News from April 2017
Doing Our Jobs
In the fall of 1978, as I started my graduate work at GSPP, Berkeley voters were considering a rent control measure. As we examined it in class, the lesson quickly became clear: policy should be driven by good analysis before politics. Otherwise, we devolve into a world of unintended consequences. It’s up to the policy analyst to deliver a neutral review of costs, effectiveness and alternatives, even if doesn’t meet the preconceived notions of decision-makers. As…
Does Policy Analysis Still Matter?
Does Policy Analysis Matter? Exploring Its Effectiveness in Theory and Practice, edited by Lee S. Friedman, was released by University of California Press in February 2017. In addition to Professor Friedman, chapter contributors include John A. Hird (MPP '86/PhD '88), Eric M. Patashnik (MPP '89) and Justin Peck, and M. Suzanne Donovan (MPP '81/PhD '87 ). All proceeds from the sale of the book will support the Wildavsky Forum, sponsored annually by the Goldman School in memory of Aaron Wildavsky, GSPP's founding…
Who Needs Charters When You Have Public Schools Like These?
Starting in kindergarten, the students in the Union Public Schools district in Tulsa, Okla., get a state-of-the-art education in science, technology, engineering and math. (Credit: Andrea Morales for The New York Times) TULSA, Okla. — The class assignment: Design an iPad video game. For the player to win, a cow must cross a two-lane highway, dodging constant traffic. If she makes it, the sound of clapping is heard; if she’s hit by a car, the game…