PA4997: Topics in Public Affairs & Politics

Topics in public policy, with emphasis on the politics of public affairs. One topic uses the struggles over national security and liberty to explore core aspects of the politics of public affairs - power; institutional development; political communications; and democratic accountability. A rigorous understanding of these political dynamics offers a general approach to policy and public affairs that moves beyond superficial impressions to understanding and engaging in the practical work of public affairs. These tools of analysis are indispensable for making sense of America's constitutional crises as well as other issues. Class sessions are organized around interactive discussions of major Supreme Court decisions, debates in Congress, and other original documents that bring students into direct contact with the competing perspectives of each case, and with penetrating studies of politics.

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