PPA 544 - Ethics and Efficacy: Global Policymaking

Making policy across borders poses unique challenges in terms of both ethics and efficacy. By what right do international organizations and governments like the U.S. presume to make policies designed to change the lives of other people? Are there public policies that are suitable to all countries, cultures, and contexts? To what extent are Western governments and international organizations involved in a project of neo-colonialism? And how can international policy practitioners learn from the successes and failures of their predecessors? Answering these questions requires a mix of philosophical reflection and practical knowledge. In this course, students will consider the ethical problems that accompany efforts the transform the lives of people in other countries, generate strategies to make the practice of international policy more inclusive, cosmopolitan, and context-specific, and conduct in-depth case studies of international policy-making success and failure. The goal is to give students the expertise and awareness necessary for a successful career in international policy and management.