Public Affairs 401 (PUBL 401) is the capstone
course for the major in Public Affairs: Ethics, Politics, and Social Policy.
This seminar gives students an opportunity to explore issues in government
and ethics, using the knowledge and skills acquired in the course of major
work. The final paper can be used as the basis for a senior thesis (PUBL
402) in the spring of your senior year, and, because of the way it
draws on previous major work, your comprehensive evaluation.
Objectives:
There are no texts to buy for this seminar. Some readings will be provided via the reserve desk or by internet; for some segments you will be responsible for finding appropriate materials (with guidance from me where necessary).
Requirements:
Class participation and reports: 50%
Paper: 50%
Class participation and reports:
Your grade will depend on full participation in
discussion, short reports on joint readings, and reports on independent
work you do.
Presentation and Paper:
Each of you will present your paper to the seminar
toward the end of the semester; your presentation will be worth 15% of
your course grade, and the paper on which you base your presentation will
be worth 20% of your grade. You will revise your paper based on class discussion
and feedback from me; the revised version will be worth 15% of your grade.
(We may agree on a slightly different grading scheme as we go along.)
Tentative Schedule:
9/4 Introduction
Read Starr
9/11 Varieties of privatization
Browse e-mail collection
9/18 Concepts of property and public interest
Indept. research
9/25 Assumptions & arguments
*Kuttner, *Sclar
10/2 Topics in privatization
Independent researh
10/9 Break
10/16-12/11 Updates on projects, writing issues
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