Public Policy

PPL 251

PPL 251 is designed to provide an introduction to issues related to equity in public policy. We will explore trends and explanations for social inequality across a range of identities, such as social class, race and ethnicity, and gender and sexual orientation. We will explore the role of public policy in producing and responding to inequality. Emphasis will be placed on institutions that mediate the transmission and reproduction of inequality, including families, neighborhoods, labor markets, the welfare system, and the criminal justice system.

PPL 301

The course will focus on how to use basic economic tools to understand arguments for public policy solutions to problems in a society. It uses economics to analyze the expected impact of public policy on the allocation of resources and to evaluate the benefits and costs of alternative policy solutions.

Prereq: ECO 201, PPL 201.

PPL 302

This course examines the important role of political context in the policy process. It equips students with the skills necessary to conduct effective public policy analysis from a political perspective and provides an understanding of the major actors and institutions involved in policymaking. We will begin with a broad discussion of the political institutions and policy actors in the policy process. Next, we will cover different stages of the policy process while focusing on the role of political institutions and actors in each one. In the end, we will apply the theories and perspectives to analyze the political context of various policy areas.

Prereq: PS 101, PPL 201.

PPL 303

This course focuses on the managers and leaders of public and nonprofit organizations. The objective is to understand the incentives confronting managers and workers of public/non-profit organizations and to illustrate how to successfully manage these organizations within an ever-changing environment. As such, it is critical for public managers to understand the interdependent nature of organizations, their environments, and the public policy process.

Prereq: PPL 201.

PPL 401

In this project-based course, students will gain practice identifying, managing, and analyzing datasets to address relevant and timely questions for public policy. Students will learn techniques for effective data visualization. The course emphasizes student familiarity with software and languages most valuable in policy fields. Throughout the semester, class materials, assignments, and discussions will build understanding of research designs and sound research practices to strengthen students’ capacity to critically evaluate claims from data analyses and policy research.

Prereq: STA 210 or STA 296 or equivalent; PPL 201; and PPL 301 or equivalent.

PPL 306

In this course, we will examine the ethical dilemmas of leadership, the foundations and context of moral choice, the moral implication of decision making within public organizations and the impact upon staff, morale, personal integrity and citizens. In doing so, our purpose is to make visible the ethical challenges and decisions facing leaders, to explore the leadership role in sharing the organization's ethical culture, and to examine governmental alternatives. An emphasis will be made on critical thinking, normative decision making, and the role of values in public policy and management. Ethical theories and principles commonly used in public administration and policy will be explored, as will theories related to leadership in public, private, and non-profit organizations. This course will challenge students to craft their own ethical perspective strengthened through critical examination of ethics theory utilizing case studies, readings and local public leadership who will share their own ethical perspectives.

Prereq: PS 101, PPL 201.

PPL 405

This is a course in which students learn to evaluate the impact of a program or policy in the public or nonprofit worlds. Evaluation research is a social science activity aimed at collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating information about the workings and effectiveness of social programs. The course introduces models and tools that will be used to formulate and evaluate policy options and finally make policy recommendations. Students will have opportunities to present their policy research ideas and methodology and receive feedback from their classmates and lecturers.

Prereq: PPL 201, PPL 401.

PPL 304

This course integrates financial management into decision making and addresses the struggle to match mission with financial resources. Topics include: understanding the components of nonprofit financial statements, budgeting, accounting for contributions, and sustainability.

Prereq: ECO 201, PPL 201.

PPL 434

The public is exposed to diverse, often conflicting views of public problems and policy solutions to those problems. The media, special interest groups, researchers, family, and friends espouse views on what the government or nonprofits ought to do to fix social problems or better societal outcomes. This course builds upon the entire public policy curriculum (content and research methods courses) to systematically examine a range of policy options that address these underlying problems. The overarching objective of this course is for each student to develop and write a capstone that will be orally presented in class. The capstone topic will be tailored to the policy interests of the students. Successful completion of this course is necessary to meet the University of Kentucky Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement (GCCR).

Prereq: This course will be open only to public policy majors who are in the last year of the program and have completed CIS/WRD 110/111 or equivalent course.