Environmental Studies - Spring 1998

This course introduces students to quick, researched methods of policy analysis. Many environmental studies students will find themselves in careers requiring them to assess environmental policies accurately and rapidly -- often with much less information than would be ideal. In this course we will assume that there is never enough time to perform the kind of research that most serious environmental problems warrant, but that action will often be taken anyway. Hence, the environmental policy analyst must be able to rapidly offer credible, well-supported advice and analysis, and to reveal her biases, normative commitments, and uncertainties in the process.

Despite the inherent uncertainties of environmental problems (and their possible solutions), we can obtain information for many of these issues. I will therefore expect students to gather a great deal of data (both qualitative and quantitative) on every topic they study in this course.

Carl V. Patton and David S. Sawicki. 1993. Basic Methods of Policy Analysis and Planning. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice- Hall, Inc., 2d edition.

1. Weekly excercises, due on Fridays by noon.

2. In-class reading summaries

3. Policy memos. Number 1 is due 2/4; number 2 is due 3/4.

4. Participation in class discussion.

1/7 - 1/9: Patton & Sawicki, pp. 1 - 73.

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1/14 - 1/16: Patton & Sawicki, pp. 74 - 109

1/21 - 1/23: Patton & Sawicki, pp. 109 - 146

1/28 - 1/30: Patton & Sawicki, pp. 147 - 185

2/4 - 2/6: Patton & Sawicki, pp. 186 - 226

Policy memo #1 due 2/4 at beginning of class

2/11 - 2/13: Patton & Sawicki, pp. 227 - 256

2/18 - 2/20: Exchange day, Feb. 18, No class: Patton & Sawicki, pp. 257 - 275

2/25 - 2/27: Patton & Sawicki, pp. 275 - 331

3/4 - 3/6: Patton & Sawicki, pp. 332 - 361

Policy memo #2 due 3/4 at beginning of class

3/11 - 3/13: Patton & Sawicki, pp. 362 - 397

This course will encourage and require that we remain in close contact throughout the quarter. Please obtain an e-mail account as soon as possible and e-mail me with your address. I will make available sources of data that you may find very useful for your policy memos. Once or twice a week I will e-mail all students with a list of materials and who I checked them out to -- that way you can consult among yourselves to share these sources.

Revised 7/13/04.