POLS 346 Environmental Politics and Policy Spring 2012 M, W 1:45-3:30, Ramstad 207

Sid Olufs Xavier 153, x-8727, olufs@plu.edu Office Hours: M 11-1:30, T 12-1:00, W 12-1:30, + appts.

Catalog Description. The course examines environmental problems from political perspectives, including international and domestic political contexts, and methods of evaluating policies.

Course Readings

• Norman J. Vig and Michael E. Kraft, Environmental Policy: New Directions for the Twenty-first Century, 7^th ed., CQ Press, 2009. 978-0872899735
• The class will make extensive use of online and sakai resources as part of the required reading.

Course Web Page. Important information about the course, including reading and other assignments, is available on the course web page. Please visit it at: http://www.plu.edu/~olufsdw/346.htm. We also have a site within Sakai.

Coursework. These assignments, along with the readings, support two goals for the course. First, you should know a lot about course content. The things we study have real consequences for human affairs. Second, college graduates should have highly developed skills--reading, writing, speaking, critical and logical thinking require practice.

• Case Study. Each student will write a study of the political activities of an environmental interest group. See guidelines on the course web page. (30%)
• Response papers & Activities. In-class activities and internet assignments occur regularly, usually as a response to assigned readings. This can include content analysis of documents, review or abstracts of articles, answering questions about reading, analysis of graphs and tables, and so on. Check the assignments link on the course web page. (50%)
• Final examination, Tuesday, May 2, 11-12:50 (20%).

Schedule. Important: For each unit, See the readings on the course assignments web page.

Monday	Wednesday
	Feb. 8—Introduction, website, Values. Introduction to GCC.
Feb. 13— Nuclear Weapons, Infectious Diseases. Online readings.	Feb. 15— V1, The policy process; and V3, Groups and politics.
Feb. 20—Presidents Day holiday.	Feb. 22— V 12. Climate policy. Online readings. Select interest group for paper assignment.
Feb. 27— Climate policy, Continued. Online readings.	Feb. 29— V2. Constitution and Federalism. Online readings. Critical perspectives on your papers.
Mar. 5— V 4. Presidents. Online readings.	Mar. 7— V 5. Congress. Online readings.
Mar. 12— V6. Courts in environmental policy. Online readings.	Mar. 14— Courts in environmental policy, continued. Online readings.
Mar. 19— Class Panels on Groups in the Policy Process.	Mar. 21— V 7. The EPA and other agencies. Online readings.
Mar. 26— PLU Spring Break	Mar. 28— PLU Spring Break
Apr. 2— The EPA and other agencies, continued. Online readings.	Apr. 6—The Politics of Food Safety. Online readings.
Apr. 9— Politics of Food Safety II: the chemicals connection. Online readings.	Apr. 11— Reports of findings on groups are due, and will be discussed.
Apr. 16— V 8. Natural resource policies, and GIS applications.	Apr. 18— V 9. Economic analysis I. Online readings.
Apr. 23— Economic analysis II. Online readings.	Apr. 25—V 10. Is a green economy possible? Online readings.
Apr. 30—V 11. Environmental Justice, and GIS applications. Online readings.	May 2— V 13. Population & development. Online readings. Case study papers are due.
May 7— V 14. China. Online readings.	May 9—V. 15. Security issues. Online readings.
May 14—V 16. Conclusions.	May 16— Discussion of exam.

Final Examination: Tuesday, May 22, 11-12:50.