus on four substantive areas: environmental justice; housing policy; constitutional and civil rights; and health care. We will find throughout the course that these substantive areas overlap in complex ways at the individual and societal level. During the semester you will engage in group discussions, debate and roleplaying exercises, complete two written assignments, and prepare a final “State Law, Policy and Advocacy Project” on a subject of your choosing. Readings will include: a policy textbook, Deborah Stone’s Policy Paradox; an ethnography, Desmond's