Course Syllabus

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SPEA-V 184: Law & Public Affairs (Section 13733)

Welcome to V184. Tara Ali is the instructor for this course. A full syllabus and an outline of what we will do in each class are available under the Modules tab in Canvas. The schedule on Canvas is subject to limited change.

CLASS MEETINGS

This class will be delivered in person. We will meet in O’Neill PV 274 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:35 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. Our first class is Tuesday, August 25th. A schedule of class meetings and an outline of what we will do in each class is available on Canvas under the Modules tab. The schedule on Canvas is subject to limited change in the event of extenuating circumstances.

COURSE MATERIAL

This course has no required textbook.  We will be reading from a variety of sources, including primary legal source material (i.e., statutes, case law, executive orders, etc.). All required readings and other coursework are set out for each class under the Modules tab on Canvas. To be well prepared for class, you will need to complete the pre-class readings/other preparation materials before the class period (i.e., the pre-class readings for the first class should be completed before our first class). The Modules tab is found by clicking on “Modules” on the left side of the Canvas course site. If you have any trouble accessing any material in a Module, please let me know ASAP. There is an optional, supplemental book for this course:  Law 101: Everything You Need to Know About American Law, Sixth Edition by Jay M. Feinman. This book is a nice resource to have, and I will occasionally post optional readings related to it.

COURSE DESCRIPTION (FROM COURSE BULLETIN)

This course provides a basic understanding of origins, process, and impact of law in making and implementing public policy. Students learn who has power to make and implement laws, the different forms law takes, how to find and interpret law, and key principles of law that shape public affairs.

LEARNING OUTCOMES/COURSE GOALS

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

  1. Explain how and why lawmaking powers differ among branches and levels of government
  2. Apply to real and hypothetical events, major rules or principles of law that affect how government acts on public affairs issues
  3. Explain how civil disputes and criminal charges are resolved in America
  4. Explain at a basic level how administrative agencies make and implement law
  5. Identify one or more examples of how demographic differences have affected or may affect someone’s experience with American law
  6. Compare US and foreign approaches on one or more selected issues of law and policy
  7. Conduct basic online research to find relevant and valid law and related information
  8. Form persuasive oral and written arguments that incorporate legal and policy considerations
  9. Relate the major course concepts to events in the news or history or students’ own lives
  10. Understand and analyze current and/or historical events through the lens of concepts from this course

GRADES

Grades are based on the following scale:

Grading scale

IU’s grading policies are available here:  https://policies.iu.edu/policies/aca-66-grades-and-grading/index.html

Course Summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due