PLCY 705 Political Actors and Institutions

Formal studies of political behavior commonly use institutional analysis to explain public policy outcomes. This course equips the student with the tools they need to evaluate and carry out studies of political behavior in a wide range of political and economic contexts.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. Each thread must be 1,000-1,500 words. In each thread, the student must support his/her assertions with scholarly citations when appropriate in current APA format. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be 400-500 words and must incorporate scholarly sources when required in current APA format. Acceptable sources include the course readings and/or scholarly sources, such as books and peer-reviewed journal articles.

Analytical Paper Assignments (3)

The student will critically analyze and synthesize the readings for the assigned Modules: Weeks for these assignments. Questions will be provided to guide the student’s thinking and writing. The paper should include the following: organization by overarching themes within the literature, a discussion on how the readings contribute to the theory of institutionalism, a critical analysis of the assumptions, approach, and substance of each reading, and at least 1 potential question for future research with a directional and null hypothesis. The paper must follow current APA format and be 1,00-1,750 words, not including the cover page, bibliography, and footnotes (if used).

Institutionalism Research Proposal Assignment

The ultimate goal of terminally degreed scholars is to produce original academic research and scholarship. This assignment will allow the student to begin to practice and hone that skillset as they consider how they can contribute to the scholarship on Institutionalism that they have read over the course of the term. The student will develop a research proposal grounded in institutional theory on a public policy. The paper should include the following elements: an introduction, a scientific research question related to the topic, a 1-sentence directional and null hypothesis, a description on how institutional scholars have addressed similar research questions/topics, a discussion of the role of the individual in the institutional theories, and an explanation of how the proposed research will contribute to existing knowledge. The paper should utilize at least 10 scholarly sources and follow current APA format. The paper should be 1,250-1,750 words not including the cover page, bibliography, or footnotes (if used).