Below are useful pieces of the syllabus that will help you have a better idea of what the course is about.
A substantial share of public policy attention is devoted to reducing threats to the public’s health and safety.
This course examines public policies for reducing risks across a broad set of hazards in both developed and
developing societies. The objectives are to better understand the nature of the problems posed by these
threats, to identify successful policies to address them and to understand the factors—political, economic, and
cultural– that prevent their adoption. We will examine risk assessment, risk perception, risk communication,
and risk management. The last of these covers a wide range of policy tools—from regulation through insurance
and liability to providing information.
almost any risk-related topic will be appropriate, although the scope should not be too large to prevent you
from getting a good understanding. The work could be based on a literature review or it could involve some
original data analysis….
The topic I have chosen is car accidents in the state of Florida. The analysis should provide data, policy
alternatives , trad offs, and projected outcomes. The structure of the analysis should be roughly as follows:
Step 1: Define the Problem
Step 2: Assemble Some Evidence
Step 3: Construct the Alternatives
Step 4: Select the Criteria
Step 5: Project the Outcomes
Step 6: Confront the Trade-offs
Step 7: Stop, focus, Narrow, Deepen, Decide!
Step 8: Tell Your Story
You can be flexible with the order of these steps, just make sure the analysis is led with an executive summary.
You have the freedom of whatever direction you want to go in the realm of car accidents.