In this course students will analyze the competing proposals and contemporary research addressing the major public policy issues affecting the United States today. Students will be required to ciritcally analyze and debate the course readings with an eye towards identifying the best policies to adopt. Policy topics to be convered in the course include: education, the environment, immigration, entitlement programs and health care reform. The topics covered will change based on the significant policy issues being addressed by policymakers at the time the course is offered.