Business+&+Public+Policy,+PS+3155

Temple University Political Science Department, PS 3155 Section 1 CRN 037701 MWF 1:40-2:30 Barton Hall Classrooms B403 Office Hours MWF 12:30-1:30 Gladfelter 424 This is an upper-level undergraduate course, examining the connections between politics, business, and public policy. We confront a range of business-relevant problems using prevailing approaches in political studies. We’re interested in what government does to and for businesses of various kinds, as well as how businesses influence public policy and politics more generally. We first evaluate the role of the modern state in the capitalist economy, move on to consider the nature of corporations themselves, and then explore their role in the policymaking process. In the week preceding the Presidential election we look at the candidate’s business-relevant policies and the ways companies have helped or hurt the candidates. In the final few weeks we apply what we’ve learned to several important issues: immigration, defense, health care, and food policy. The course includes lectures, discussion, and student-led seminars. Full instructions will be given to structure student contributions, which require reading, research and analysis.

=Textbook information=
 * Please purchase the following textbook: Richard Lehne, Government and Business: American Political Economy in Comparative Perspective, 2nd Edition. Information from the [|publisher is here.] Amazon [|information is here.] Be sure you buy the second edition.
 * Print subscription to //The Financial Times// newspaper. Academic rates apply; for information (please register as my student): https://www.ftnewspaper.com/cgi-bin/ftusa.cgi/fess/vanity_us_student
 * There may also be a reader or electronic compilation of readings for this course.

=Assessment=

3. Seminar paper (see below) (5-6 pages) 25%
= = =Seminars=

Participant list is here. Go here for general advice)
PLEASE BE SURE TO SAY WHICH QUESTION YOU'RE ANSWERING ON YOUR PAPER...

Economy and state 9/17 (new date: Friday 9/19) Corporate governance 9/26 (new date: Friday 10/3) Trade and the WTO10/3 (new date: Friday 10/10) The 2008 Election 10/31 Immigration and business 11/7 Business and war 11/14 Health care 11/21 Food policy 1 12/1 Food policy 2 12/8

=Schedule overview (subject to change)= RL refers to Richard Lehne’s Government and Business, 2nd Ed. Corporate governance seminar ||^  || 6 || M 10/6 || Globalization & trade || RL (89-101) & RL 14 || || 7 || M 10/13 || || || || W 10/15 |||| Audio files on financial crisis: no class meeting 10/15; be ready to discuss 10/17 || 8 || M 10/20 || Lobbying || tba RL 7, 8 || || 9 || M 10/27 || The election & business policy || tba || Midterm due ||
 * ** Wk ** || ** Date ** || ** Topic ** || ** Reading ** || ** Note ** ||
 * 1 || W 9/3 || Frameworks || RL 2 || ||
 * ^  || F 9/5 || || ||^   ||
 * 2 || M 9/8 || Historical overview || RL 1 || ||
 * ^  || W 9/10 || || ||^   ||
 * ^  || F 9/12 || || || ||
 * 3 || M 9/15 || Economic policy for business & public || RL 3 & 10 ||^   ||
 * ^  || W 9/17 || || ||^   ||
 * ^  || F 9/19 || || Economy & state seminar 9/19 || ||
 * 4 || M 9/22 || ||  ||^   ||
 * ^  || W 9/24 || Financial crisis research || ||^   ||
 * ^  || F 9/26 || || ||^   ||
 * 5 || M 9/29 || || || ||
 * ^  || W 10/1 || || ||^   ||
 * ^  || F 10/3 || Corporate governance || RL 4 (66-76) & tba
 * ^  || W 10/8 || || ||^   ||
 * ^  || F 10/10 || || || ||   ||   ||   ||
 * ^  || F 10/17 ||   ||  ||
 * ^  || W 10/22 ||  Campaign finance || RL 9 ||^   ||
 * ^  || F 10/24 || Who wins and loses? || ||^   ||
 * ^  || W 10/29 || || ||^   ||
 * ^  || F 10/31 || Questions on baseball || Election seminar 10/31 ||^   ||
 * 10 || M 11/3 || Immigration || tba || ||
 * ^  || W 11/5 || || ||^   ||
 * ^  || F 11/7 || || Immigration seminar 11/7 ||^   ||
 * 11 || M 11/10 || Business & war || tba || ||
 * ^  || W 11/12 || || ||^   ||
 * ^  || F 11/14 || || Business & war seminar 11/14 ||^   ||
 * 12 || M 11/17 || Health care || tba || ||
 * ^  || W 11/19 || || ||^   ||
 * ^  || F 11/21 || || Health care seminar 11/21 ||^   ||
 * 13 || M 11/24 || Food policy and business || RL 15 & tba || ||
 * ^  || W 11/26 || || ||^   ||
 * ^  || || || Thanksgiving ||^   ||
 * 14 || M 12/1 || || Food policy seminar 1 12/1 ||^  ||
 * ^  || W 12/3 || || ||^   ||
 * ^  || F 12/5 || || ||^   ||
 * 15 || M 12/8 || || Food policy seminar 2 12/8 ||^  ||
 * ^  || W 12/10 || Conclusions || tba || ||
 * ^  || || || || Final due Monday Dec 15  ||