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Bulletin Board

Next Monday is Yom Kippur. Rather than creating problems for students who cannot attend class (please notify me via e-mail), I will postpone the exam until October 20, foregoing the computer lab scheduled for that evening. I will present the essential material of the lab using our life Internet feed.

News Watch

I follow a variety of sources to capture a sense of what is happening and wish to share some of my observations. Here goes:

• Presidential politics is heating up. Check out the analysis of the political landscape offered recently by USA Today.
• Take a look at a critique of energy policy recently opined in the New York Times --- hope you have a subscription.
• Meanwhile, U.S. median income drops while poverty increases.
• All this while the federal government deficit grows and concerns mount. Tax cuts have had an impact on the deficit, but apparently not economic growth.
• But don't neglect the important California governor's race which Arnold Schwarzenegger is winning handily while incumbent Gray Davis falls further behind. A classic.

As I explained in an e-mail message sent today, I regret that I am unable to come to class tomorrow, September 29. Therefore, class is cancelled until October 6. Here is what you should do:

1. Please read the assignment for Formulation Part I, in the Schedule for October 6, when I hope to return. I anticipate making changes to our schedule, posting them as soon as I can. I will notify you via e-mail and the Bulletin Board.
2. Please give special attention to Part B of the Schedule for September 29. Think about a term paper or other project. Start work on the term project proposal, using the format linked from Part B.
3. Expect that the mid-term exam will be administered on October 13, as originally scheduled. The material will be curtailed to that covered in class and the weight given toward the final grade will be adjusted to reflect the shift.

As I recover, I will use the Bulletin Board to notify you of adaptations in the Schedule.

Here is our agenda for the class of September 22:

1. I have repaired the broken links which did not appear under the section Introduction To Public Policy.

2. We will conclude the discussion of the public policy cycle.

3. We will then move to the section on agenda-setting, with a brief excerpt from the film Gandhi.

4. Finally, we will anticipate the assignment for next week's class.

I have loaded the class photos for your inspection.

Our agenda for September 15 remains consistent with the Schedule: Introduction and How to Study Public Policy. I hope to also quickly review three additional documents:

1. Case study: Ramapo College Mission Statement
2. The prevailing policy environment and what to look for. Case study: Steven R. Weisman news analysis, New York Times, September 5, 2003: Bush Foreign Policy and Harsh Reality. Note this article is now available as abstract. Do NOT pay to access this from archives.
3. Counting billions, a frame of reference for government spending.

Later, under budget, we will examine the cascading federal deficit, so please bookmark Dizzying Dive to Red Ink Poses Stark Choices for Washington by David Firestone in the New York Times today, September 14.

If you have not yet done so, please send me an e-mail.

Welcome to the first edition of our Public Policy Bulletin Board for the fall, 2003, term. Drop by at least once each week for updates, agenda, reminders, news, and tips. Peruse the course materials to get the feel for the Public Policy Web Site. The web site and its linked resources comprise the main text for the course. Courseware, like software, needs to be debugged so your forbearance and feedback is appreciated. The Public Policy Web Site, which prints to over 300 pages, is a work in progress. Your patience is appreciated.

Please drop me a hello note at whayes@ramapo.edu telling me about yourself and why you are taking Public Policy. I use your messages to initiate a course e-mail distribution list. If the use of e-mail or the web site poses a problem for you, let me know.

Our agenda for this evening's class:

1. General introduction and announcements.
2. Review of Bulletin Board, Syllabus, Schedule
3. Overview of course. How to do well here.
4. Break: discussion of your issues with your professor
5. Roster confirmation and index cards
6. Next assignment

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The Public Policy Cycle Web Site | Page: © Wayne Hayes, Ph.D. | ™ ProfWork | wayne@profwork.com
Initialized: May 22, 2001 | Last Update: September 28, 2003