PUBPOL 5132 - Legal Aspects of Public Agency Decision-Making

Spring. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

D. Manne.

This course introduces the application of legal concepts to decision-making processes conducted by governmental agencies, particularly at the federal level. It explores how constitutional law, statutory law, and judge-made law shape agency decisions. Attention is given, for example, to roles agencies play in American government, differences between rule-making proceedings and adjudications, rights of parties to obtain judicial review of agency decisions, how judges review factual and legal determinations by agency officials, and the rights of parties appearing before agencies.

Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate understanding of the legal foundations of public agency authority.

Outcome 2: Students will apply course material highlighting general legal problems in the administrative state.

Outcome 3: Students will demonstrate the ability to comprehend, analyze, and compare different approaches to combating legal and ethical issues faced by public agencies.

Outcome 4: Students will draw from multiple sources of law to predict the legal outcomes of contemporary regulatory controversies.

Outcome 5: Students will demonstrate the ability to compare and contrast different approaches to regulatory enforcement and the source of legal authority required for each.

Outcome 6: Students will demonstrate the ability to spot legal and ethical issues, propose and analyze potential solutions, and provide the legal basis for their proposed policy.