Woodrow Wilson School
Faculty
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Dean Vice Dean Acting Vice Dean Director of Graduate Studies Professor |
Professor (continued) Visiting Professor Associate Professor Assistant Professor Lecturer with Rank of Professor Lecturer Associated Faculty |
Requirements
The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs offers advanced training for careers in public and international affairs. The school seeks to meet the need for broadly trained professionals who will create, interpret, and implement public policy. It therefore provides a generalist training in public affairs that is quite different from the programs appropriate for those who plan careers in private business, private law, or the specialized tasks of public administration.
Woodrow Wilson School graduates pursue widely varied careers in the U.S. federal government, international agencies, foreign governments, state and local governments, nonprofit agencies, and the private sector. The school encourages its students to pursue careers in public and international affairs and commits substantial resources to fellowship funding to ensure that financial obligations will not be a deterrent to public service careers. It also keeps its student enrollment relatively small. The Woodrow Wilson School has built a large and diversified faculty, but it has also deliberately maintained a low student-faculty ratio, allowing for a great deal of informal exchange among faculty, students, and staff.
In addition to its programs of instruction, the Woodrow Wilson School sponsors a wide range of research through 22 affiliated centers and programs. To cite just a few, the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS) promotes collaborative, interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching on issues of global importance. It also publishes the quarterly journal World Politics . The Office of Population Research is a leading center of demographic study and publisher of Population Index . The Center for Health and Wellbeing seeks to foster the interdisciplinary study of health, health policy, and well-being in both developed and developing countries.
History
The School of Public and International Affairs (as it was originally named) was founded at Princeton in 1930 with a focus on both international affairs and domestic public affairs. Although a graduate professional program was planned from the outset, the initial venture was an interdisciplinary program for undergraduates in Princeton’s liberal arts college. The master’s program was created in 1948, and it was significantly expanded and strengthened beginning in the 1960s as a result of a major gift from Marie and Charles Robertson. More than 50 years later, the Woodrow Wilson School, with a distinguished graduate faculty, 22 affiliated research centers and programs, and a small program of doctoral studies, has become a major international center of advanced training and research in public and international affairs.
Graduate Programs
The principal graduate program of the school is a two-year curriculum leading to the degree of Master in Public Affairs (M.P.A.). Students can earn a joint degree in public affairs and law (M.P.A.-J.D.) after four years of study in the Woodrow Wilson School and a collaborating law school. The school also has a graduate program leading to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in public and international affairs, as well as a one-year Master in Public Policy (M.P.P.) for mid-career professionals.
Master in Public Affairs
The Master in Public Affairs (M.P.A.) offers rigorous preparation for international and domestic policy careers. This two-year, full-time residential program cultivates among its students and graduates a lasting commitment to public service. Through its core curriculum and elective courses, it teaches analytical skills that address the political, economic, quantitative, organizational, and normative aspects of complex policy problems. It fosters an appreciation of the historical, institutional, and cultural contexts and interactions that encompass both domestic and international arenas.
The Woodrow Wilson School believes that it is essential for students of public affairs to understand how issues of gender, race, class, and cultural diversity affect public policy decisions, implementation, and outcomes. The school’s ongoing commitment to incorporate these issues into its curriculum, research centers, colloquia, public affairs programs, and other activities is embraced by both students and faculty. To strengthen the future leadership of society, the school promotes opportunities for students from the broadest possible socioeconomic, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds to receive the highest quality of professional training and to build dynamic careers of public service. The financial aid resources of the school are dedicated to permitting the majority of its students to receive graduate degrees without incurring loan indebtedness, and to guide them toward public service careers in the public and nonprofit sectors. Over 90 percent of M.P.A. students receive financial aid, and more than half receive full scholarships for tuition and living expenses.
Advising
The school maintains a formal advising structure to ensure that each individual course of study both satisfies degree requirements and maximizes opportunities for mastery of core analytical skills. In the beginning of the fall semester, first-year students are assigned a faculty adviser who assists in designing a program of study. This may involve planning a tentative four-semester schedule of courses, which is then updated as the student progresses through the M.P.A. curriculum. In addition to the counsel they receive from faculty members, each new student is assigned a second-year M.P.A. student adviser for informal advice.
By the second year of the program, the commitment to one of the four fields of study is confirmed, so the faculty field coordinator serves as the principal academic adviser for second-year students.
The assistant dean for graduate education is also available to provide academic advice to all students during the two-year program, and the director of the Graduate Program Office serves as an informal adviser on both academic and non-academic issues. While the M.P.A. program is quite academically demanding, in recent years 98 percent of entering students have earned their degrees.
Curriculum
The curriculum of the M.P.A. program includes five required core courses that address skills and techniques needed for the systematic study of public policy problems. The courses cover political analysis, quantitative methods, and economic and behavioral analysis. Each M.P.A. candidate selects a policy field in which to specialize from the school’s four fields of concentration: international relations, development studies, domestic policy, and economics and public policy. Students may also take courses leading to a joint degree in public affairs and law (M.P.A./J.D.), or with other professional degree programs, by special request. Certificate programs in demography through the Office of Population Research; health and health policy in conjunction with the Center for Health and Wellbeing; the Program in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (STEP); and most recently, urban policy or urban policy and planning offer additional areas of specialization among the four fields of concentration.
A unique hallmark of the school’s curriculum is the collaborative approach to planning elective courses and graduate policy workshops by faculty field coordinators, first-year students, and administrators. This enables the school not only to draw upon the strengths of its faculty, but also to adapt to the most pressing issues of domestic or international affairs and be highly responsive to the individual and collective interests of students. The school’s resources also enable it to offer high -profile appointments to visiting scholars and policy practitioners who complement the academic and professional expertise of the faculty.
At the end of the first semester, students take part in a policy project called the Integrated Policy Exercise (IPE). The IPE requires students to synthesize the skills they acquired in the fall-term analytic courses. Recent topics have included: rebuilding New Orleans after Katrina; medical malpractice liability and tort reform; cotton tariffs and U.S.-China relations; SUVs and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; smallpox vaccinations; and prescription drug coverage for seniors. Students are given briefing materials to review in advance, and are then required to respond to a set of specific policy questions in the form of a comprehensive analytical memorandum.
In May, at the end of their first year, students are required to take the Qualifying Examination (QE1), an exercise that closely parallels the IPE. Like the IPE, the QE1 requires an integrated use of analytical skills acquired in the core curriculum during the first year. Recent topics have included living wage campaigns, mercury emissions reduction, immigration policy reform, air transportation security , oil drilling in the Arctic, and California's electricity market.
Second-year students complete a qualifying exam (QE2) in their respective field of concentration in lieu of a master’s thesis or independent project.
Joint-Degree Programs
Some students may wish to combine the school’s program in public affairs with study for a degree in a related professional field. A joint M.P.A.-J.D. degree program that combines public affairs with the study of law is offered in cooperation with the law schools of Columbia University, New York University, Stanford University, and Yale University. On occasion, joint programs with other law schools have been possible, when approved by the Woodrow Wilson School and the cooperating law school.
The joint program shortens the time involved in obtaining the two degrees and makes possible an effective combination of the several disciplines involved in public policy analysis. Participating students spend five semesters at the cooperating law school and three semesters at the Woodrow Wilson School, thus reducing by two semesters the normal time required to earn the two degrees. Enrollment in the joint program requires separate application and admission to each school.
For a limited number of exceptionally strong candidates, the school is prepared to accept joint programs that combine public affairs with the study for a degree in fields such as business management, engineering, and public health. Proposals giving a detailed rationale for such a joint program must be submitted to the faculty chair of the M.P.A. program. Because combined fields entail overlapping study, joint-degree programs normally shorten by one semester the length of time required to complete each of the individual programs.
Certificate Program in Health and Health Policy
A certificate in health and health policy, sponsored by the Center for Health and Wellbeing, is offered for graduate students who plan to pursue careers in health-related areas in the public and not-for-profit sectors. The program is designed for students with domestic and international health interests and provides both broad training in core topics in health and health policy as well as courses in specialized areas. Both M.P.A. and M.P.P. students are eligible for the certificate, as are graduate students in other departments. The certificate requires two core courses (political economy of health systems and epidemiology) and two electives courses.
Certificate Program in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (STEP)
The STEP certificate program encourages each student to acquire additional depth within a focus area and a mature understanding of a key issue in the fields of science, technology, or environmental policy. Candidates for the STEP certificate must complete four STEP-approved courses (most of which are taught by STEP core or associated faculty) and an advanced policy research paper. It is expected that most M.P.A. and M.P.P. candidates will write the policy paper in the context of one of those courses; papers receiving a grade of B+ or above will be eligible to satisfy this requirement. With permission of the STEP director, up to two of the courses may be taken in departments outside the Woodrow Wilson School, such as chemistry, ecology and evolutionary biology, engineering, geosciences, or molecular biology.
Certificate in Demography
By successfully completing four courses in population studies (one of which entails an individual research project), students at the Woodrow Wilson School are able to earn a certificate in demography in conjunction with the M.P.A. Students may wish to combine their study of population with a specialization in development studies or in the demographic aspects of urbanization and urban planning.
Certificate Program in Urban Policy and Urban Policy and Planning
Two distinct certificates are offered to all M.P.A. and highly focused M.P.P. students. They are grounded in the interdisciplinary and comparative study of cities and urban problems in both advanced industrialized and developing countries. The urban policy certificate emphasizes the social, economic, and political dimensions of urban problems and is designed to prepare students for careers in urban policy analysis and development in international agencies, national, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and think tanks. The urban policy and planning certificate builds on this scholarly foundation with a focus on physical planning. Both certificates require core courses in the “Social Organization of Cities” and “Urbanization and Development,” and the urban policy certificate also requires three elective requirements (for a total of five required courses). For the urban policy and planning certificate, students must take two electives and two additional core courses in planning theory and methods (for a total of six required courses). In both certificate programs, students are also required to complete a policy workshop that has been designated for urban policy.
M.P.P. Program for Mid-Career Professionals
The Woodrow Wilson School’s M.P.P. program offers practicing public policy professionals the opportunity to earn a degree in one year. In addition to studying for the M.P.P. degree, students may also earn a certificate in science, technology, and environmental policy; urban and regional planning; or demography. The M.P.P. program has recently been expanded to qualified physicians, Ph.D. scientists, and lawyers. Outstanding professionals in the fields of medicine, science, and law thus will have the opportunity to develop and hone their policy skills in order to bring crucial expertise to bear on specialized public policy issues.
M.P.P. for Mid-Career Professionals
The M.P.P. degree for mid-career professionals provides rising leaders in international and domestic public policy with an opportunity to broaden their economic, policy, and leadership skills. This rigorous in-residence program is designed for mid-career professionals with seven or more years of public service experience in government agencies or nonprofit organizations in the United States and abroad . The program aims to prepare experienced professionals to return to their career ready to assume significant leadership positions in an increasingly complex public service environment. The program teaches skills in analyzing the political, economic, quantitative, organizational, and normative aspects of complex problems. M.P.P. candidates come from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds and their courses of study at the Woodrow Wilson School naturally reflect this diversity. Mid-career professionals enrolled in the M.P.P. generally have significant public sector work experience ranging from 10 to 20 years.
M.P.P. for Physicians
The M.P.P. for physicians aims to enroll medical doctors in a one-year training program in public policy. M.D.’s play an active role in policy issues related to health, and medical degrees are implicitly, if not explicitly, a prerequisite for many senior policy positions concerned with health. The M.P.P. degree can be distinguished from a Master’s in Public Health (M.P.H.) by its focus on economics, politics, sociology, and statistics as tools for policy analysis. These skills are important for future health policymakers.
In addition, the Woodrow Wilson School offers a graduate certificate in health and health policy (HPP), geared toward policy students who want to pursue domestic or international careers in health-related fields. The HHP certificate is earned by completing two required health courses—in political economy of health systems and epidemiology—in addition to two full-term elective courses (or the equivalent in half terms) drawn from a wide array of topics, including health economics, health and the environment, healthcare in developing countries, HIV/AIDS policy, and poverty, inequality, and health. Physicians enrolled in the M.P.P. program will be encouraged, but not required, to enroll in the HHP certificate program.
M.P.P. for Ph.D. Scientists
The M.P.P. for Ph.D. scientists was created, in part, because many of today’s most pressing and controversial policy issues are rooted in science, such as global warming, stem cell research, the evolution of drug-resistant strains of disease organisms, and the protection of privacy in an increasingly wired world . While none of these issues are the exclusive domain of scientists, scientists will play an increasingly important role in addressing them. Therefore, the Woodrow Wilson School seeks to enroll leading professionals in the natural and physical sciences in such disciplines as physics, biology, engineering, information technology, atmospheric sciences, and the geosciences. Candidates for this one-year degree must have completed their Ph.D. when they apply to the Woodrow Wilson School graduate program.
The vast majority of leaders and innovators in contemporary science have doctoral degrees, yet a Ph.D. in a scientific field typically provides no training in public policy. The result is a widening gulf between the scientific and policy communities, arising at a time when the need for dialogue, cooperation, and leadership is growing.
The school currently offers a graduate certificate in science, technology, and environmental policy (STEP), which includes a wide array of elective courses in science policy. Ph.D. scientists enrolled in the M.P.P. program will be encouraged, but not required, to enroll in the STEP certificate program. It is expected that candidates for the M.P.P. degree for Ph.D. scientists also will take courses in economics, politics, and statistics to round out their curriculum.
M.P.P. for Lawyers
The M.P.P degree for lawyers is intended for those who have completed their J.D.’s and recognized, after several years of work experience, the need to acquire the analytical tools for policy analysis. They also may enroll in courses in international relations or domestic policy analysis, depending on their interests.
As with the other M.P.P. degrees, the M.P.P for lawyers will add crucial exposure to politics, economics, and policy that students would not get in the routine course of their other professional education.
The Ph.D. Program in Public Affairs
The Woodrow Wilson School admits a small number of students each year into a program leading to a Ph.D. in public affairs to meet the need for researchers capable of applying social science methods to the study of important public policy questions. In the Ph.D. curriculum, there are five clusters (principal fields). Each of the clusters represents an area of substantial faculty research interest in the school, in some cases cutting across disciplinary lines. Individual faculty members choose which clusters, if any, to join; depending on interests, some faculty may wish to join more than one cluster. The faculty coordinator of each cluster assumes primary responsibility for students in that cluster. These clusters and areas of concentration are (I) Politics and Public Policy*, (II) Political Economy, (III) Population and Public Policy, (IV) Urban Policy, and (V) Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy. Applications are considered from individuals who have an outstanding academic record and a strong commitment to research in international or domestic policy.
Requirements for the degree differ by area of specialization. Usually at least 10 graduate courses are required, including work in economics, politics and quantitative analysis. Courses are typically taken in the Woodrow Wilson School or in neighboring departments, such as politics, sociology, and economics . The general examination consists of either two or three written components and one oral one. On the basis of need and merit, the Woodrow Wilson School provides fellowships for tuition and a stipend for living expenses.
Language Requirements
Students must also demonstrate reading proficiency in a foreign language during the first year of study.
Teaching Requirements
A three-hour teaching assignment (precepting), usually following the general examination, is required.
Dissertation and Final Public Oral
Admission to the dissertation phase is granted by the Ph.D. Program Committee after the candidate successfully completes the general examination and defends a written dissertation prospectus.
A final public oral examination is required by University regulations, and is conducted after the dissertation has been recommended for acceptance by the Woodrow Wilson School.
Courses
WWS 501 The Politics of Public Policy
Charles M. Cameron, Grigore Pop-Eleches, Keren Yarhi-Milo
An analysis of the forces that shape the behavior of public organizations and individuals in organizational settings. The emphasis is on the workings of U.S. governmental agencies. Special attention is given to writing skills as they apply to the roles of advisers and decision makers in public-sector organizations.
WWS 502 Psychology for Policy Analysis and Implementation
John M. Darley, Elizabeth L. Paluck, Alexander T. Todorov
Basic concepts and experimental findings of psychology that contribute to an understanding of the effects of policy on human behavior and well-being. Also covered are psychological factors that affect the formulation, communication, and execution of policy. Topics include a descriptive analysis of boundedly rational judgment and decision making, a consideration of social motives and attitudes, and an introduction to the ways in which agents influence and negotiate with one another.
WWS 503 The Management of Organizations
Barbara B. Blumenthal
The management of for-profit, governmental, and not-for-profit organizations in both developed and developing countries. Tailoring management strategies and organizational processes to different organizations in different environments is emphasized. The analysis of management cases focuses on organizational problem solving.
WWS 504 Policy Issues and Analysis of Nonprofits, NGOs, and Philanthropy
Stanley N. Katz
Examines policy issues at international, national and local levels. Provides groundwork on nonprofits, NGOs, and philanthropy that can be followed with specialized courses on management and program evaluation. Emphasis on understanding how philanthropy, nonprofit, and NGO sectors operate, their niche alongside private and public sectors, revenue sources, impact on society, and converse effects of society and its institutions; the policy making process. Explores impact of reliance on government or overseas support for Third World NGOs; faith-based service provisions: accountability and transparency; advocacy; and government regulations.
WWS 505 Financial Management in the Corporate and Public Sectors
Uwe E. Reinhardt
Investment, valuation, and financing of the corporation, focusing on the application of economic theory and the analytical tools to the solution of financial problems. The interrelations between investment and financing policies and their dependence on security valuations are stressed.
WWS 507B Quantitative Analysis
Adam Shrager
Data analysis techniques, stressing application to public policy. The course includes measurement, descriptive statistics, data collection, probability, exploratory data analysis, hypothesis testing, simple and multiple regression, correlation, and graphical procedures. Some training is offered in the use of computers. No previous training in statistics is required. The course is divided into separate sections according to the student's level of mathematical sophistication. The basic level assumes a fluency in high school algebra as a minimum, while the advanced level assumes a fluency in calculus.
WWS 507C Quantitative Analysis (Advanced)
Mark W. Watson
Data analysis techniques, stressing application to public policy. The course includes measurement, descriptive statistics, data collection, probability, exploratory data analysis, hypothesis testing, simple and multiple regression, correlation, and graphical procedures. Some training is offered in the use of computers. No previous training in statistics is required. The course is divided into separate sections according to the student's level of mathematical sophistication. The basic level assumes a fluency in high school algebra as a minimum, while the advanced level assumes a fluency in calculus.
WWS 508B Econometrics and Public Policy (Basic)
Graham Lord
Provides a thorough examination of statistical methods employed in public policy analysis, with a particular emphasis on regression methods which are frequently employed in research across the social sciences. Emphasizes intuitive understanding of the central concepts, and develops in students the ability to choose and employ the appropriate tool for a particular research problem, and understand the limitations of the techniques. Prerequisite: 507b.
WWS 508C Econometrics and Public Policy (Advanced)
David S. Lee
The main tools of econometric analysis and the way in which they are applied to a range of problems in social science. The emphasis is on using techniques and understanding and critically assessing others' use of them. There is a great deal of practical work on the computer using a range of data from around the world. Topics include regression analysis, with a focus on regression as a tool for analyzing nonexperimental data and discrete choice. An introduction to time-series analysis is given. There are applications from macroeconomics, policy evaluation, and economic development.
WWS 508D Econometrics and Public Policy (Accelerated)
John B. Londregan
The main tools of econometric analysis and the way in which they are applied to a range of problems in social science. Emphasis is on using the techniques and understanding and critically assessing others' use of them. There is a great deal of practical work on the computer using a range of data from around the world. Topics include regression analysis, with a focus on regression as a tool for analyzing nonexperimental data and discrete choice. An introduction to time-series analysis is given, as are applications from macroeconomics, policy evaluation, and economic development.
WWS 509/ECO 509 Generalized Linear Statistical Models
Germán Rodriguez
The analysis of survey data using generalized linear statistical models. The course begins with a review of linear models for continuous responses and then considers logistic regression models for binary data and log-linear models for count data, including rates and contingency tables and hazard models for duration data. Attention is given to the logical and mathematical foundations of the techniques, but the main emphasis is on the applications, including computer usage. The course assumes prior exposure to statistics at the level of WWS507c and familiarity with matrix algebra and calculus.
WWS 510 Surveys, Polls and Public Policy
Edward P. Freeland
Aims to improve students' abilities to understand and critically evaluate public opinion polls and surveys, particularly as they are used to influence public policy. The course begins with an overview of contrasting perspectives on the role of public opinion in politics. From here we look at the evolution of public opinion polling in the U. S. and other countries. The class will visit a major polling operation to get a firsthand look at how they actually work. We also examine procedures used for designing representative samples and conducting surveys by telephone, mail and the Internet.
WWS 511B Microeconomic Analysis: Basic
Cecilia E. Rouse
Courses 511 and 512 provide systematic exposition of principles and techniques of economic theory most useful in analyzing economic aspects of public affairs. The courses are divided into separate sections according to a student's previous experience with economics and his or her level of mathematical sophistication. The basic level assumes a fluency in high school algebra and a basic knowledge of calculus concepts, while the advanced level assumes a fluency in calculus and some previous exposure to economics. 511d assumes a strong preparation in economics, is more technical than 511c, and has an applied orientation.
WWS 511C Microeconomic Analysis (Advanced)
Jan K. De Loecker
Courses 511 and 512 provide systematic exposition of principles and techniques of economic theory most useful in analyzing economic aspects of public affairs. The courses are divided into separate sections according to a student's previous experience with economics and his or her level of mathematical sophistication. The basic level assumes a fluency in high school algebra and a basic knowledge of calculus concepts, while the advanced level assumes a fluency in calculus and some previous exposure to economics. Courses 511b and 511c are offered fall 2000. Courses 512b and 512c are offered spring 2001.
WWS 511D Microeconomics Analysis (Accelerated)
Amy B. Craft
Courses 511 and 512 provide systematic exposition of principles and techniques of economic theory that are most useful in analyzing economic aspects of public affairs. The courses are divided into separate sections according to a student's previous experience with economics and the student's level of mathematical sophistication. The basic level assumes a fluency in high-school algebra and a basic knowledge of calculus concepts, while the advanced level assumes a fluency in calculus and some previous exposure to economics. 511d assumes a strong preparation in economics, is more technical that 511c, and has an applied orientation.
WWS 512B Macroeconomic Analysis
Esteban A. Rossi-Hansberg
Courses 511 and 512 provide systematic exposition of principles and techniques of economic theory most useful in analyzing economic aspects of public affairs. The courses are divided into separate sections according to a student's previous experience with economics and his or her level of mathematical sophistication. The basic level assumes a fluency in high school algebra and a basic knowledge of calculus concepts, while the advanced level assumes a fluency in calculus and some previous exposure to economics. Courses 511b and 511c are offered fall 2000. Courses 512b and 512c are offered spring 2001.
WWS 512C Macroeconomic Analysis (Advanced)
Roland J. Benabou
Courses 511 and 512 provide systematic exposition of principles and techniques of economic theory most useful in analyzing economic aspects of public affairs. The courses are divided into separate sections according to a student's previous experience with economics and his or her level of mathematical sophistication. The basic level assumes a fluency in high school algebra and a basic knowledge of calculus concepts, while the advanced level assumes a fluency in calculus and some previous exposure to economics. Courses 511b and 511c are offered fall 2000. Courses 512b and 512c are offered spring 2001.
WWS 513/POP 507 Qualitative Research Methods
Patricia Fernández-Kelly
Methods of asking questions, participant-observer techniques, and recording and interpreting primary field data. The course also considers how qualitative methods may be used to complement more quantitative approaches. Recent literature on the theoretical and ethical aspects of these methods is also examined.
WWS 514 Strategic Planning and Financial Management Systems in the Public Sector
John M. Mulvey
Leading financial institutions (banks, insurance companies, pension plans) are developing integrated risk-management systems for assisting high-level executives. European countries, such as Germany, UK, and the Netherlands, require a risk-audit for publicly traded companies. The public sector has begun applying strategic planning to optimal resource allocation. Prominent examples include: Netherlands water distribution, US Forest Service planning, optimal sovereign debt, and military personnel planning. The underlying technology is presented. Students gain an appreciation of the pros and cons of complex-planning systems.
WWS 515 Program and Policy Evaluation
Jean B. Grossman
Course explores ways to judge the efficacy of policies and programs, to assess the benefits and costs of policy or program changes, to develop and implement research-based program improvement strategies, and to use program accountability systems for evaluation purposes. Students study a wide range of research tools, read and discuss a wide range of evaluation papers and reports, and complete an applied evaluation project.
WWS 515B Program and Policy Evaluation
Staff
Course explores ways to judge the efficacy of policies and programs, to assess the benefits and costs of policy or program changes, to develop and implement research-based program improvement strategies, and to use program accountability systems for evaluation purposes. Students study a wide range of research tools, read and discuss a wide range of evaluation papers and reports, and complete an applied evaluation project. Pre-req:WWS507b/c or instr. permission.
WWS 515C Program and Policy Evaluation
Deborah N. Peikes, Anuradha Rangarajan, Christopher A. Trenholm
Introduces evaluation using advanced quantitative techniques. Explores ways to develop and implement research-based program improvement strategies and accountability systems; judges effects of policies and programs; assesses benefits and costs of changes. Uses domestic and international examples. Introduces a range of evaluation tools and designs by applying tools empirically with Stata, using data from several large-scale impact evaluations. Pre-reqs: 507c & 508c or instructor's permission.
WWS 517 Power & Policy in the Centralized State
Anthony N. Wahl
An examination of the policy dilemmas that are rooted in value conflicts, such as affirmative action, school vouchers, abortion policy, inheritance taxes, and racially gerrymandered voting districts. Also examined are dilemmas of professional policy actors such as "dirty hands," conflicting loyalties, and universal vs. particularistic accountability. For each issue, the philosophical or moral underpinnings of various positions, policy alternatives, and logical and normative grounds for making difficult choices are considered.
WWS 518 Game Theory Approaches to Bargaining, Conflict, and Negotiation
Staff
Strategic issues in bargaining and negotiation from a game theory perspective. Concepts covered include modeling bargaining situations as games, solutions such as Nash equilibrium and subgame perfection, and experimental studies of bargaining games. Students participate in a variety of games focusing on strategic aspects of bargaining and negotiation. Discussion of concepts is illustrated with examples from politics and business.
WWS 519/PSY 528 Negotiation, Persuasion and Social Influence: Theory and Practice
Rebecca J. Wolfe
Examines the principles of negotiation in organizational settings and provides firsthand experience in simulated negotiations. Theoretical and empirical research on the variables that affect success in negotiations is discussed. Students engage in a series of bargaining exercises between individuals and teams, and results are analyzed in detail by the class. Course is taught in two versions, 519a for MPA's, 519b for MPP's.
WWS 519A/PSY 528A Negotiation, Persuasion and Social Influence: Theory and Practice
Staff
Examines the principles of negotiation in organizational settings and provides firsthand experience in simulated negotiations. Theoretical and empirical research on the variables that affect success in negotiations is discussed. Students engage in a series of bargaining exercises between individuals and teams, and results are analyzed in detail by the class. Course is taught in two versions, 519a for MPA's, 519b for MPP's.
WWS 519B/PSY 528B Negotiation, Persuasion and Social Influence: Theory and Practice
Staff
Examines the principles of negotiation in organizational settings and provides firsthand experience in simulated negotiations. Theoretical and empirical research on the variables that affect success in negotiations is discussed. Students engage in a series of bargaining exercises between individuals and teams, and results are analyzed in detail by the class. Course is taught in two versions, 519a for MPA's, 519b for MPP's.
WWS 520 Historical Methods and Public Policy
Julian E. Zelizer
Seminar introduces students to the approach of historians of contemporary policy issues. The historical approach is especially well suited to particular challenges, such as uncovering long-term patterns in government institutions that are likely to shape policy outcomes or evaluating policies during the implementation process. Course aims to give students a much stronger understanding of the historical development of many issues that they will deal with professionally and a new analytic tool that will be useful in their work.
WWS 521 Domestic Politics
R. Douglas Arnold
An introduction to the political analysis of policy making in the American setting. The course includes theoretical and empirical analyses of political institutions, including executives, legislatures, and bureaucracies. It also examines the political environment in which these institutions operate, with special attention given to the role of public opinion, interest groups, and elections.
WWS 522 Microeconomic Analysis of Domestic Policy
Amy B. Craft
A series of major issues of policy designed to illustrate and develop skills in particularly important applications of microeconomics. Topics include education and training, the minimum wage, mandated benefits, affirmative action, the theory of public goods and externalities, and the basic theory of taxation. Prerequisite: 511b.
WWS 523 Legal and Regulatory Policy Toward Markets
Robert D. Willig
Employs the methods of microeconomics, industrial organization and law, and economics to study circumstances where market failures warrant government intervention with policies implemented through the law or regulatory agencies. Topics include antitrust policy toward business practices and vertical and horizontal combinations; policy approaches toward R&D and intellectual property; reliance on tort law, disclosure law, and regulatory standards to mitigate information and externality problems pertaining to health, safety, and performance risks; and the implications for pricing, entry, and investment of different forms of public utility reg
WWS 524 Advanced Macroeconomics: Domestic Policy Issues
Alan S. Blinder
An extension of 512c, the course covers economic growth, the roles of R&D, education, and institutions in long-run development, fiscal and monetary policy in the long run, unemployment, short-run fiscal and monetary policy, economic fluctuations, the budget, and the statu of the US economy. Course aims to show how modern theoretical and quantitative methods can be useful in analyzing macroeconomic policy issues. Focus is on a series of specific topics of current policy interest. Prerequisite: 512c.
WWS 525 Microeconomic Analysis of Government Activity
Alexandre Mas
Analyses government involvement when there are "market failures." Topics include: externalities, with applications to policies that alleviate congestion and reduce environmental damage; natural monopolies, with applications to telecommunications infrastructure and electricity regulation and pricing; efficiency and equity aspects of excise and income taxes; and alternative social security structures and reform proposals in the U.S. and other countries.
WWS 526 Employment, Poverty and Social Policy
Sanders D. Korenman
A survey of recent trends in employment and poverty to shed light on the forces that underlie rising inequality. Special emphasis is devoted to demographic groups at high risk of poverty, including youth, the unskilled, immigrants and minorities. Also reviews a broad range of policies that bear on the future of work in the United States.
WWS 529 Domestic Political Economy
Thomas Romer
The interaction of economic and political forces that shape domestic policy. The course develops and applies analytic frameworks for discussion of topics such as education, housing, land use, income redistribution, competition among localities, intergovernmental relations, and regulation. In each of these areas the focus is on the effects of policies on economic outcomes and how, in turn, economic responses lead to political considerations that affect policy choices. Prerequisites: 507 and 511.
WWS 530 Leadership
Nannerl Keohane
Course draws from classical political theory (including Plato, Machiavelli, and Max Weber), current "leadership literature," and case studies of decision-making. Among the topics considered are expertise and collaboration, responsibility and accountability, women and leadership, and leadership in various kinds of organizations.
WWS 531/POL 546 Congress and Public Policy
Mickey Edwards
The role of Congress in national policy making. The course includes theoretical and empirical analyses of elections, committees, leadership, the party system, and roll-call voting. It also examines the politics of several policy areas.
WWS 533 Planning Theory and Process
Shlomo Angel
Introduces planning theory, history, and practice. Examines urban, suburban, and regional planning processes, emphasizing the United States and Europe. Analyzes alternative planning models, issues such as ethics and social justice, and the diverse roles of public and private sector planners.
WWS 534 Land Use Policy and Planning
David N. Kinsey
Urban and metropolitan agglomerations, including land-use structure and the integration of employment, housing, transportation, and service activity are examined. Emphasis is on public policy and planning remedies for structural problems of cities and suburbs.
WWS 535 Planning Methods
Thomas K. Wright
Introduces a set of quantitative tools that are widely used in urban and regional planning practice. The focus is on the development of an operational understanding of techniques for applied decision analysis and modeling of demographic change, regional economic systems, land use and facility location, and infrastructure systems.
WWS 536/SOC 536 Immigration, Ethnicity, and Public Policy
Alejandro Portes
Course examines the historical and contemporary literature on immigration and the relationship between these flows and the developmentof ethnic relations. Emphasis is on the United States, although comparative material from Canada, Europe, and Latin America is discussed. Classical and recent theories of immigrant adaptation, language acculturation, ethnic entrepreneurship, and ethnic conflict are presented and discussed. The bearing of recent research findings on public policy toward immigrant groups and domestic minorities is examined..
WWS 537 Social Organization of Cities
Douglas S. Massey
A review of the historical emergence and social evolution of cities and urban life. Course presents current theories regarding the ecological and social structure of urban areas, and how urban social organization affects the behavior and well-being of human beings who live and work in cities.
WWS 538 The Politics of Policy-making in Metropolitan Areas
Jessica L. Trounstine
The course considers the role played by diverse communities in policy formulation and implementation as well as the intersection of the local, state, and national governments in the policy process. Specific attention is given to several issue areas, including economic development, fiscal management, education, crime, housing, and health care.
WWS 539 Affordable Housing
David N. Kinsey
Examines the policy and practice of developing affordable housing (defined as new or rehabilitated housing priced or rented such that the lowest two-fifths of all individuals or families, by income, pay no more than 30% of their income for housing) in the United States, by the public, nonprofit, and private sectors, using diverse subsidy sources and financing techniques to bridge the gap between the cost of housing and the financial resources of lower income households.
WWS 540/SOC 575 Urbanization and Development
Alejandro Portes
Examines the origins, types, and characteristics of cities in less developed countries and the ways in which patterns of urbanization interact with policies to promote economic growth and social equity. Readings and class discussions address three areas: a) a history of urbanization in the Third World; b) an analysis of contemporary urban systems, demographic patterns, and the social structure of large Third World cities; c) a review of the literature on urban dwellers with emphasis on the poor and their political and social outlooks.
WWS 541 International Politics
G. J. Ikenberry
An introduction to international relations, primarily through the examination of selected episodes. The emphasis is on decision-making processes, the politics of foreign policy making, and the interaction of these national phenomena with the international system.
WWS 542 International Economics
Silvia Weyerbrock
Survey course in international economics for non-specialists. The first half covers microeconomic topics such as trade theory and policy, multilateral trade negotiations and regional economic integration. The second half addresses macroeconomic topics such as current account imbalances, exchange rates, and international financial crises. The course stresses concepts and real-world applications rather than formal models. Prerequisite: 511b, 512b concurrently.
WWS 543 International Trade Policy
Paul R. Krugman
Evaluates arguments for and against protection and adjustment assistance and considers topics chosen from the following: non-tariff barriers, dumping, embargo threats and trade warfare, and the political economy of trade policy formation. Special attention is given to trade problems of the less-developed countries, including North-South trade relations and commodity price stabilization. Prerequisite: 511c.
WWS 544 International Macroeconomics
Oleg Itskhoki
Issues in open economy macroeconomics and international finance. Topics include an exchange rate determination and dynamics, macroeconomic policy under fixed and floating exchange rates, current account behavior, exchange rate management and international policy coordination, and the history of the international monetary system. Special attention is given to the analysis of exchange rate crises. Prerequisite: 512c.
WWS 545/POL 555 International Legal Order
Jeffrey L. Dunoff
Characteristics of international law in the contemporary world. The emphasis is on opportunities for and limitations on the use of legal rules and procedures to control the recourse to force in international affairs. The course also emphasizes the relevance of the social and political environment to the development of effective law in the relations between states.
WWS 546 American Foreign Policy
David A. Baldwin
An examination of some of the most vital dilemmas of American foreign policy in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks and the recent aftermath of the Cold War. Topics include nuclear proliferation, democratization, the rise of China, humanitarian intervention, and AIDS.
WWS 547 The Conduct of International Diplomacy
James I. Gadsden
Offers a comparative look at the making and implementation of policy in the international arena. It explores key concepts and theories concerning national interest, negotiation, strategies of action and influence, crisis management and conflict resolution, and it applies those concepts via case studies and simulations in diplomacy, counter-terrorism, foreign assistance, and security policy.
WWS 549 National Security Policy
Aaron L. Friedberg
Examines the changing meaning of "national security" and the various policies and institutions through which states may seek to enhance it. Course emphasizes the formation and implementation of national security policy by the United States government.
WWS 551 Relations among Advanced Industrialized Societies
Kathleen R. McNamara
The political economy of relations among the United States, Japan, and the European Union. Focus is on historical, economically grounded analysis of both the domestic institutional arrangements that produce foreign economic policy within individual nations, and the changing patterns of relations between these states, primarily in trade and monetary affairs, from World War II to the present.
WWS 552 Globalization and Development
Daniela Campello
The multiple set of relationships between rich and poor countries, including borrowing and the promotion of political and economic models of governance, trade, investment, loans and aid; migration; environmental degradation and protection; and cultural diffusion. The course concludes with an assessment of the likelihood of accommodation and confrontation in the post-Cold War world.
WWS 553/POL 530 The Politics of Growth & Redistribution
Carles Boix
This course is designed to survey and critically discuss contemporary political economy; that is, the set of existing theories that model the impact of political conflict and political institutions on economic performance. The course is structured around the following main issues: the causes of growth; the relationship between openness, political institutions and economic policy-making, the causes and consequences of politically enforced redistribution. The course is analytical in its theoretical perspective and comparative from a methodological point of view.
WWS 559 Comparative World Order Systems
Richard A. Falk
Compares world order systems that are organized around a variety of fundamental principles and examines means of transition from one type of world order system to others. The course proceeds historically (past world order systems and their tradition of utopian thought), futuristically (probable future world order systems), and normatively (preferred world order systems).
WWS 561/POL 523 The Comparative Political Economy of Development
Atul Kohli
Political change and the operation of political institutions in the development process. The course emphasizes the interaction of political and economic factors. Various definitions and theories of political development are examined and tested against different economic, ethnic, geographic, and social contexts.
WWS 562B Economic Analysis of Development (Basic)
Jeffrey S. Hammer
An introduction to the processes of economic growth and development. The course covers a variety of topics, including the analysis of various theories of development, public expenditure and taxation, poverty and inequality measurement, and analyses of policies pertaining to trade, commodity pricing, foreign indebtedness, shadow pricing, and project evaluation. Prerequisite for 562b: 511b. Prerequisite for 562c: 511c.
WWS 562C Economic Analysis of Development (Advanced)
Anne C. Case
An introduction to the processes of economic growth and development. The course covers a variety of topics, including the analysis of various theories of development, public expenditure and taxation, poverty and inequality measurement, and analyses of policies pertaining to trade, commodity pricing, foreign indebtedness, shadow pricing, and project evaluation. Prerequisite for 562b: 511b. Prerequisite for 562c: 511c.
WWS 563 International Aspects of Economic Development
William H. Branson
Macroeconomics of developing countries. It reviews balance of payments accounting and the theoretical literature on the determination of output, the current account, and external debt dynamics in open economies. The effect of monetary and fiscal policies are analyzed, with particular emphasis on the role of nontraded goods and the wage adjustment process in determining the efficacy of various policy instruments. The course explores the design and implementation of IMF-style stabilization policies and the international debt crisis and some of its possible solutions. Prerequisite: 512b or 512c.
WWS 564/POP 504 Poverty, Inequality and Health in the World
Angus S. Deaton
About well-being throughout the world, with focus on income and health. Explores what happened to poverty, inequality, and health, in the US, and internationally. Discusses conceptual foundations of national and global measures of inequality, poverty, and health; construction of measures, and extent to which they can be trusted; relationship between globalization, poverty, and health, historically and currently. Examines links between health and income, why poor people are less healthy and live less long than rich people. Prereqs: 507 and 511. Please see instructor to apply for enrollment.
WWS 565/POL 527 State, Society, and Development
Lynn T. White
The relation of development to regime types, authority, culture, and social integration. The syllabus includes recent sources as well as long-standing texts in social theory by authors such as Madison, Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Polanyi, Schattschneider, Huntington, Geertz, W. A. Lewis, and Hirschman.
WWS 567/ECO 573 Population and Development
Sanders D. Korenman
Determinants of demographic behavior in developing countries and the economic consequences of population change. Participants investigate areas such as high fertility as a peasant economic strategy; the relationship between fertility, children's education, and household savings; the impact of population growth rates on wages, rents, the distribution of income, aggregate savings, and technical change; models of internal and international migration. Prerequisite: 507c and 511c, or their equivalents.
WWS 568/POP 502 Economics of Health in Developing Countries
Jeffrey S. Hammer
Health care policy formulation focusing on developing countries. Theory and practical lessons on how policy is, or isn't, translated into programs. Students will analyze global epidemiological threats to the infrastructure and financial stability of health care systems. Examines: 1) how alternative health care finance and reform strategies facilitate or create barriers to achieving policy objectives; and 2) explores the role of governments, WHO, NGOs, and donor agencies in setting the agenda for health policy.
WWS 569 Strategies for Rural Dev: Peasantry and Agrarian Transformation
Karen L. McGuinness
Surveys of the rich literature on the peasantry over the past 25 years, including the classic texts and the debates over political and economic behavior and more recent ethnographic material. It also covers significant policy issues, from agrarian reform to the green revolution, income distribution and sustainable development. Through specific case studies, it explores the position of the peasantry in the new world order.
WWS 571 Topics in Development
Staff
These courses treat particular issues of economic and social policy of developing nations. Topics vary according to the interests of the students and instructors. Fall term courses are numbered 571; spring term courses are numbered 572.
WWS 572 Topics in Development
Staff
These courses treat particular issues of economic and social policy of developing nations. Topics vary according to the interests of the students and instructors. Fall term courses are numbered 571; spring term courses are numbered 572.
WWS 583 Science, Technology and Environmental Policy
Staff
Analyzes the special problems encountered in scientific and technical areas of public policy, such as hidden value assumptions, and options which may be better than those being debated. Insights available from "back-of-the-envelope" calculations. Examines the roles of Government, nongovernmental organizations, and technical experts in fostering and regulating technological change. Case studies include nuclear weapons, climate change, alternative energy futures, cancer risks, genetic engineering, and the Internet.
WWS 583 Policy for Science and Technology
Frank N. von Hippel
Examines the intersection of science, technology and public policy. Topics include: the roles of advocacy groups, industry, research universities, national laboratories and individual citizens (including dissenters) in setting the public policy agenda; and the impact of political values on the focus of technical argumentation. Case studies include: nuclear weapons and missile defense; R&D policy; energy, climate change, and development; risk assessment, including cancer risks and losses of biodiversity; genetic engineering; and information technology.
WWS 587 Research Workshop in Population
Marta Tienda
A workshop focussing on individual research projects that involve the use of demographic analysis as it relates to issues in population policy or, occasionally, participation in the research conducted at the Office of Population Research. Prerequisite: SOC 571/ECO 571, Survey of Population Problems.
WWS 589 Methods in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy
Staff
Presents a set of quantitative analysis tools for study and practice of science, technology, and public policy. Topics include: selected aspects of order-of-magnitude estimation and natural scales, archetypal scientific logics and laws, experimental policy design, risk assessment, tradeoff analysis, innovation/diffusion/growth models, technology assessment, and bottom-up modeling. The goal is to develop an operational understanding of these techniques through lectures in-class exercises, and several short written quantitative explorations. Prerequisite: 507 or permission of the instructor.
WWS 590A Economic Perspectives on Inequality (Half-Term)
Alicia Adsera
Economics is centrally concerned with models of human capital development, educational attainment, labor market dynamics, unemployment, labor turnover, job duration, wage setting institutions, the role of unions, human capital formation, the relationship between economic status and other aspects of well-being (including health). Economists are essential partners in the behavioral study of preferences and decision making, mobility and redistribution, and the institutions of industrial relations that govern the labor market.
WWS 590S Workshop in Social Policy
Sara S. McLanahan
A course required for and limited to students in the Joint Degree program in Social Policy. Papers drafted in the year-long course WWS 590a,b,c,d must be revised and submitted to the workshop leader by August 20. Papers will be provided to an expert reader outside of the Princeton faculty, who is invited to join the seminar for sessions devoted to each student paper. Each student will present his/her own paper and simultaneously contribute written critiques of one another's papers. By the end of the term, students will be required to submit their papers for publication to a leading journal.
WWS 591 Policy Workshops
Staff
Policy workshops normally involve a group of six to twelve M.P.A. and M.P.P. students working on a specific policy problem under faculty supervision. Students frequently work with original source materials and data. Often the workshop produces a collective report or recommendation. The objective is for students to bring to bear the full range of skills emphasized in the curriculum.
WWS 592 Policy Workshops
Staff
Policy workshops normally involve a group of six to twelve M.P.A. and M.P.P. students working on a specific policy problem under faculty supervision. Students frequently work with original source materials and data. Often the workshop produces a collective report or recommendation. The objective is for students to bring to bear the full range of skills emphasized in the curriculum.
WWS 594 Policy Analysis: Selected Topics (Half-Term)
Staff
Half-term courses which analyse a variety of policy issues. Students can mix and match half term courses, either within or across semesters, choosing a combination of two that best suits their interests. Two half-term courses would be the equivalent of one full term course. Fall term courses are numbered 593; spring term courses are numbered 594. Courses with alternating letters beginning with "a" will be offered in the first half of the term, courses with alternating letters beginning with "b" will be offered in the second half of the term.
WWS 594O Election Strategies: How to Win Elections (Half-Term)
Mickey Edwards
An applied politics course whose goal is to teach students how to conduct winning campaigns for public office. Real campaigns will be studied, with an emphasis on the fundamentals: raising money and the ethics of fundraising, framing campaign messages, organizing precincts, getting out the vote, and the ethics of negative advertizing. Course will be taught by an experienced practitioner who won eight Congressional campaigns.
WWS 55b PhD Seminar: Research Design
Robert Keohane
Issues in the philosophy of science are discussed, then questions of conceptualization are analyzed, proceeding to problems of descriptive inference, objectivity, and causal inference, including the role of causal mechanisms. Seminar continues with analysis of how to avoid bias, and then tackles issues of historical change. Students present their own research designs and critique those of their colleagues. Emphasis is on qualitative research, but the argument underlying the seminar is that the same basic principles of inference apply to qualitative and quantitative research, and that the best research includes both sets of methodologies, integrated and put in the context of a well-conceptualized puzzle.
WWS 597 The Political Economy of Health Systems
Uwe E. Reinhardt
Course explores the professed and unspoken goals nations pursue with their health systems and the alternative economic and administrative structures different nations use to pursue those goals. Course will emphasize the industrialized world, although some time may be spent later in the course to consider approaches used in developing countries, if students want to.
WWS 598/POP 508 Epidemiology
Anne Andermann
Measurement of health status, illness occurrence, mortality and impact of associated risk factors; techniques for design, analysis and interpretation of epidemiologic research studies; sources of bias and confounding; and causal inference. Other topics include foundations of modern epidemiology, the epidemiologic transition, reemergence of infectious disease, social inequalities in health, and ethical issues. Course examines bridging of "individual-centered" epidemiology and "macro-epidemiology" to recognize social, economic and cultural context, assess impacts on populations, and provide inputs for public health and health policy.
WWS 599/POP 506 PhD Seminar: Research Ethics and Scientific Integrity (Half-Term)
Harold T. Shapiro, Elizabeth M. Armstrong
Examines the ethical issues arising in the context of scientific research. Evaluates the role and responsibilities of professional researchers in dealing with plagiarism, fraud, conflict over authorial credit, and ownership of data. In addition, it undertakes a broader inquiry into conceptions of professional integrity, and the responsibilities that scientists have to their research subjects, to their students and apprentices, as well as to society at large.