University of Alaska Southeast

Master of Public Administration

PADM 614 Public Policy & Accountability
Syllabus Fall 2023
Tuesdays 6:00pm – 8:45pm (Alaska Standard Time)
This is a tentative syllabus that can change as the course progresses. Please refer to the syllabus often to
ensure that you keep up to date with the course requirements.
7.30.23
General Course Information:
Instructor:
Peggy Weaver, MLEST (she/her/hers)

Contact Information: 808-365-3513

mweave13@alaska.edu

I check my e-mail frequently and can schedule individual phone or Zoom meetings with students as requested.

A microphone and webcam are required as class meetings will be via Zoom.

Theory of Understanding:
“Understanding is always more than merely re-recreating someone else’s meaning. Questioning opens up
possibilities of meaning, and thus what is meaningful passes into one’s own thinking on the subject…To reach
an understanding in a dialogue is not merely a matter of putting oneself forward and successfully asserting
one’s own point of view, but being transformed into a communion in which we do not remain what we were.”
Hans-Georg Gadamer

Catalog Course Description:

Legal guidelines for adoption, implementation, and adjudication of public agency regulations at federal, state,
and local levels. Legislative, executive, and judicial controls on agencies, and the political environment of
regulatory action. Addresses the theoretical analysis and practical application of public policy, including
theories of policy formation, with particular emphasis on the political and legal environment of the public and
non-profit sectors. Mixed methodologies will be addressed in the analysis of the creation, implementation,
and evaluation of public policy in the context of administrative law and the construct of ethical decision
making.

Course Learning Objectives

Students will:
 Demonstrate ability to effectively use technology tools in carrying out their class responsibilities
 Demonstrate professional writing skills
 Demonstrate an understanding of the strategic perspectives of public administration in relation to
administrative law, policy, and accountability
 Understand the systematic nature of government and its impact on democratic goals, ethics, policy,
and administrative law
 Be able to articulate the role of public managers in interpreting the law and analyzing public policy,
implementing democracy, and achieving accountability and government legitimacy

PADM 614 Syllabus Fall 2023 pg. 1

  Understand the basic structure and rationale of laws, statutes and policies as interpreted through the
administrative discretion directed by various legislative bodies
 Understand methodologies for analyzing and implementing public policy

Required Text:
Public Policy Praxis, 4th edition, by Randy S. Clemons and Mark K. McBeth, 2020

Optional: Administrative Law, 3rd (or 4th) Edition, by Steven J. Cann, Sage Publications

Administrative Law, 4thEdition and the previous version of Public Policy Praxis are available in
electronic format at the Egan Library – see the class site for links.

Class Assignments:
 Discussion Board
There will be 5 Discussion Board assignments, continuing the discussion of the content covered in
readings and in class by addressing a current issue in the environment. I will announce the discussion
topic in class.

You will be required to post at least two times per discussion board thread. Your first post is preferred
by Saturday night following class, to get the conversation going, with at least one additional post by
Monday night before our Tuesday class.

We want you to interact with each other, so rather than going on the Board just once a week please go
on several times for shorter lengths of time. See what others are saying and comment on their posts.
This is one important way we can build our learning community. To keep with the nature of a
discussion board, please jump in early and don’t delay your engagement, so we can hear from and
learn from each other.

 Group Presentation
Students will be divided into smaller groups to develop policy proposals for an assigned public
problem, to be presented to the class. Class time will be provided for most of this group work.

 Policy Case Analyses

Two written analyses of a specific public policy will be assigned. The first covers a given scenario and is
limited to three pages. The second paper is the proposal of policy for a public problem of the student’s
choice. You’ll submit an outline of your chosen topic, and your paper will be limited to nine pages.
More information and grading rubrics will be provided for these assignments.

Students are reminded of UA’s policy against plagiarism.

Late Work and Time Management

All assignments are due by midnight on the dates indicated. Occasional extensions may be granted with prior
approval. Late assignments without approval will be penalized by up to 50% if submitted within 10 days of the
due date. Late postings and papers are better than no submissions. There is a lot of work in this course and
time management is crucial. If you find yourself falling behind, please contact me immediately so we can get
you back on track as soon as possible.
PADM 614 Syllabus Fall 2023 pg. 2
Student Course Ratings
All students are urged to participate in the course evaluation, which provides me with valuable feedback on
how to improve the class. The evaluations will be available via UAS Online toward the end of this course. You
will receive an email notification when the evaluation forms are available online. All results will be
anonymous, and I will not have access to this information until at least two weeks after the grades are
submitted.

Due Dates for Assignments

Discussion Board #1
August 28
Discussion Board #2 Sept. 18
Discussion Board #3 Sept. 25
Discussion Board #4 Oct. 9
Discussion Board #5 Oct. 16
1st Analysis Oct. 23
Group Presentations Nov. 7
Final Analysis Outline Nov. 20
Final Analysis Dec. 13

Save copies of all your work in case of technical difficulties.

Grading
I will generally ‘turn around’ your grades within a week’s time. You will be able to check your grades via the
‘My Grades’ link on the course website. The detailed guidelines and rubrics will let you know what is expected
for each analysis assignment. They will be available on the course website under Course Content.
Points System for Grading:
Discussion Board Assignments (5 x 20 points) 100 points
First Case Analysis 40 points
Group Presentations 40 points
Final Outline 30 points
Final Case Analysis 60 points
Class Participation 20 points
Total Points 290 points

Grading System
95% – 100% A 80% – 83% B-
90% – 94% A- 70% – 79% C
87% – 89% B+ 60% – 69% D
84% – 86% B 59% and below F

PADM 614 Syllabus Fall 2023 pg. 3

 PADM 614 Course Outline Fall 2023
Date Topic Read
Introduction to each other, the semester, and
course expectations Chapter 1, Administrative Law
Tuesday, 8. 29 Politics, Democracy, and Bureaucracy
Origins of Administrative Law

Assignment: Discussion Board #1 (Intros)

Due by midnight Monday 8.28

Executive & Legislative Control of Bureaucracy

9.5  Politics, Democracy and Bureaucracy Chapters 2 & 3, Administrative
 Presidential Power: Constitutional Law
Interpretation Reflection, Tools of Control,
Administrative Presidency, Extra-
Constitutional Power
 Legislative creation of administrative agencies:
delegation, oversight, and accountability

Judicial Control of Agencies by Default

9.12 • Constraints on the Judiciary: Access, Administrative Law, Chapter 4
reviewability, scope of review, and exhaustion and posted decisions
• Law/Fact Distinction
 Agency Rulemaking
• Review of Agency Action

Assignment: Discussion Board Assignment #2 due

9.18

Power, the People, Pluralism, and You

9.19 Policy Text, Chapter 1, pp 1 – 40
Assignment: Discussion Board Assignment #3
due by 9.25 Consider Vermont scenario, pp
43-44, the stakeholders, and
your view of democracy &
power.
Policy Analysis – Rational Model
9.26 Policy Text, Chapter 2

Policy Analysis - Positivist Tools

10.3 Policy Text, Chapter 3
Assignment: Discussion Board #4 due by 10.9

Government’s Need for Information

10.10  Acquiring, physical inspections, public’s Administrative Law, Chapter 5
access Posted Readings

Assignment: Discussion Board #5 due 10.16

PADM 614 Syllabus Fall 2023 pg. 4

 Date Topic Read
Critiques of Rational Approach
10.17 Policy Text, Chapter 4
st
Assignment: 1 Case study analysis due 10.23

Non-Rational/Political Approach
10.24 Policy Text, Chapter 5
Group Breakouts for 11.7 presentation

Pragmatic Analysis Method – 5-Step Model

10.31 Policy Text, Chapter 6
Group Breakouts for 11.7 presentation

Group Presentations
11.7
Assignment: Final Paper Outline due 11.20
Problem Definition, Mixed Methodologies,
11.14 and Praxis Policy Text, Chapter 7

No Class
11.21
Doing Democracy: A new 6 Step Model
11.28 Post-Implementation Analysis Policy Text, Chapter 8

Last Class
12.5 Wrap-Up
Share a brief verbal summary of your paper topic
Finals Week – No Class
12.12 Assignment: Final Analysis Paper due Wed. 12.13

PADM 614 Syllabus Fall 2023 pg. 5