Public Affairs (PUB AFF)

Terms offered: Summer 2020 Second 6 Week Session
This course is designed to introduce mid-career executives to three things: a typology of “kinds of problems” that confront those leading organizations; a sampling of major problems confronting leaders in the next decades; and a sampling of solutions to problems confronting leaders. It introduces the rest of the Berkeley MPA summer core program with examples of the kinds of problems that modern leaders must confront and the kinds of solutions that must be devised. The course features at least one article or book by a GSPP faculty member in each session except the last.
Confronting Public Policy Challenges: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2019, Fall 2018, Fall 2017
This course is designed to improve our abilities to think creatively and critically about public policy problems and solutions. The course provides the opportunity to synthesize the skills you have acquired through your summer core coursework and apply these skills to real world policy problems. We open the course with a discussion of what it is that policy analysts do and how their work fits into the broader policy process. We then move into an overview of the policy analysis framework, drawing on the eightfold path you were introduced to in the Policy Frameworks course.
Policy Analysis Toolkit Course: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2020 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2019 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2018 Second 6 Week Session
This course is designed to introduce mid-career executives to "big ideas" in public policy: the fundamental dilemmas in governance, representation, resource creation and distribution, that eternally confront societies and public leaders, and various approaches to resolving these dilemmas.
Policy Frameworks and Challenges: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
The MPA Capstone Course is designed to enable each MPA student to write their Capstone Analytic Project, which will address a specific policy or programmatic challenge facing a real-world client. The weekly course meetings are structured to help students further hone their creativity, their analytic capacities and their writing and presentation skills as they develop the project through its various stages. Participants work closely together to learn from and help each other. Each student's final product, their CAP, is a thorough analysis of the client's problem or challenge that draws on the interdisciplinary methods, approaches, and perspectives studied in the Toolkit class and other classes in the MPA core curriculum.
The Capstone: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2019 First 6 Week Session, Summer 2018 First 6 Week Session
This course is designed to familiarize the executive student with the ways in which microeconomic analysis is brought to bear on public policy issues. You will learn (1) to identify the relevant economic questions concerning policy issues of interest to you, (2) to comprehend the economic arguments that bear on these issues, (3) to evaluate these arguments in terms of their strengths and weaknesses, and (4) when to utilize specific tools and methods from microeconomics to address the policy issues.
Economics for Public Policy Makers: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2021 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2020 Second 6 Week Session
The Goldman School equips students to speak truth to power. In this course, the goal is to focus on the art and science of persuasive oral communication in policy. This course equips students with the best practices of oral communication and provides them with a safe space to find their voice. We focus primarily on persuasion.
Policy Communications: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2019 First 6 Week Session, Summer 2018 First 6 Week Session
This course presents an introduction overview of quantitative and qualitative research methods and an introduction to the research process in public policy decision‐making.
Research Methods for Policy Leaders: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2021 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2020 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2019 First 6 Week Session
In this course, we are going to study the use of research methods, statistics, and probability theory in public decision making. We will begin with case studies of important public policy topics where key decisions depend on the interpretation of results from empirical research or on probabilistic assessments of the likelihood of various outcomes. We will then study the basics of probability theory, statistical sampling, hypothesis testing, and inferring causality.
Inferential Statistics for Policy Makers: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This course examines mathematical models useful in policy analysis and management through a series of exercises and hands-on experimentation. It assumes knowledge of basic economics and introductory statistics.
Risk and Decision Models: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2019 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2018 Second 6 Week Session
There is increasing emphasis throughout the public and non-profit sectors to invest in practices that are “evidence based". In this course, we are going to study the role of empirical research in public decision making and the common research strategies employed to study problems of causal inference and prediction. The effectiveness of specific intervention often relies on research attempting to demonstrate that one variable (for example, a particular educational intervention) has a causal effect on an outcome of interest (for example, successful completion of high school). We will study the various research strategies that are employed to uncover causal effects and to evaluate the effects of programmatic interventions.
Applied Inferential Statistics for Policy Analysis: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2021 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2020 Second 6 Week Session
This course discusses methods for making organizations perform with an emphasis on managerial and financial accounting. Procurement, quality assurance, and performance evaluations of employees are also discussed. Managerial accounting is a set of tools used by managers for planning, implementation, and control. Financial accounting is a set of tools used by managers and outside observers for reporting on and analyzing an organization’s financial health.
Financial Management and Budgeting: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
The objective of this course is to improve negotiation skills and to increase the ability to resolve conflicts in a multitude of situations, including public policy disputes. Topics will include: distributive and integrative bargaining; preparation strategies; defense to ploys; power and perceptions; team and multi-party negotiations; political, legislative and regulatory negotiations; emotions and gender, email negotiations, handling difficult negotiators, impact of personality traits and public policy mediation. Simulated negotiation exercises and role-plays will be used extensively.
Negotiations: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Program evaluation is the systematic investigation of social programs, regulations, or policies. The aim of program evaluation is to provide valid findings in order to determine whether a particular program or policy is achieving its objectives. Evaluations are used for various reasons, most commonly to aid in decisions concerning whether programs should be continued, improved, expanded, or curtailed. This course will introduce students to a variety of research designs and related methodological tools useful for evaluating the impact of public policies and programs.
Program Evaluation: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2021 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2020 Second 6 Week Session
Inspirational and authentic leaders understand that in order to inspire and earn the trusts of others, they must first be willing to reveal who they are and what they truly believe in. In this course, we will study how leaders and change agents use storytelling to inspire people and enroll others into their vision. More importantly, you will have the opportunity to discover and tell your own leadership stories—who you are, your personal beliefs and values, and your personal/professional aspirations and passion. The goal of the course is to provide the foundations to develop both the content and the delivery of a compelling story.
Storytelling for Leadership: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2020 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2019 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2018 Second 6 Week Session
This course is focused exclusively on teaching a classic method of public policy analysis, the so-called Eightfold Path for Policy Analysis. Class sessions will be devoted to discussion and applications of each step of this approach.
Policy Analysis Using the Eightfold Path: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This course is designed to help students develop their skills for leading and managing large groups, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and public advocacy, with the goal of achieving positive social change. Materials include case studies, analyses, and works from several disciplines. This course will provide higher-level topics of leadership strategy, visionary management, and executive communication styles.
Leading People and Organizations: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2020 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2019 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2018 Second 6 Week Session
The objective of this course is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of ethical arguments in the process and substance of policymaking. Those who seek to govern well inescapably confront questions of value in their political, professional and personal choices. The discussion of ethical dilemmas is designed to provoke analytic reflection on the moral challenges and responsibilities for public policymaking in a democracy. The focus is on the many and often competing obligations, commitments and values that should guide public actors, as well as on the public principles that guide the design of good public policy.
Ethical Issues for Policy Leaders: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2019 First 6 Week Session, Summer 2018 First 6 Week Session
This course focuses on creating and implementing change within public organizations through the application of strategic planning, innovation and leadership. We will discuss where new ideas come from and how they can be generated, evaluated and implemented. The methods developed in other parts of the summer curriculum become the support for proving that new ideas are good ideas (or for finding out that they are bad ideas). We will explore how each method can be useful to a leader (both formal and informal) at various levels within a public organization through case studies and real world examples. The course will introduce leadership themes which will be explored further in PUB AFF 283: Leading People and Organizations.
Innovation, Strategy and Leadership: Making Change in Public Organizations.: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and gene editing will transform the way we work and the way we live. The speed, scope, and scale of the technological changes are unprecedented, which pose serious challenges to policy makers – how do you create agile public policies to not only keep up with technologies, but to anticipate future trends in this fast-moving digital economy? We will take a practical approach to examine the issues and challenges of “tech policy” from a global perspective, including topics such as digital trade, data privacy, digital payment, artificial intelligence, gene editing, blockchain, and more.
Digital Economy: Public Policy Making in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
Course examines current problems and issues in the field of public affairs. Topics may vary from year to year and will be announced at the beginning of the semester.
Special Topics in Public Affairs: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2022 Second 6 Week Session, Fall 2021, Summer 2021 Second 6 Week Session
Course examines current problems and issues in the field of public affairs. Topics may vary from year to year and will be announced at the beginning of the semester.
Special Topics in Public Affairs: Read More [+]