Additional Information

Examines several of the most significant labor and employment issues currently challenging U.S. policymakers. The course begins by introducing students to the various means by which elements of the U.S. government --- particularly the agencies with primary responsibility for labor and employment policy --- change or influence policy in a political environment. Armed with an analytic framework for considering public policy issues, students will explore some of the most important and pressing issues affecting workers, employers, and the U.S. economy in the 21st Century. Topics may include the effect of technology and globalization on the composition and number of jobs available to American workers, stagnant wages and wage inequality, the decline in employer-provided social insurance, historically low union density and worker organization, worker migration, and the inclusion of historically excluded workers in the workplace. Students will write an original research paper about a current labor or employment policy issue that presents a definition and detailed analysis of the policy problem and a strategy for affecting meaningful policy change. Prior courses in law and economics will benefit students, but are not required.