Course Syllabus

V182 Policy-making around the World: Comparative and International Approaches

Fall 2026; Section 7939

Monday and Wednesday 3:55 - 5:10 p.m.

Course Description

This course introduces students to the fields of comparative and international policy. The first part explores how and why governments around the world make policy choices and how these choices affect their citizens. The second part introduces students to how governments work together with other actors to solve global problems.

Learning Objectives

Students who successfully complete the requirements of this course will be able to:

1. Compare the national-level policy-making process in the U.S. to several other countries with different governmental systems, political philosophies, political cultures, and/or policy actors, including various forms of democratic and authoritarian governments.
2. Explain how these different systems produce different policy outputs, considering issues such as accountability, transparency and corruption.
3. Explain why government is needed to make policy.
4. Illustrate one or more policy challenges that transcend national boundaries, including at least one global policy problem, as well as propose solutions.
5. Identify major organizations and other mechanisms for making, implementing, and enforcing international policy.
6. Illustrate how public and nonprofit sector organizations engage and interact in international policy-making and implementation.
7. Illustrate major differences in the policy problems facing the developed and developing world; explain the significance of these different challenges for national and international policy-making.

Required Reading

A custom e-textbook and downloadable files on Canvas. 

Course Policies

Found under Modules on Canvas.