Current Issues in Public Policy - JSM703

• Anglický název: Current Issues in Public Policy
• Zajišťuje: Katedra veřejné a sociální politiky (23-KVSP)
• Fakulta: Fakulta sociálních věd
• Platnost: od 2022
• Semestr: zimní
• E-Kredity: 4
• Způsob provedení zkoušky: zimní s.:
• Rozsah, examinace: zimní s.:12/0, Z [HT]
• Počet míst: 20 / neurčen (30)
• Minimální obsazenost: 8
• Virtuální mobilita / počet míst: ne
• Stav předmětu: vyučován
• Jazyk výuky: angličtina
• Způsob výuky: prezenční
• Další informace: https://dl1.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=5152
• Poznámka: předmět je možno zapsat mimo plán; povolen pro zápis po webu; při zápisu přednost, je-li ve stud. plánu
• Garant: prof. PhDr. Arnošt Veselý, Ph.D.
• Vyučující: Bc. Tereza Čeladníková; prof. PhDr. Arnošt Veselý, Ph.D.
• Třída: Courses for incoming students

Anotace

Poslední úprava: Bc. Tereza Čeladníková (13.09.2022)

This year the course will address some of the current issues of public policy raised by the November 8 midterm elections in the United States, the war in Ukraine, and other recent developments in Europe. The focus will be on exploring public policy issues in a broader political context. The course will also cover other issues of public policy such as the importance of truth, regulation of the internet, privacy, freedom of speech, and national security.

Literatura

Poslední úprava: Bc. Tereza Čeladníková (13.09.2022)

Required:
Snyder, Timothy. 2017. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century.New York: Tim Duggan Books. (2017), published in both English and Czech

Other suggested readings will be available in moodle

 

Požadavky ke zkoušce

Poslední úprava: Bc. Tereza Čeladníková (13.09.2022)

Course requirements

For passing the course it is necessary to fulfill all requirements formulated below, i.e., class participation and final paper.

 

Class participation

-          Students are required to attend in person all 3 classes and be prepared to participate in class discussions and exercises.

Final essay

-          At the end of the course, a student is required to write a short paper in which he/she will choose an issue of public policy (from several to be provided), argue both sides and make a conclusion.

-          The approximate length of the paper is 5 double spaced pages, in English.

-          Deadline for the paper is January 13, 2023

-          The final paper must be uploaded via moodle.

 

Grading

The final essays will be graded A-F according to the following criteria:

-          Structure, organization and internal coherence of the essay

-          Insight into topic, originality and use of evidence

-          Clarity of arguments

-          Formal aspects (style, grammar, references)

Deadline for submitting the final essay: January 13, 2023

Sylabus

Poslední úprava: Bc. Tereza Čeladníková (13.09.2022)

Schedule: Week November 7-11, 2022, Pekařská 16

Day	Time	Room
Tue 8/11	15:30 -18:30	211
Thu 10/11	15:30 - 18:30	210
Fri 11/11	11:00 - 14:00	209

 

Questions to be Considered

Part I - What are the public policy issues raised by the polarization between political parties in the United States and in Europe, and also by the tensions between Russia, China, and the West? Is the gap closing between liberal democracy and authoritarianism?

Part II - What are the ethical and legal considerations in the interplay between free speech, privacy and national security?

This course will provide an open forum to discuss all these questions.

 

Preliminary Course Outline

I. Public Policy Issues raised by the Electoral Process in the U.S.

A. Background: U.S. Constitution

· Article II, Section 1 & the 12^th Amendment: Electoral college vs. popular vote

· Article II, Section 4: Provisions for impeachment & removal

B. Voting Rights Issues

· Gerrymandered voting districts

· Access to voting: Requirements for voter identification

C. Divided Government

· Shifting balance of power between Democrats and Republicans

· Investigation of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol

· Impeachment of the President in the House and trial in the Senate

· Role of the Supreme Court

D. Analysis of the November 8 Midterm Elections

E. Social Issues: Does Truth Matter?

· Fake news/“post-truth”/“alternative facts”: What can be done?

· Free speech considerations, regulation of the internet

F. The Erosion of Democracy and Finding Middle Ground

· Lessons from the 20th century, On Tyranny

G. Q&A: Questions and Answers

 

II. Current Issues in Eastern and Western Europe

A. The War in Ukraine

B. Recent Developments

· The evolving composition of NATO and the EU

· 2022 French elections

C. Putin, Trump, and Xi contrasted with Zelensky, Havel, and Mandela

 

III. Selected Issues in Public Policy: Ethical and Legal Perspectives

A. Interplay between Free Speech, Privacy, and National Security

B. Privacy and the Right to be Forgotten

· Spanish case against Google

C. Free Speech

· Attempts to limit the free dissemination of information

· Advocacy of violence: Brandenburg v. Ohio

· Regulation of social media

D. Public Policy Concerns in the World We Live In

· Global warming

· Abortion

· Immigration

· A world of walls

Contacts:

Wendell Goddard: [e-mail]

Tereza Čeladníková: [e-mail]

Arnošt Veselý: [e-mail]