Page 1 of 6 This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. GVPT 388I/386 – Public Policy Internship Program Fall term 2011 Monday 6:30 – 9:15pm Tydings Hall 2108 Instructor: Brittany H. Bramlett Office: Tydings 1155 Email: [email protected] Office hours: Mondays before/after class Course description We will examine the public policy process in American politics through theory, case studies, experience and guest speakers. The course will provide a basic introduction to the policy process and delve deeper into the variety of players involved in policymaking and the potential hiccups along the way. “The Government and Politics Public Policy Internship Program enables students to work in local, state, national, regional, or global political institutions and receive college credit. Students are expected to work 8-20 hours per week over a 15-week semester and attend a weekly seminar in order to complete the program.”1 You must register for the following courses to earn VPT credit for this internship: - GVPT 388I section 0101 for 3 credits, REG grading method - GVPT 386 for 6 credits, Pass/Fail grading method (optional, only register for this course if you wish to earn additional elective credits; this course will not count toward any GVPT major requirements) Fieldwork You are required to work 8 to 20 hours per week (for 15 weeks) for your public policy internship. It is up to you to figure out your work schedule with your supervisor. To make the most of your internship, you must be constantly aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to staff interactions, your office’s agenda, and current political activities. These observations will aid you in your field and course work. You may also become privy to confidential information during your internship, but it is very important that you respect that confidence. You must act with a high level of professionalism at all times. 1 http://www.bsos.umd.edu/GVPT/undergraduate/internships/Page 2 of 6 This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. Required texts Kingdon, John W. (2010). Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies. Updated 2nd Edition. New York: Longman. ISBN #9780205000869 You will be required to read one main textbook for the course, but there will be a few additional supplemental readings. All reading is due the date it is assigned. This course is not a lecture; it is a seminar. You should complete all of the assigned reading and come prepared to contribute to the class discussion. Students will have the opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences as well as their own. Additional readings will be made available through the Blackboard course page (www.elms.umd.edu). Please visit the page during the first week of class to make sure you can access the course material. Course requirements Participation (20%) Attendance is required and unexcused absences will be penalized. This class only meets once a week (a total of 14 times), so it is important that you attend every week (see absence policy below). When you attend class, I expect that you participate in discussions that I lead, pay close attention to and ask questions of guest speakers, and respond to the questions and topics raised by your fellow classmates. A high participation grade also requires that you be engaged in course content for the duration of the class time. This means that phones and other potentially distracting electronic devices should be silenced and kept out of view. 2 Quizzes (10% each, 20% total) You will take one quiz at the midpoint of the semester and the other near the end of the semester. You will be quizzed over material covered in class lectures and in the assigned readings. Discussion leader (10%) During the semester, each student will have an opportunity to lead discussion for a portion of the class period. This assignment requires that the student provide a short presentation with synopsis and analysis of a reading for the week. The student will then lead the class in discussion by asking a series of relevant questions.Page 3 of 6 This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. Memo 1 & 2 (10% each, 20% total) You should view each of the writing assignments as opportunities to get an early start on your final paper. The memos will be very important as you begin thinking about and writing your final paper. In the policy field, you must learn to present information clearly and concisely. The memo assignments will provide you with an opportunity to do this. For memo 1, you will discuss the background and trends specific to a certain policy area, bringing your audience up to date. Introduce the major players, or policy makers involved in the past and currently. You should provide relevant citations and also include some statistical and graphical information. The second memo should describe the actual and potential actions taken for the policy issue from memo 1. Describe likely policy responses for the issue and provide an evaluation of the responses with your recommendations for certain actions. Consider the problems faced by the relevant policymakers and the processes involved. Each memo should be no more than two full-pages, typed, and single-spaced. In addition, provide a list of works cited for each memo. Citations list (10%) This assignment is designed to help you prepare for your final paper by encouraging you to get started on the research. Prepare a list of 10 to 15 sources that you will use for your final paper. You can use some of the sources you cited in your memos, but you should also provide new research. Each source should be formatted in a common citation style. After each source, provide a paragraph that discusses why the source is relevant for your final paper. What element(s) will the source add or support? Final paper (20%) In the final paper, you will bring everything together and provide a comprehensive discussion of your chosen policy area. You need to discuss the policy area’s background, more recent federal activity, policymakers, reasons for different people/parties supporting/opposing different sides, problems encountered, and processes. While you can make some recommendations in your final comments for the paper, be sure to present each side in an unbiased manner. I am not so much interested in your opinion as I am looking to see whether you have made every effort to gain a