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Core Curriculum

Public Policy

Public Policy

Facilitators: Kenneth Faulve-Montojo and Elsa Chen, Political Science

A policy is a plan of action intended to achieve objectives. Public policy involves the laws that apply to citizens and residents and also to the organization of government. The laws include taxation, subsidies, and regulations. Policy involves ethics that provide justification of the objectives (such as equity), a political philosophy that applies to the structure of government, and implied theories of economics, sociology, and political science as applied to implementation. For example, a policy of the control of the money supply implies a belief in a theory of how the quantity of money and its control by the monetary authority affects an economy.

Associated Courses

American Politics
GOVT         410-001T         American Govt & Politics Seminar I (American University Washington Semester Program)

Anthropology
ANTH         152         Political Anthropology (effective 9/1/09)
ANTH         155         Conflict Resolution (effective 9/1/09)

Civil Engineering
CENG         124         Water Law and Policy (effective Spring 2016; cross-listed with CENG 258/ENVS 124; effective 3/25/16)
CENG         258         Water Law and Policy (effective Spring 2016; cross-listed with CENG/ENVS 124; effective 3/25/16)

Economics
*ECON       3             International Economics, Development, and Growth (effective 9/1/09)
*ECON       3H           International Economics, Development, and Growth (effective 9/1/09)
*ECON       111          Economics of the Environment (effective 9/1/09)
ECON         120          Economics of the Public Sector (effective 9/1/09)
ECON         126          Economics and Law (effective 9/1/09)
*ECON       127          Public Finance: Taxation
*ECON       129          Economic Development (effective 9/1/16)
*ECON       137          World Economic History (effective 9/1/22)
*ECON       151          Economics of Education (effective 3/25/23)
*ECON       160          The Economics of Poverty and Inequality (effective 9/1/09)
*ECON       181          International Trade (effective 9/1/09)
*ECON       187 ​         Dynamic Macroeconomics (effective 9/1/18)
ECON         199L        Environmental Economics (London; effective 9/1/09)

Environmental Studies & Sciences
*ENVS       122          Environmental Politics and Policy (cross-listed with POLI 157; effective 9/1/09)
ENVS         124          Water Law and Policy (effective Spring 2016; cross-listed with CENG 124/258; effective 3/25/16)

Ethnic Studies
ETHN         155          Racism in the United States (effective 9/1/09)

Foreign Policy & International Politics
SIS            491-001T      Foreign Policy & Intl Politics Seminar I (American University Washington Semester Program)

Global Economics & Business
IBUS          420-900T      Intl Business & Trade Seminar I (American University Washington Semester Program)

History
HIST          158          Turmoil and Reform: U.S. 1877-1920 (effective 3/25/16)
HIST          176          Contemporary America: 1980 to the Present (effective 04/03/17)
HIST          184          American Historical Geography (effective 03/25/18)

Intl Environment & Development
SIS            471-900T      Intl Environment & Development Seminar I (American University Washington Semester Program)

Intl Law & Organizations
SIS            450-900T      Intl Law & Organizations Seminar I (American University Washington Semester Program)

Journalism
COMM         450-001T      Journalism Semester Seminar I (American University Washington Semester Program)

Justice & Law
JLS             492-001T      Justice Semester Seminar I (American University Washington Semester Program)

Management
MGMT       6                   Business Ethics (effective 1/1/13)

Peace & Conflict Resolution
SIS             486-900T      Peace & Conflict Resolution Seminar (American University Washington Semester Program)

Philosophy
PHIL         25       Ethics in Society (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 5)
PHIL         25H     Ethics in Society: Honors (effective 11/25/2015; formerly PHIL 5H)
PHIL         26       Ethics in Business (effective 1/1/13; formerly PHIL 6)
PHIL         28       Ethics in Politics (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 8)
PHIL         28H     Ethics in Politics (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 8H)
PHIL         29       Ethics and the Environment (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 9)
PHIL         29H     Ethics and the Environment (effective 11/25/2015; formerly PHIL 9H)

Physics
PHYS        5         Physics and Technology for Future Leaders (effective 1/1/2020)

Political Science
POLI         40       Politics of US Econ Policies (effective 9/1/09)
POLI         45       Criminal Justice System (effective 9/1/09)
POLI         116A   Model United Nations Prep (2 units; only counts after POLI 116B has been completed; if this course is used towards the pathway, additional courses may be needed to reach the 12 or 16 unit minimum; effective 9/1/09)
*POLI       116B   Model United Nations: International Conflict Simulation (two units; if this course is used towards the pathway, additional courses may be needed to reach the 12 or 16 unit minimum; effective 9/1/09)
POLI         123     Global Environmental Politics (effective 9/1/09)
*POLI       150      The Presidency (effective 9/1/09)
*POLI       150AW The Presidency (effective 9/1/09)
*POLI       151      The Congress (effective 9/1/09)
*POLI       154      Women and Politics (cross-listed with WGST 180; effective 03/25/18) 
POLI         157      U.S. Environmental Policy (cross-listed with ENVS 122; effective 9/1/09)
*POLI       158      Housing and Homelessness Policy (effective 9/1/09)
*POLI       163      State and Local Politics (effective 3/25/19)
*POLI       167      Making Public Policy (effective 9/1/09)
POLI         168      Criminal Justice Reform (this topic only, effective 9/1/23)
*POLI       172      Money and Politics (effective 9/1/18) 
*POLI       195L     Constitutional Theory, Constitutional Politics (formerly 195P; effective 9/1/09)

Psychology
*PSYC      150       Social Psychology (effective 9/1/09)

Religious Studies
*RSOC     140       Animals, Environment & World Religion (effective 9/1/09)
*RSOC     190       Islam: Reformation and Modernity (effective 9/1/09)
*TESP      64         Environmental Justice in Catholic Imagination (effective 9/1/09)

Sociology
SOCI        33         Social Problems in the United States (effective 9/1/09)
SOCI        140       Urban Society and Social Conflict (effective 1/1/22)
SOCI        141       Climate Justice (effective 9/1/23)

The Middle East & World Affairs
SIS          319-900T     The Middle East & World Affairs Seminar I (American University Washington Semester Program)

Transforming Communities
GOVT       417-001T     Transforming Communities Seminar I (American University Washington Semester Program)

Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSS)
*WGST     180             Women and Politics (cross-listed with POLI 154; effective 03/25/18)

* Indicates Course Has Prerequisites