SW 563 Advanced Policy Development and Analysis

3 credits

This course will examine the development and analysis of specific policies that impact rural and urban centers with high concentrations of poverty. Emphasis will be placed on the interaction effects of federal policies regarding crime, education, employment and housing and federal and state income maintenance programs for the poor. This course will build on the student's knowledge of policy, its implementation through public programs and its implications for social work practice. The strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to policy development and analysis will be discussed in order to foster an understanding of the research techniques used to analyze policies and their impact on communities and individual behavior and well-being. Students will apply the basic techniques of cost-benefit analysis to an evaluation of a specific federal policy.