Political Feasibility Analysis: Winning Strategies in Public Policy

Enacting new public policy and bringing about social change is a dynamic process which requires an array of strategic approaches and analytical tools as well as understanding the changing political environment and historical precedents. This course will review and analyze various strategies and methodologies for assessing the political feasibility of successfully implementing new public policies at all levels of government.

Through analyzing successful and unsuccessful public policies, this course will provide real world perspectives and major takeaways on the political feasibility of implementing new public policies by meshing theory and practice to master the art of winning in the endgame.

Examples of policy case areas to be analyzed will include health care reform initiatives with Clinton losing and Obama winning, environmental initiatives, urban affairs, hunger relief, transportation, gay marriage and LGBTQ rights, gun control, among other policy areas.

With the political feasibility analysis model, various policy strategies will be analyzed and an assessment made on whether to pursue a comprehensive, incremental or “no go” strategy based upon the political environment and the strength of the power base.

Aside from analyzing the various policy strategies, the course will examine the key policy domains to include the legislative, executive, judicial and bureaucratic and how they intersect with the feasibility analysis model. In addition, the course will explore the impact of indirect policy makers outside of government such as lobbyists, public interest groups, public relations firms, business groups, faith-based organizations and individual activists as well the growing impact of social media.

By the end of the course, students will be adept at assessing the political feasibility of implementing new public policies at all levels of government in order to win in the endgame.

Reading materials for the course will include Harvard Kennedy School policy case studies, various chapter readings and articles. Additional reading materials will be posted where the instructor played a leadership role in various policy campaigns in areas such as urban affairs, health care, farm bill reform, energy, veteran’s affairs, refugee assistance, hunger relief, global issues of human rights and child welfare, among others.

Students also will be required to read materials on current national and local issues for class discussions. There will be two guest speakers which may include legislators, journalists, lobbyists, public interest groups, and public affairs consultants, among others.

The structure for course will center on case study analysis, policy study groups and class participation. Students will be called upon to integrate the skills and draw upon analytical tools gained from other core curriculum. Group presentations will be a major element of the course so that students are grounded in how to use the political feasibility model as an analytical tool in the real world of public policy.

For further info contact: Ron Gibbs, Harris Lecturer, at 312-543-1455 or at rgibbs@uhicago.edu.