Course Syllabus

Welcome to PLSC 404: Analyzing Public Policy in the American States

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Overview

Description

Many courses give attention to how laws are developed, focusing on the legislative process, the influence of money and pressure groups, and the impact of parties. This course focuses elsewhere in the policy process and examines how the laws that result from the legislative process vary across the states and can be evaluated. If states are intended to be the “laboratories of democracy” as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis extolled it is incumbent that we understand how state policies can be meaningfully compared to draw conclusions.

This course focuses primarily on using statistical tools to gather data about the policies made by states and their effectiveness. Comparing the rules, and their effect, across states allows us to better understand how governmental rules effect, and are effected, by the conditions of the state.

Objectives

It is expected that by the end of the class students can:

1. Correctly discuss how policy is created in the American states and how political institutions and behavior effect lawmaking 
2. Use social science methodology to appropriately design studies measuring and comparing the public policies of states to draw relevant conclusions about their origin and efficacy 
3. Correctly apply appropriate statistical techniques to describe, categorize, model, and explain public policy data in written and visual forms 
4. Effectively organize and present statistical information concerning state policies and discuss the ethical implications of these to policymaking

Organization

This course is made up of 15 lessons providing you with hands-on experience using social science methodology to understand and evaluate state politics and policy. Each lesson is divided into two parts: Theory and Application. In the theory section, you will be exposed to the relevant academic literatures and policy debates and in the application section, you will apply statistical methods to policy data from across the American states. You should expect in lesson to: 

Theory Section:

• Watch a short video introducing foundational concepts and theories 
• Read book chapters and journal articles 
• Complete a short reading quiz to demonstrate your understanding of the material 
• Participate in discussion with classmates to explore big ideas and current debates 

Application Section: 

• Review statistical methods and explore new techniques 
• Complete ungraded quizzes to ensure you understand the material 
• Use statistical software to apply the methods learned to state policies 

Finally, throughout the semester you will be working to complete a research project in which you choose a research question and apply the skills you’ve learned in this course to draw appropriate conclusions. You will present this work to the class during the final week and submit a written report. 

Online Learning and Attendance

This course has been developed to promote asynchronous learning. The instructor and students do NOT meet on a designated day and time each week. For each lesson, there is a timeframe to complete all activities and assignments, and you may work at your own pace within that timeframe. However, you must adhere to the due dates outlined on the Calendar. (Due dates can also be viewed under the Syllabus tab.) You should log into the course daily to check for updates, review lessons, and participate in activities.

Materials

Texts and Other Materials

The following texts are required:

• Moncrief, Gary and Peverill Squire. 2013. Why States Matter: An Introduction to State Politics. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-7425- 7038-2
• Sabatier, Paul A.; Weible, Christopher M. 2014. Theories of the Policy Process 3rd edition. Westview Press. ISBN: 9780813349275 (Available from the Penn State Library: http://pensu.eblib.com/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=1181620)

The following books are recommended:

• Crawley, Michael J. 2015. Statistics: An Introduction Using R. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley. ISBN: 978-1-1189-4109-6. (Available from the Penn State Library: http://site.ebrary.com/lib/pennstate/detail.action?docID=10931968)

The following software are required (note: you must install this on your computer – it cannot be run from a mobile device:

• R – This statistics environment is free and downloadable from: https://cran.r-project.org
• RStudio – This is free and downloadable from: https://www.rstudio.com/products/rstudio/#Desktop

Access the online training library at http://lynda.psu.edu/ for additional resources. Log in with your PSU Access account.

Course Reserves

There are electronic resources on reserve for this course that can be accessed through the Penn State Libraries. To access your Course Reserves, please use the Library Resources tab in the course navigation menu. For any questions you may have about viewing or printing your Course Reserves, refer to the View and Print Electronic Course Reserves page at https://libraries.psu.edu/services/course-reserves/using-electronic-reserves/view-and-print-electronic-course-reserves.

Library Services

There is a Library Course Guide specifically designed for PLSC404 at http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/WC/PLSC404. It is also located under Library Resources

Penn State Libraries provides a wide variety of services and resources. To learn how to take advantage, refer to the Online Student Library Guide at http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/onlinestudentlibraryguide. This guide, more generic than your specific course guide linked above, serves as your starting point for access to all that Penn State Libraries can offer you as an online student. Use this guide if you have questions on library services offered to you, how the library can help you, how to use the library, or what resources you can access via the library! The guide will connect you to important pages and resources within Penn State Libraries and save time from you searching for the information you need.

Grading

Final letter grades will be assigned based on the scale below.

Scale

Due Dates

All assignments are due by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the date indicated on the Calendar. (Due dates can be also be viewed under the Syllabus tab.) Please be aware that Canvas follows the Eastern Time (ET) time zone. Assignment due dates adhere to this time zone, and it is your responsibility to submit assignments accordingly. If you are outside of the ET time zone, you can set your Canvas account to sync to it. Refer to the Set a Time Zone article in the Canvas Guide at https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10622.

As a general rule, you will NOT be able to go back and make up missed assignments. It is your responsibility to keep up with your assignments. Students with an excused absence (e.g. hospitalization, jury duty, family emergency, or military service) may be asked to produce proper documentation in order to make up graded work. All make-up work is at the discretion of the instructor.

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g. upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.

Notes

• To Do List: Some assignments may not appear in the To Do list under the Home tab. Use the Calendar or Syllabus to ensure that you are fully aware of assignment due dates.

Assignments

Basic information about each assignment group is provided below. For detailed directions about an individual assignment, see the assignment information under the Modules tab.

You can expect meaningful feedback on assignments within five days of their due date.

Reading Assignments

I will count your best 10 (out of 15) reading assignments toward your final grade. Each assignment will be worth 20 points. Please be aware that you may not skip the reading assignments in lessons five and six. 

Following the completion of each reading and analysis section, you will be an assignment to assess your understanding of the material. Assessments will take on a number of forms (i.e. multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, solve equations, and essays) and will be drawn from the readings and videos. The amount of time necessary to complete each assignment may vary as some ask you to apply material from readings while others require that you to analyze data and discuss results. Due dates for all assignments are listed on the course calendar.

Application Assignments

I will count your best 10 (out of 14) application assignments toward your final grade. The size of each application assignment will vary across the weeks depending on the content covered, but each will be worth 40 points.

Following the completion of each reading and application section, there will be an assignment to assess your understanding of the material. Assessments will take on a number of forms (i.e. multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, solve equations, and essays) and will be drawn from the readings and videos. The amount of time necessary to complete each assignment may vary as some ask you to apply material from readings while others require that you to analyze data and discuss results. Due dates for all assignments are listed on the course calendar.

Discussion Posts & Responses

Each week I will post a question or prompt relating to the week’s readings. You are required to propose an answer to this question and comment on one other student’s response. It is expected that your response is about 1-2 paragraphs in length and your response to the work of other’s demonstrates thoughtful consideration. The due date for your discussion post and response each week are listed on the course calendar.

Research Project

Over the course of the semester, you will identify an interesting research question relevant to the study public policy in the American states, develop a testable hypothesis, review the relevant literature, assemble a dataset and conduct analyses to test your supposition. This project will be completed in stages throughout the semester that will be synthesized into a whitepaper and presentation during the final week of class. 

University Policies

Academic Integrity

Penn State defines academic integrity as the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. All students should act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts.

Dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated in this course. Dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating information or citations, facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession of examinations, submitting work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor, or tampering with the academic work of other students. Students who are found to be dishonest will receive academic sanctions and will be reported to the University's Judicial Affairs office for possible further disciplinary sanction. For further information, please read University Faculty Senate Policy 49-20 at http://senate.psu.edu/policies-and-rules-for-undergraduate-students/47-00-48-00-and-49-00-grades/#49-20.

Disability Access

Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources website provides contact information for every Penn State campus at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/disability-coordinator. For further information, please visit the Student Disability Resources website at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources.

In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation described at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/applying-for-services. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

Nondiscrimination

Penn State is committed to equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment for all persons. It is the policy of the University to maintain an environment free of harassment and free of discrimination against any person because of age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, marital or family status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, physical or mental disability, gender, perceived gender, gender identity, genetic information or political ideas. Discriminatory conduct and harassment, as well as sexual misconduct and relationship violence, violates the dignity of individuals, impedes the realization of the University's educational mission, and will not be tolerated. For further information, please visit the Affirmative Action Office website at http://www.psu.edu/dept/aaoffice/.

Reporting a Bias Incident

Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage at http://equity.psu.edu/reportbias/.

Counseling and Psychological Services

Penn State's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) office offers residential and distance-based Penn State students non-emergency mental health services in the form of case management, community resource referrals, supportive listening, care giver support, and much more.

Students may request assistance from CAPS regarding a variety of common mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, and stress. CAPS services are designed to enhance students' ability to fully benefit from the University environment and academic experience. Call CAPS at 814-863-0395 (8 am-5 pm, Monday-Friday EST) or submit an inquiry online at http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/counseling/contact_form.shtml to schedule an appointment with a mental health advocate, who can help you address mental health concerns that may interfere with your academic progress or social development. This appointment will include a one-on-one session that can be conducted via telephone, teleconference (Skype, FaceTime, etc.), or locally at Penn State University Park. For more information on services provided through CAPS, please visit the Penn State CAPS website at http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/counseling/. Students enrolled at the World Campus are also encouraged to visit its Mental Health Services page at http://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/student-services/mental-health-services.

Reminder: These services are for non-emergencies only. If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis situation, please call your local crisis center or 911.

TEACH Act

The materials on the course website are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated.

University Emergency Procedure

In the event of a University-wide emergency, the course may be subject to changes. Exigent circumstances may require alternative delivery methods, class materials, and interactions with the instructor and/or classmates. In addition, there may be revisions to grading policies and the Calendar, including assignments and their due dates.

In the event of a University-wide emergency, please refer to the Canvas website at https://psu.instructure.com for specific information related to the course. For more general information about the emergency situation, please refer to the Penn State website at http://www.psu.edu or Penn State News website at http://news.psu.edu.

To register with PSUAlert, a service designed to alert the Penn State community when situations arise that affect the ability of a campus to function normally, please go to the PSU Alert website at https://psualert.psu.edu/. Subscribers can receive alerts by text message to cell phones, and also can elect to have alerts sent to an email address.

Syllabus Subject to Change

The class will likely adhere to the information outlined in this Syllabus and the Calendar, but adjustments may be made based on what actually transpires during the semester. Remaining in the course after reading this Syllabus will signal that you accept the possibility of changes and responsibility for being aware of them.