Resolving Public Disputes
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this introduction to how public policy controversies actually get resolved, or fail to. Using a case study method, the course examines national, state, and local disputes such as smoking regulation, hazardous waste siting, gun control, and education policy, asking what mix of politics, negotiation, and institutional design produces settlement or stalemate. Students take part in debates and simulations built around specific controversies, in addition to writing a series of short analytical essays. The course materials include syllabus, assignments, and case study readings from MIT's Urban Studies and Planning department. It suits anyone interested in how contested issues move, or stall, through legislatures, courts, and public opinion, with the emphasis throughout on real-world mechanics rather than abstract theory of politics.