Global Risk Policy

This course will provide the tools to analyze and evaluate various areas of public policy – including taxes, financial regulations, social safety nets, disaster preparedness and response, early warning systems, risk communications and education - through a risk management lens. Students will engage with questions including how policies encourage “good” risk taking and encourage “bad” risk-taking, how risk benefits and burdens are shared, and what trade-offs risk-related public policies must weigh. Participants will debate ways in which using a risk lens changes the way governments design policies and how favorably (or not) citizens view those policies. Through comparative analysis, case studies, class participation, and individual and group projects, and readings from practitioner and academic authors, students will gain a new understanding of and ability to discuss key aspects of risk policy issues and systems.