U.S. Social Policy
MIT OpenCourseWare's look at how social policy is made and contested in the United States. The course covers the risks individuals face over a lifetime, such as unemployment, illness, and old age, and asks why some are cushioned by policy while others are left to individuals, comparing U.S. approaches with those of other countries. It examines the policymaking process itself: why certain reform alternatives get adopted while others are abandoned, which interests gain influence in a given policy area, and how a policy's design can later reshape the politics around it. Lectures address the interplay of political institutions, policy elites, media coverage, and public opinion. Materials include the syllabus, readings, and assignments from the MIT course, free to access under MIT's open license, with no certificate offered.