GSPP Courses

A critical review of differing schools of public policy thinking with respect to various issues, e.g., consumer protection, energy and resources, mental health and safety regulation.

Note: This course has discussion sections. Expand the table below to view all sections.

This course examines the public policy challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI). This class offers an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the policy implications of AI. You will engage in key debates surrounding AI ethics and explore regulatory frameworks for AI, comparing national and international approaches to governance. The course assesses AI's role in exacerbating or mitigating inequalities. You will be challenged to consider how public policy can balance innovation with public safety, democratic values, and human rights. By the end…

This course introduces a range of economic phenomena that cannot be explained by standard, fully rational economic models, and explores implications for public policy. Why do we vote for social security despite the fact that it reduces our freedom to choose how we spend our money? What would happen to job seeking behavior if we cut off unemployment benefits in multiple steps? Why do fines work better than bonuses (except when they don't)? What kinds of policies should the Consumer…

This course examines the intersection between politics, security, and technology in the U.S. and across the globe. The course is divided into four parts: 1) Technology in Theory 2) Technology and War: A History; 3) Today's "Emerging" Technologies; and 4) Tomorrow's Technologies. The seminar considers work from international relations, economics, science and technology studies, law, as well as policy writing. Topics include: offset strategies, offense-defense balance theory, grey-zone competition, escalation, the economics of industrial policy, and innovation policy. Technologies considered include: robotics, autonomous…

This course is designed to provide a foundational comprehension of federal, state, and local legal systems in developing, defining, and limiting public policy. We will discuss the major legal frameworks that implicate public policy to gain an understanding of how policy is developed and implemented within federal, state and local governments. Students will explore the following main areas: 1) An introduction to the framework of the US Constitution, its amendments, the Constitutional functions of each branch of government, and evolving legal…

This course is cross-listed with PP 290 for graduate students.

This class is team-based and has limited enrollment by application only. This course is open to all UC Berkeley students, both graduate and undergraduate, and students from all departments on campus are encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to students who are pursuing an area of security studies as part of their degree and to those who are interested in pursuing a career in public service. Enrollment in this course is limited to 50 students. Completion of an enrollment application…

This interdisciplinary course focuses on work and workers, with particular attention to the way politics, law, and collective action shape how work is performed and compensated. The focus is primarily on the United States, but some attention is also given to conditions in other countries. The course looks broadly at factors that shape worker compensation, autonomy, and wellbeing, including worker struggles to gain power and influence conditions in the workplace and society. The class offers perspectives on the formation, internal…

Group study of a selected topic or topics in Public Policy. Meetings to be arranged.

Group study of a selected topic or topics in Public Policy. Meetings to be arranged.

Group study of a selected topic or topics in Public Policy. Meetings to be arranged.

Group study of a selected topic or topics in Public Policy. Meetings to be arranged.

Group study of a selected topic or topics in Public Policy. Meetings to be arranged.

Group study of a selected topic or topics in Public Policy. Meetings to be arranged.

Group study on selected public policy topics. Open to freshmen and sophomores.

This is the most up to date and accurate course description: This Berkeley Changemaker course is an introduction to social science research methods that center principles of equity and justice in the field of work and employment relations. It is based on the premise that the multiple crises that the country faces present an opportunity to understand root causes and reshape the economy for a fair, inclusive, and democratic society with the active participation of people who are typically excluded…