Instructor:
Any member of the faculty

Prerequisite:
None

Course Objectives:
A study of the policy issues faced by local government in an urban setting from a multi- disciplinary point of view.

As an elective course, PAdm 700 is designed to engage students in: 1) the application of materials and concepts related to public administration through research on specific policy issues on the public agenda; 2) the writing and oral presentation of cases and projects developed in class; and 3) broadening awareness of public policy issues by comparing issues in communities and states through research on the Internet.

Course Description:
Each student is required to research, write, and present to class their comparative research on a specific issue on the local government public policy agenda.  The resulting research papers include a definition of the issue; background and current status of the issue; relevant federal, state, and local laws, ordinances and court cases; summary of activities in various cities and other relevant local governments; specific examples of ways in which the issue has been handled; and a recap of the issue as an item on local government policy agendas.

Major Topics Covered:
Each student is required to extensively research their policy issue on the Internet; identify specific activities throughout the country related to the policy issue; define and summarize the policy issue; and prepare relevant material taken from the Internet to be distributed to the class as background reading material, as well as supportive material for their research projects.

Typical Textbooks & Readings:
The Internet is used as the text for this class.