Administrative Burdens

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor

Red tape, confusing paperwork, and complex regulations often introduce delay and frustration into our experiences with government agencies. These 'administrative burdens' diminish the effectiveness of public programs and can even block individuals from fundamental rights like voting. This course documents how the administrative burdens citizens regularly encounter in their interactions with the state have large effects on people's access to public services and rights, reinforce patterns of inequality, and are often the product of deliberate policy choices. Using analyses of case studies and different policy areas - such as voting access, immigration, social security, and healthcare programs - students learn to identify and categorize administrative burdens. The course will feature policymakers and policy advocates talking about techniques to make government simpler, more respectful and accessible. Students will be asked to work on an applied project where they analyze and seek to reduce burdens in a specific public service.