**Title:** Understanding Policy Briefs, Op-eds, and Theories of the State in Policy Formulation
**Attendance:**
– No explicit mention of absent students in the transcript.
**Topics Covered:**
*Policy Briefs and Op-eds:*
– Importance of academic writing basics, structure, and evidence in policy briefs.
– Review of assignment focusing on the perspective of a specific actor.
– Introduction to the final capstone project, which involves primary research on a policy issue and drafting of a policy brief.
– Explanation of the difference between a policy brief and an op-ed.
*Theories of the State:*
– Initial discussion on the roles of the state and theories of the state.
– Deep dive into theories of the state, starting with the pluralist model and Marxism.
– Examination of the roles of the state in policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation.
– Discussion on institutional theories, public choice theory, and the state as an instrument of domination.
– Analysis of the state’s multifaceted role in enforcing individual mandates and navigating federal and state powers.
*Case Studies:*
– Examination of policy problems and solutions through the lens of the state’s roles.
– Discussion on the public policy problem related to the unethical use of cheap human labor by the government of Qatar in constructing the FIFA stadium.
– The role of the state in providing public health insurance services, specifically Medicaid and the expansion under the Affordable Care Act.
**Actionable Items:**
*Policy Briefs and Op-eds:*
– More focus on structure and academic writing basics in future classes.
– Students need to focus more on the structure of their op-eds and prepare for their capstone project.
– Plan to discuss the conversion of difficult political jargon into simple language for the upcoming op-ed assignment.
*Theories of the State:*
– Further exploration of the theories of the state and their application to different policy areas and models of governance.
– Discuss the three main roles of the state (provider, regulator, facilitator) in the context of the Affordable Care Act.
– Explore the concept of the state as a provider in more detail, using real-world examples for better understanding.
*Case Studies:*
– Addressing student’s request for a picture of the board.
– Further examination of the case of Qatar, particularly the issues related to labor force and FIFA.
– Discuss the political challenges to the Affordable Care Act, including the belief that providing healthcare is too expensive and inefficient.
**Homework:**
– Students should come to the next class with a new policy problem and solution. It can be related to the same country or sphere, but the problem and solution must be different from previous discussions.