When courts, executives, government agencies or legislatures are involved in trying to address such social problems, we call what they do "public policy."  Majors in Law and Public Policy will address policy issues by grappling with the following questions:

• What can we do?  (What are the legal and constitutional constraints that shape policy options?  What legal claims might be brought?  What existing laws already impact this issue?)
• How should we do it?  (How do we get this issue on the public agenda?  What are the advantages and disadvantages of different policy responses?  How might we formulate and implement effective public policies?  How can we measure their effectiveness?)
• What should we do?  (What tradeoffs in values are implicit in these legal and policy responses?  How do I analyze the competing views of what is best for society?  What incentives might our policy responses generate that would create moral hazards for either administrators or beneficiaries or both?)

In the Classroom

Students who major in Law and Public Policy will develop the skills in analysis, critical thinking, problem-solving, oral communication, writing and research needed to engage with these questions.