PS 341 - Law and Public Policy Research Seminar

(3.00 cr.)

American public policies are not always, or one might argue ever, the most efficient and effective set of laws to solve society's most important problems. Why do these policies exist if they are ineffectual, off point, or outdated? Policies are legal schemes designed and implemented, usually at great expense, to fix a public problem. Policies are also the product of their environment, which is composed of a highly divergent set of state and local legal-political systems. Students work alongside their professor conducting independent research exploring the following: How has a legal scheme shaped public policy within a particular issue area? How has the structure of the legal system itself impacted policy design and implementation? What subnational political characteristics have influenced policy adoption and development? Other issues studied include criminal punishment, homelessness, and immigration.

Sessions Typically Offered: Varies
Years Typically Offered: Varies