PE 335C: COMPARATIVE PUBLIC POLICY
FALL 2003
COURSE FOCUS: This course is focused on studying public policies in several countries from a comparative perspective. It will involve asking what policies are in effect, why they are in effect, why other options have not been used, and how successful they have been. The politics and values involved in the policy choices will be our main orientation to the public polices along with a good understanding of the structures and processes involved in the policies.
The main policy areas to be studied are health, education and taxes. Health policy will be of primary interest but we will also study education, tax and income maintenance policies. The structure of the course is somewhat fluid so that if time permits as we progress throughout the course we will also look at some other policies such as immigration. We will focus on The United States, Germany, Britain and Sweden. These countries represent four major models of how states go about responding to questions concerning policies that concern the quality of life for their citizens. There are some important similarities among them at different points but also some major differences.
BOOKS:
Adolino, Jessica and Charles Blake. Comparing Public Policies: Issues and Choices in Six Industrialized Countries. 2000
Heidenheimer, Arnold J., Hugh Heclo, and Carolyn Teich Adams. Comparative Public Policy: The Politics of Choice in America, Europe, and Japan. 3rd ed.1990.
Moran, Michael. Governing the Health Care State: A Comparative Study of the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany.1999
OPTIONAL READINGS:
Giamo, Susan. "Introduction." Markets and Medicine 2002.
Giamo, Susan. "Conclusion." Markets and Medicine 2002
Evans, Tony. "A Human Right to Health?" 2002.
|
Aug.
21 |
Introduction What is public policy? Why comparative study? What approaches |
|
|
Aug.
26 |
Introduction cont. |
Heidenheimer, pp. 1-22 Adolino,
pp. 31-45 |
|
Aug.
28 |
Health Policy: a. The health care state b. Health care as a right? What are the philosophical, ideological and social value dimensions of the policy? We will seek to lay out major arguments and ideas with some debate rather then trying to arrive at a definitive conclusion (albeit we all probably have or will have such). We will look at key motivating values as we move from country to country. |
Moran, pp. 1-23
Prepare a 2 page typed argument for or against health care as a "right" in the political system. You need to discuss the philosophical and value grounds for your argument as well as any political rights as indicated by constitutional documents, etc.
Optional Reading: Evans, Tony. "A Human Right to Health?" 2002. Ralph Ellis. Just Results: Ethical Foundations for Policy Analysis. pp.7-31; 123-142 |
|
Sept.
2 |
Health Policy: The U.S. --Basic Values, History, Culture |
Heidenheimer, pp. 57-96 (This reading encompasses other countries as well. Read for background information in general and to provide some backdrop for discussion of U.S.) |
|
Sept.
4 |
--U.S. Health Policy: --Structure/Process --Health System --Political Structure/Process/Strategy --Access to Benefits --End Results in Quality of Life |
Moran, pp. 41-50 Adolino, pp. 217-221
Oberlander, Jonathon et al. "Health Care in Oregon: The Politics of Health Care Rationing." in The New Politics of State Health Policy. 2003. |
|
Sept.
9 |
--U.S. Health cont. |
Moran, pp. 79-91
Find some news articles on recent health issues including legislation on prescription drugs for the elderly and political policy statements of presidential candidates. Prepare a 2 page typed summary of information.
Optional Reading: Weissert and Weissert have a good example of health care politics. Read online at Weissert political example |
|
Sept.
11 |
--U.S. Health cont. |
Moran, pp. 119-130; 139-149 Califano news article: "Prescription Drug Benefits: Fix It Now or We'll Pay Later."
Optional Reading: Giamo, Susan. "Introduction." Markets and Medicine 2002. Giamo, Susan. "Conclusion." Markets and Medicine 2002
|
| Sept. 16 | German Health System: Guests Prof. Udo Kempf and Uschi Kempf, MD from Germany | |
|
Sept.
18 |
--U.S. Health cont. |
Select a country from the following list: France, Canada, Switzerland, Japan. Search out and take notes on health care information concerning your chosen country. Keep in portfolio for class discussion. |
| Sept. 23 | --U.S. Health cont. | Bring portfolio on notes on healthcare in the country you are studying |
| Sept. 25 | --U.S. Health cont. |
Review
reading in Heidenheimer and health policy/ Review Moran reading on
U.S.
Bring portfolio on notes on healthcare in the country you are studying |
|
Sept.
30 |
Summary and Review of U.S. Health Policy
I'll provide questions that are possibilities on the exam along with key terms you need to know.
|
Review reading in Heidenheimer and health policy |
| Oct. 2 | EXAM | |
| Oct 7 | SPRING BREAK | |
| Oct. 9 |
Health Policy: Britain
|
Moran, pp. 61-70; 101-110;Moran, pp. 149-164 Adolino, pp. 231-234 Moran, pp. 26-33
|
|
Oct. 14 |
--Britain: Health Policy cont.
I'LL ASK FOR SOME BRIEF REPORTS ON HEALTH POLICY IN YOUR COUNTRIES OF STUDY. ORGANIZE INFORMATION AROUND THE TYPE OF QUESTIONS/ INFORMATION WE'VE BEEN USING IN CLASS SUCH AS STRUCTURE/ACCESS, ETC. |
Search out and take notes on health care information concerning your chosen country. Keep in portfolio for class discussion. |
| Oct. 16 | --Britain: Health Policy cont. |
You should already have read the assignments below. Review for perhaps a better understanding in light of class lecture and discussion This is a good time to do some of the optional reading to develop your knowledge in this area, especially the Giaimo articles. Giamo, Susan. "Introduction." Markets and Medicine 2002. Giamo, Susan. "Conclusion." Markets and Medicine 2002
Moran, pp. 61-70; 101-110;Moran, pp. 149-164 Adolino, pp. 231-234 Moran, pp. 26-33
|
|
Oct. 21 |
Health Policy: Germany
|
Review reading in Heidenheimer and health policy Adolino, pp. 224-227 Moran, pp. 33-41
Optional Reading: Knox, Richard and Christopher Straub. "Paying for Health Care: The German Formula." in Germany's Health System. 1993. [This is somewhat outdated but still very useful in getting a good idea of the German health system.]
|
|
Oct. 23 |
--Germany: Health Policy --Brief reports on France's and Cuba's healthcare systems --2 page summary of key ideas/info. in article on the WHO ratings: methodology points, why study and what link to policy, especially democratic politics, findings |
Moran, pp. 70-79; 110-119: review pp. 149-164 read earlier |
| Oct. 28 |
--Germany: Health Policy
--PORTFOLIOS DUE ALONG WITH SUMMARIES. THESE PORTFOLIOS WILL BE PICKED UP IN CLASS. THEY SHOULD INCLUDE COPIES OF ARTICLES, AN UP-DATED BIBLIOGRAPHY AND A 5-PAGE SUMMARY OF IDEAS/INFORMATION
|
Search out and take notes on health care information concerning your chosen country. Keep in portfolio for class discussion. Portfolios and summary due. |
|
Oct. 30 |
Health Policy: Sweden |
Review reading in Heidenheimer and health policy Lundberg, et al. "Changing Health Inequalities in a Changing Society?: Sweden in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s." (We'll read this mainly to see how one studies an issue such as this rather than to commit its contents to memory.) |
|
Nov. 4 |
--Sweden: Health Policy
|
|
|
Nov. 6 |
Education Policies: U.S./Britain
|
Heidenheimer, pp. 23-56 Adolino, pp. 285-290;302-306 |
|
Nov. 11 |
Education Policies: Germany/Sweden
|
Adolino, pp. 294-298
Write a one-page set of key items of information you noted in report on Sweden's educational system below --i.e., what catches your attention and seems to be of special significance. [This will be handed out in class but is also on the Web site] Sweden's Educational System - report from Sweden's Ministry of Education |
|
Nov.
13 |
Tax Policy: U.S./Britain --Who pays for what? --My money? Our money? --Redistribution? What rights involved? --Who gets subsidized? --What is "too much?" --What determines?
|
Heidenheimer, pp. 183-207 Prepare a two page typed paper on answers/comments to the following questions: 1. Whose money is it? 2. Redistribution and what "rights" involved? This is not a research paper but what you know, understand, feel, believe, etc. at the moment.
If as you read about taxes you want to look up some economic terms the following Web site is quite helpful: |
|
Nov.
18 |
Tax Policy: Germany/Sweden |
Adolino,
pp. 178-207: covers various countries and also some general
questions/concerns
|
| Nov. 20 | Tax Policy continued | |
|
Nov.
25 |
Social Policies/Income Maintenance Policies --What is society's obligation to the least advantaged? --Why such policies?
|
Heidenheimer, pp. 218-255
Prepare a two-page typed paper on answers to the questions in the column to the left of this one. |
|
Nov.
27 |
|
|
|
Dec.
2 |
Social Policies/Income Maintenance Policies |
Adolino, pp. 243-276
|
|
Dec.
4 |
Social Policies/Income Maintenance |
Lindbom.
Anders. "Dismantling the Social Democratic Welfare Model? Anderson, Karen. “The Politics of Retrenchment in a Social Democratic State: Reform of Swedish Pensions and Unemployment Insurance.” Comparative Political Studies. November 2001 [We'll read this mainly to see how one studies such an issue although the content will be helpful in understanding this aspect of the social welfare system and the politics behind changes.] |
|
|
|
|
PAPERS:
(1) There are four two-page papers required. These involve your ideas, knowledge, understandings of the particular topics. They are not research papers but are for your thoughts and knowledge as we engage in class discussion. They will be graded as OK or "I". "I" will mean that you need to work through particular ideas a little more or check on some understandings you have of the issue. This will require simply a revision of the original two pages. It is intended that everyone end up with OK's.
(2) A portfolio of typed notes on health care policy/politics in the country you have chosen is required with a 5 page summary of the ideas and information presented in a comparative format. That is, you should in your summary refer to how the structure, process, values, politics differs from or is similar to other particular countries. You need not make a comparison each time to all other countries studied but should pick out one or two with regard to particular information for comparison. For example in discussing structure you may indicate that the structure of country X is similar to that of Britain's (or Germany's, etc.) structure in that... In another paragraph where you are discussing values you might refer to the difference from those values at work in the U.S. system and in another paragraph where you are indicating some for the quality indicators you might refer to broad OECD indicators or to another country such as Germany. Sources to be used include books, peer-reviewed articles and newspaper articles.
(3) You will have the opportunity to redo any of the papers or the portfolio in order to improve the quality of the work and receive a higher grade if all your work has been turned in in a timely fashion and displays a good effort to develop good papers.
READING FOR ANALYSIS OF METHOD OF STUDY: Some articles will be given to you for reading to look for how one studies a particular policy concern. This will mean locating (1)basic theories, (2)hypotheses, (3)data sources, (4)operational definitions, (5)findings, (6)conclusions drawn from findings and (7)qualifications to the results of the study. You'll need to "mark-up" the articles with underlinings, etc. relative to what are the theories, definitions, etc. for class discussion. No written paper is required for these articles, but you should be intimately acquainted with the content and how the study was done for our class discussion. [For some detail on critiquing an article you can go to http://www.stetson.edu/~gmaris/critique.htm]
GRADING:
Mid-term Exam----------20%
Four Short Papers-------20% (One grade will be given for all 4. Four "OK's = an A.)
Health Policy Paper------20%
Final Exam---------------40%