UG Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy (UPADM-GP)

This course provides an introduction to the political institutions and processes through which public policy is made and implemented in the United States (although the key concepts are applicable to other political systems as well). The course also introduces students to the tools of policy analysis. The first half of the course presents the major models of policymaking and policy analysis. The second half of the course applies these concepts to specific policy areas such as health, education, and environment, as illustrated by real-world case studies. The course emphasizes written and oral communication through the development of professional memo-writing and presentation skills.

September 11 brought a dramatic surge in what Americans expected of themselves and their civic institutions. Americans reported increased interest in all aspects of public life, including voting, volunteering, and careers in government. Three years later, however, the interest has yet to produce a parallel increase in civic activity. This course will provide undergraduate students an opportunity to examine the promise of public service embedded in American history and contemporary events, while exploring the perils of participation that may explain the public's reluctance to actually engage. The course will also explore competing definitions of public service, as well as proposals for increasing civic engagement through various forms of national service, including the draft. The course will feature occasional guest lectures by leading public servants in New York City, as well as student research on just what public service means today.

The goal of this course is to introduce you to management skills for potential service in the public and non-profit sectors. The course provides you with tools to diagnose and solve organizational problems, to influence the actions of individuals, groups, and organizations, and to lead impactful public service organizations. You presumably choose this course because you want to have a positive impact in the world. Your interest could be affordable housing, more bicycle lanes, arts programs for disadvantaged kids or access to quality pre-natal care. It could be making sure public policies are based on the best possible evidence, or that nonprofits are financially solvent, or that staff are treated fairly and respectfully. Whatever your passion, you can only realize that impact by mastering organizational processes. Organizations are the way work gets organized, coordinated, and accomplished. Knowing how organizations work – how to work within them – are perhaps the most powerful tools you can have. A key management task is to assemble the skills, talents, and resources of individuals and groups into those combinations that best solve the organizational problems at hand. You must manage people, information, and processes to accomplish organizational goals; you must make things happen, and often not under conditions or timeframes of your own choosing; and you must learn from the challenges you experience. The successful execution of these tasks requires leaders to understand what skills and abilities they bring to and need from their teams and organizations, to formulate a mission and strategy, to make effective and ethical decisions, to recruit, influence and motivate diverse individuals, to optimize the structure of their organization, to measure and improve performance, and to drive organizational change. The course prepares you to achieve these objectives by providing you with fundamental frameworks and tools developed from the behavioral and social sciences and tested by leaders in organizations representing all sectors of the economy. In addition to lectures, the course includes readings and analyzing case studies, engaging in role-playing exercises and a semester long team project to design and create the components of a virtual nonprofit organization. Student teams will be 3-5 students, and will require team time in addition to scheduled course hours.

This course introduces students to basic statistical methods and their application to management, policy, and financial decision-making. The course covers the essential elements of descriptive statistics, univariate and bivariate statistical inference, and introduces multivariate analysis. In addition to covering statistical theory the course emphasizes applied statistics and data analysis. The primary goal of this course is to introduce these basic skills and encourage a critical approach to reviewing statistical findings and using statistical reasoning in decision making.

The Economics of Public Policy analyzes the impact of public policy on the allocation of resources and the distribution of income in the economy. In this course, you will learn how to use the tools of microeconomics and empirical analysis to answer these questions: When should the government intervene in the economy? How might the government intervene? And, what are the effects of those interventions on economic outcomes? The course will include topics such as: income distribution and welfare programs, taxation and tax reform, government debt, market failures, Social Security, unemployment insurance and health insurance.

The past five years have forced a national reexamination of the institution of the American presidency. And the effect has been traumatic. Allies of former President Trump celebrated the disruption of presidential “norms” in support of populist ideals. Supporters of President Biden bemoaned the disappearance of those “norms” and saw, especially on January 6th 2021, the threat that a resurgent “Imperial Presidency” posed to American democracy and its constitutional system. This course will introduce students to the evolution of the presidency, especially its phases in the modern era. Besides providing an historical context for the 45th and 46th presidencies, the class will examine the nuts and bolts of the most powerful executive position in the World. What role have modern presidents played in shaping our economy, our institutions, our environment and the global system? Are there any limits on presidential power at home and abroad? How were these limits established and, under our constitutional system, can they be undone? How have the nuclear and digital ages and this extremely partisan moment affected those powers? What role does the character or personality of the incumbent play in the functioning or effectiveness of a presidency? More specifically, to what extent have modern presidents added to, lessened or simply ignored the racial, social and environmental injustices and economic disparities that tarnish and contradict the promise of this country’s founding documents. The core objective of this course is to assist students in acquiring the knowledge and analytical skills to assess any American presidency and understand its role in shaping the United States and the wider world.

This course will provide undergraduate students with an understanding of the political and governmental processes that influence New York City. The course will explore the structure of the municipal government, the role of the mayor and city council, the way in which state and regional agencies affect public services, and the role of the media in the political life of New York City.

This course examines the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable urban development. Some of the major themes explored include indicators of sustainability, urban demographic trends, environmental justice, green building, urban sprawl, sustainable energy and transportation, and global climate change. In addition, the role of information technology (IT) and social networks is discussed in the context of promoting ideas globally about sustainable development.

In early 2020 the intertwined economic, social, and political crises facing cities brought renewed public awareness to entrenched racial inequality and oppression in the United States, particularly anti-Black racism. Students in this course will develop a critical understanding of the causes and consequences of racial inequality in America with a focus on spatial inequality, racial segregation, and concentrated poverty in cities. We will start by exploring the historical role markets, policy, and civil society have played in creating and perpetuating urban inequality. We will then focus on the continued consequences of spatial inequality and racial segregation on individual and community well-being. This will provide insight into how racial segregation structures contemporary policy issues, spanning homelessness, gentrification and displacement, to policing, political power, and inequality in exposure to the fallout of climate change and access to quality education, good jobs, and healthy environments. We conclude with the visions for a more just and equitable future articulated by activists, scholars, and front-line community groups. This course will draw on classic academic materials on American urban history, contemporary research, multimedia such as podcasts and music, and investigative and data journalism.

Women have engaged and been represented in public service in America through their fearless Women's Suffrage movement to gain the right to vote, which officially began in the 19th century, in 1848, during the Seneca Falls Convention, where the first women's rights convention, was held and was triumphantly realized in the early 20th century After a hard-fought series of votes in the U.S. Congress and in state legislatures, when the Nineteenth Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution on August 20, 1920. To date, however, it is recognized, the road to elected and appointed office for women leaders is not equitable for those seeking to serve in public office. Although women make up the majority of our American population, women are the majority of registered voters and women graduate college at higher rates than men from post secondary education institutions; women are only a fraction of our elected and appointed officials. Statistics, big data analytics tell the sobering story. This course will teach offerings which underscore "Leadership, Women and Public Service in American Cities" charting the course and exploring the experience of women and girls in public service leadership. We will examine the context of equity for women in the structural realities and gender attitudes within the American political and civic systems. Our students will connect with women leaders and advocates for women leaders; we will teach women’s historic and contemporary participation in public service. Utilizing political and Intersection theory we will focus on trends, implications and impact of ethnicity, race, class, gender & religion on women in politics and public service. Through coursework, guest speakers and hands-on activities students will learn how they can be a participant in and influence the public agenda through public service, politics and impacting public policy. The coursework will review leadership skills-set, career paths and analyze barriers that have traditionally kept women from achieving their political and leadership potential.

Public service is often studied or practiced in ways that are disconnected from politics. This course reunites these two realms in ways that persuasively demonstrate the deep interconnection of non-governmental service work and practical politics. Taught by a veteran of White House, foundation, nonprofit, and private sector organizations, this class will explore the complex nature of public service in even the most charged political contexts. The course will use case studies, historical examples, and fascinating guest speakers.

Health care now constitutes almost 15f the U.S. economy. The broad range of issues involving health care and health care delivery are at the center of national and local policy debates: Disparities in access and outcomes for vulnerable populations; right to control decisions about treatment and about dying; medical malpractice; the adequacy of the evidence base underlying medical decisions; the pharmaceutical industry and its role in health care and politics; the impact of an aging population; and coping with accelerating health cost. This course is an introduction for undergraduate students to the major policy issues affecting health care and examines the role of government in the health care system. An important focus of the course is an assessment of the role of policy analysis in the formation and implementation of national and local health policy. Because much of government health policy relates to or is implemented through payment systems, several sessions involve some discussion of the policy implications of how government pays for care. The role of the legal system with respect to adverse medical outcomes, economic rights, and individual rights is also discussed. Proposals for health policy reform at the national and local level are examined throughout the course, with an emphasis on Medicare and Medicaid reforms currently being implemented or considered.

This course is a general introduction to nonprofit management, with heavy emphasis on practical application. How do not-for-profit organizations actually function? How do they attract “customers?” How do these companies grow when there are no owners with financial incentives to grow the business? What are the core elements of a “good” not-for-profit company? What are the metrics for determining the health of a company without profit? And, what, exactly does not-for-profit even mean?

A 2022 NPR/Ipsos poll found that 64% of Americans believe U.S. democracy is "in crisis and at risk of failing." What is our role in preventing that failure, and how can we reimagine public service and conflict negotiation in order to transform and uphold the country and the world that we want to live in? This class will explore ideas around religious and civil conflict, intergroup relations, conflict negotiation, restorative justice, belonging, and boundary drawing. Students will learn about the ever-expanding public sphere, the limits of tolerance, and the possibilities of emergent leadership while gaining crucial real-world skills for public service.

In this course, we will study “shari’ah,” the primary legal and ethical tradition of Islam. First, we will briefly cover the historical development of shari’ah. Then we will turn to the contemporary era, and examine the articulation of shari’ah in regard to a variety of concrete issues. It is hoped that by the end of the course, the student will have a greater appreciation for the complexity of shari’ah, and its continued relevance in today's legal and ethical debates both nationally and internationally.

In the context of an increasingly polarized American society, this course seeks to train students to mobilize diverse faith communities together for the greater good. Unleashing the power of their own story, students will articulate their values and explore the ways it can be shared. The course will draw on case studies from historical and contemporary faith leaders who have achieved success in creating sustainable change, as well as interrogating relevant current affairs as they arise. Students will learn to recognize how stories are used to motivate action, to recognize the ways that race, power and privilege play a role in elevating and downplaying stories and to identify the role values play in motivating action.

Spirituality & ethics is an integral segment of every religious tradition, along with sciences like that of theology and jurisprudence. In recent yearsIslamic spirituality has often been described as somehow separate from Islam itself. In this course we will investigate the historical origins of Islamic spirituality and look at a sampling of the major concepts and figures from pre-modern tradition. Finally, we will turn to the continued importance that spirituality and ethics has played in the contemporary Muslim-majority world, with a special focus on Islamic tradition in North America.

In study after study, people lying on their deathbeds overwhelmingly say they regret five things at their end of their life: 1. Not living a life of authenticity 2. Working too hard at the expense of their relationships 3. Not having the courage to express their feelings 4. Not staying in touch with friends. 5. Not letting themselves be happier. For leaders, it's not any different. This course unpacks each of these "regrets" with readings, exercises, meditation, deep listening, skill development and leadership theory, examining historical and contemporary answers to the question of what really matters in life, and providing the space for students to grapple with the question themselves.

Using “business as a force for good”, social entrepreneurs implement innovative private sector approaches to solve social, cultural and/or environmental problems. Surviving start-up and scaling to maximize impact is both an art and a science, especially when attempted without outside investments. Statistics show that approximately 10% of small businesses surpass $1 million in revenues, while only 0.5% surpass $10 million. Fundamentals of Social Entrepreneurship will draw upon the real-life successes and challenges faced by the professor and other social entrepreneurs in structuring and scaling their enterprises. Students will read several articles, watch videos and complete group projects to experience the launching and scaling of their own social enterprises.

This course is designed for upper-class undergraduates who have a social innovation project, entrepreneurial business, or CSR idea to develop or implement. Also welcome to the course are students who would like to learn and practice success skills and employment strategies, and are willing to participate in class teams with other students who have project ideas. To bring the dynamic world of social innovation fully into the classroom, this course will provide: business leadership training and the skills to develop a clear social vision and values, viable business-modeling practices and feasible financial projections— i.e. how to structure an organization for different funding strategies, practice in pitching and promoting an idea, and tips on launching a start-up with social impact. Classes are enhanced with expert guest teachers and speakers, case studies and experiential exercises. This course will help students develop their individual or team projects, workshop how to create maximum social impact after graduation, build their resumes and develop critical skills for the process of finding or creating their future jobs.

In this course, students will explore and examine financial citizenship in the United States and how it intersects with existing inequalities by race and immigration status. How financial products and services reproduce inequality carry deep consequences for it means to belong, how people are treated within the U.S. economic system, and what policy recommendations can be adopted. Students will examine these broader questions across various weekly topics, including banking and dignity, homeownership, entrepreneurship, and emerging financial technology.

How does someone go about changing the world? What does social change theory suggest are the most effective tactics to change hearts and minds? What can we learn from the past about what it means to be an effective agent of change? How have social entrepreneurs created organizations that become engines of change? How has technology, social media and trends in mainstream media changed the rules of the game? This course will focus on social change theory and explore social movements in post-WWII America, including: the movement for Black civil rights, the LGBTQ+ Movement, Environment/Climate Activism, the Women’s Movement; the Conservative Movement, Corporate Social Responsibility and social entrepreneurship, Immigration, Healthcare, Journalism, Whistleblowing & Hacktivism, and the Free Speech movement.

In the context of a growing number of intersecting local, national, and global crises, each warranting political strategy, operational responses, and humanitarian planning across a range of states, agencies, movements, technical and political actors, this course focuses on exploring: the relationships between and among decision-makers and affected populations; the political economy of resource mobilization and distribution; the practical tools, frameworks, and blueprints used for response; questions of power in the context of emergency, and; historical determinants of humanitarian need, responsibility, and intervention. This course digs deeply into the political economy, politics, infrastructure, design, incentives, and dilemmas related to the current development and emergency paradigms, with specific exploration of what constitutes humanitarian action, aid, response, and ethics. Blending both practitioner and theoretical perspectives, this course takes a critical approach to the evolution of development concepts, slow and fast emergency, and structural inequality as they are shaped by historical events and processes, institutions, and ideologies - while simultaneously exploring the role of contemporary aid systems, political and social responses in perpetuating and remedying each. There is special emphasis on the perspectives and vantage points of people most directly affected by perpetual emergency. While not centered on or around the COVID-19 pandemic that has shaped our lives for the last three years, we will incorporate its context and reference it as an embodied case for better understanding the realities and power dynamics affecting “local populations” that we often speak about in this work, as well as a growing field of policy research and practice surrounding compounding crises, or “polycrises.” Throughout the course, which will utilize active learning modalities such as simulations, large and small group discussion, mapping and platform analysis, analysis of films, discussion of readings, guest speakers from other geographies, and individual reflection, we will engage (and often struggle with) fundamental (and technical) questions such as: • What are the political, social and economic underpinnings of contemporary development, emergency, and humanitarian discourse? • How does the design of development and humanitarian infrastructure and technical systems contribute to or alleviate structural inequality within and across societies as part of long-term development paradigms or short-term emergency response? • What does it mean to be an individual engaged in humanitarian, emergency, and development work as an affected population, as a decision-maker, as an insider or outsider? As an individual or as part of an institution? What are the historical and contemporary sources of these roles, norms, and practices? • What are the origins and starting points of an emergency? When can we say an emergency has ended? • How does a focus on underlying causes and power relations change our analysis of the problems and solutions? Should politics be removed from practice & intervention or amplified? • As people affected by an emergency are not a monolith, how can we define “local” and “sovereign” in mapping competing interests and power dynamics within communities affected by emergency? • Should we reform or abandon the current humanitarian/development aid system toward alternatives?

From the non-stop subway ride to the “infamed” jaywalking, from the well-acclaimed Citi bike to delivery on almost anything, from the iconic yellow cab to the fist fight over a parking spot, from the Chinatown bus to congestion pricing, this course investigates the kaleidoscope of travel behavior by New Yorkers and their essential connection to the functionality of the City. It explores the unique transportation infrastructure behind these behaviors as well as the policies and rules that provide them and regulate their usage. Through this behavior—infrastructure--policy loop, this course encourages students to decipher the complexity of urban travel and think about innovative and effective interventions to induce, mandate, or even “manipulate” the right travel behavior for a sustainable and equitable urban future.

Whether as an action agency or a source of analysis or raw material, the intelligence community is a key but little understood participant in the policymaking cycle. This course introduces students to the contemporary intelligence community and its role in shaping US national security policy, providing students with a hands-on appreciation of the role of intelligence through participation in class simulations of case studies of national security policymaking.

We will explore four broad areas: (1) food cultures (both national and regional, such as Tuscan, and non-geographic cultures like vegetarianism or food waste); (2) food systems (farming, food transport/distribution, marketing, etc.); (3) food insecurity, including both hunger & obesity; and (4) food safety (GMOs, ultra-processed foods, bioterror, etc.). We explore these comparatively, looking primarily at the Italian and US public policy context, with regular reference to the EU and other countries in Europe/across the globe. Among debates we address: are GMO or ultra-processed foods unsafe? Could governments slow the obesity epidemic? How does climate change affect food production and prices? Are organic foods healthier? How to address hunger/food insecurity in Italy, the US, and globe? Is the food industry a menace or a boon for consumers? *Along with absorbing course material, students will form consulting teams addressing local, national, and/or global food issues.

This course will provide a broad and dynamic introduction of the American political system and public policy. The course will 1) investigate the dynamics, ideas, values, and traditions that support American politics and the policy process 2) examine the actions of citizens and voters that make that influence public policy 3) study the institutions and actors that comprise the American political system, particularly, the three major branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial) and the fourth estate (the media) and how policy and constitutional tensions involve political and moral choices (4) explore the critical role played by political communications (i.e. language, strategy, research, social media, digital tech) throughout our political and policy process. The course will place critical emphasis on the “DC advantage”, leveraging our location in the nation’s capital by studying our topics through the unique lens of proximity and applied practice. While this class will study various theoretical academic issues, it will also attend closely to how these theories play out in practice. Students will be challenged to think critically and to execute, at times, real-world examples relevant to the policy and political process. The ultimate goal of the course is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the American political system and overview of public policy in a constitutional democracy that includes a robust theoretical and practical foundation.

This course will be the academic component of your internship or other experiential learning engagement. You will analyze contemporary leadership frameworks and develop your perspective on what it means for leadership to be ethical, inclusive, and collaborative. You will use the seminar to reflect critically and analytically on your experience to further your academic and professional goals. You will be asked to evaluate various aspects of your internship or experiential learning site, including but not limited to its mission, approach, policies, leadership culture and the local, regional and international contexts in which it operates. You will also be asked to reflect critically on the roles you take and your application of class learning in your internship or experiential learning placement throughout the semester. Hands-on course activities such as simulations, team projects and peer-to-peer consultancies will support you in developing self-awareness and critical leadership skills. You will be graded on the academic work produced in this course.