Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Over the past two decades, public policy professors have been confronted with a choice to teach either from the traditional positivist approach grounded in rationality, objectivity, and economics or from a postpositivist approach grounded in politics, subjectivity, and democracy. Yet, such a choice is both false and limiting. Instead, we argue that it is possible to teach a practical public policy analysis course based on mixed methodologies that stems from both the positivism and postpositivism camps. At the pedagogical center of this approach is the case method. Our approach is grounded in both the belief and experience that the combination of an approach that is pragmatic, yet infused with politics, and a stimulating case also serves to increase student interest. In this article, we present a class-tested case study ready for use by faculty members in courses in public policy analysis, public policy, and, introductory public administration. Along the way, we provide guidance on how to use the case and how it fits into a mixed methodological approach.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Anderson

J. E.

(2006). Public policymaking (6th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Baumgartner

F. R.

Jones

(1993). Agendas and instability in American politics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Birkland

T. A.

(2005). An introduction to the policy process. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe.

Clemons

R. S.

McBeth

M. K.

(2009). Public policy praxis: A case approach for understanding policy and analysis (2nd ed.). New York: Longman.

Cooper

T. L.

(1998). The responsible administrator (4th ed.). San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

Cunningham

Weschler

(2002). Theory and the public administration student practitioner. Public Administration Review, 62(1), 104–111.

Danziger

(1995). Policy analysis postmodernized: Some political and pedagogical ramifications. Policy Studies Journal, 23(3), 435–450.

deLeon

(1997). Democracy and the policy sciences. Albany: State University of New York Press.

Dunn

W. N.

(2004). Public policy analysis (3rd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

10.

Fischer

(1998). Beyond empiricism: Policy inquiry in postpositivist perspective. Policy Studies Journal, 26(1), 129–146.

11.

Fox

C. J.

Miller

H. T.

(1996). Postmodern public administration: Toward discourse. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

12.

Helms

Biggs

(2007). Policy mapping: A new framework for teaching policymaking and policy design through case studies. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 13 (3–4), 565–584.

13.

Kingdon

J. W.

(1995). Agendas, alternatives, and public policies (2nd ed.). New York: HarperCollins.

14.

Lawlor

E. F.

(1996). Book review, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 15(1), 110–121.

15.

Layzer

(2006). Fish stories: Science, advocacy, and policy change in New England Fishery Management. Policy Studies Journal, 34(1), 59–80.

16.

Lynn

L. E.

Jr. (1999a). A place at the table: Policy analysis, its postpositive critics, and the future of practice. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 18(3), 411–425.

17.

Lynn

L. E.

Jr. (1999b). Teaching and learning with cases. New York: Chatham House.

18.

Miller

H. T.

(2002). Postmodern public policy. Albany: State University of New York Press.

19.

Millis

B. J.

Cottell

P. G.

Jr. (1998). Cooperative learning for higher education faculty. Westport, CT: Oryx Press.

20.

Morgenthau

H. J.

(1993). Politics among nations: The struggle for power and peace (rev. by Kenneth

W. Thompson

, brief ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

21.

Munger

M. C.

(2000). Analyzing policy: Choices, conflicts, and practices. New York: W. W. Norton.

22.

Noddings

(1997). The use of stories in teaching. In Campbell

W. E.

Smith

K. A.

(Eds.), New paradigms for college teaching (pp. 19–35). Edina, MN: Interaction Book Co.

23.

Rittel

H. W.

Webber

(1973). Dilemmas in a general theory of planning. Policy Sciences, 4, 155–169.

24.

Rivenbark

W. C.

(2007). Using cases to teach financial management skills in MPA programs. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 13(2), 314–323.

25.

Romero

F. S.

(2001). The policy analysis course: Toward a discipline consensus. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 20, 771–779.

26.

Schattschneider

E. E.

(1960). The semi-sovereign people. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

27.

Stone

(2002). Policy paradox: The art of political decision making (rev. ed.). New York: W. W. Norton.

28.

Weimer

D. L.

Vining

A. R.

(2004). Policy analysis: Concepts and practice (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Public Policy Pedagogy: Mixing Methodologies Using Cases

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References