Navigating Analytical Politics

Thanks to Jordan Graham, MPP '21, for writing this post!

Ever wonder what motivates a political compromise? Or why individuals in society fail to address shared social problems?

Analytical Politics I, a core course taken by Harris Master of Public Policy students in their first quarter, addresses these problems head-on. That’s why it has become my favorite class this quarter.  

The course introduces students to a set of philosophical frameworks, quantitative models, and game theory exercises that help explain how people make decisions, how ideology informs policy, and how social dilemmas arise.

In the first couple of weeks, we tackled normative frameworks to examine how philosophical beliefs often underpin policy aims and how those creeds often shape political discourse. Seemingly simple questions—“What should be the fundamental goal of good policy?”—spurred debate: To do the most good for the most people? To make the poorest people better off? To strive for equity above all else? And what rights and behaviors are worth protecting, even if they might cause social harm?

In lessons about game theory, we analyzed how people make political decisions and how those actions often leave all players—and society as a whole—worse off than they could have been. The exercises blend quantitative models that use calculus and algebra with real-world analyses of social problems.

My favorite part of the course has been examining why social dilemmas arise: from nations’ under-investment in foreign aid, to doctors’ over-prescribing antibiotics, to the United States’ struggle to fully withdraw from Afghanistan. Many of these problems can be boiled down —at least in part —to commitment, externality, or coordination problems that are diagnosable and fixable with appropriate intervention.

Analytical Politics I has provided me with a foundational toolkit to help think about policy, politics, and the everyday decisions of actors in society. I can see how these concepts have laid the groundwork for the higher-level classes to come, and I anticipate I’ll consider these frameworks down the line when analyzing the pros, cons, and feasibility of potential policy interventions. I’m looking forward to what the rest of my classes have in store.

*A note below from the folks in Admissions* 

Students enrolling in programs other than the MPP or the MA may take a different course, or may take AP I at a different time. For example, MSCAPP students take this course in the fall quarter of their second year, MAIDP students enroll in the International Development section of AP I, and the MACRM schedule includes different coursework. However, we think Jordan's blog post provides prospective students with helpful information on his experience in a core class, and we wanted to make sure it was widely shared. For full information on degree requirements and courses, make sure to visit the degree website.