Course # 35540 Section Number 1 Day(s) Tu- Th Time(s) 2:00pm-3:20pm Term Fall 2024 Specialization International Policy Course Instructor Christopher Blattman Syllabus Draft Syllabus 9/18/24 So you want to make the world a better place, but how? So much policy fails. So many good intentions go awry. Why? What makes for good policy? What makes it bad? This is a class on the social science of policy-making---the lessons from economics, political science, sociology, and anthropology, plus the practical experiences of practitioners. We will focus on policy-making in a global context, especially international policy and development. While we will look at international organizations, the focus is on national and local development strategies and domestic policymakers and institutions. This is also a course about learning to read and write well. Readings each week will be heavy and difficult, but rewarding. There will be also weekly writing assignments that involve critical reviews of books, papers, and ideas. There are no requirements for the class. Any Masters student or advanced undergraduate is welcome to join the class. A class on economic development is recommended. Quarter Title Instructor Day(s) Time(s) Syllabus Fall 2024 How to Change the World Christopher Blattman Tuesday, Thursday 2:00pm-3:20pm Syllabus Recent News More news Alumni Profile: Kenneth Zalke, MPP’23 Thu., May 29, 2025 Provost Katherine Baicker Honored with 2025 William B. Graham Prize for Health Services Research Wed., May 28, 2025 Where Passion Meets Policy: The Story of Samantha Kent, AM’20 Tue., May 27, 2025 Upcoming Events More events Masterclass with Navin Kumar Tue., June 03, 2025 | 5:00 PM Get to Know Harris! A Virtual Information Session Wed., June 04, 2025 | 12:00 PM Get to Know Harris! MACRM and PhD Information Session Thu., June 05, 2025 | 8:30 AM
March 24, 2025 Q&A: Senior Lecturer Rebecca Wolfe Discusses the Trump Administration’s Actions on Foreign Aid and Humanitarian Programs
February 23, 2025 Muaz Chaudhry Named Gates Cambridge Scholar, Set to Pursue Doctoral Studies in Economics of Gender