Syllabus
Data, Models, and Decisions
RPAD 504
๐จโ๐ซ: Stephen Holt, Ph.D.
๐
: Wednesdays from 6:00 pm to 8:50 pm in Husted 204
๐ง: sbholt@albany.edu
๐ซ: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm or by appointment - book here; in-person in Milne 324 or online in GatherTown.1
โ๏ธ: 518-442-3309
Course Description
This course introduces computer-based tools for planning, policy analysis, and decision making. Topics include evaluating the quality of data for decision making, database construction and information management, administrative and policy models in datasets, making decisions with multiple criteria, an introduction to probability, and the use of simulation models as testbeds for policy making. Emphasis is placed on summarizing information meaningfully for policy makers and different stakeholders and using replicatable workflows in common statistical software packages.
By the end of this course, students should be able to 1) critically analyze administrative problems and evaluate potential solutions; 2) consider questions of accountability and responsiveness in administrative action; and 3) analyze the potential challenges in implementing public programs through both public and private organizations. Students should leave class with a deep understanding of both the technical challenges and competing values present in implementing and managing public programs.2
Required Text
There is no required text for the class.
Additional readings will be made available on Zotero in the class library.
Required Software
Stata18/IC - The student version of Stata is sufficient for the course. The software costs $48 for a 6 month license (sufficient for this course) and purchase information can be found here.
When you order Stata, the company will send an email with a link to the download and a pdf with the license information you will need to enter after installing the software to activate it. Please do this before the second week of class. Typically, they provide this within a few hours of the order, but itโs worth accounting for the possibility of delays.
Stata is a statistical software that will provide an opportunity for you to learn the basic logic and intuition using code to conduct data analysis. The coding language for Stata is very simple, clear, and straight forward, so it serves as a good entry point to getting comfortable using programming languages for analyzing data and learning more about the world around us. Once you adjust to the basics of analysis with an easy and intuitive coding language like Stata, transitioning to other software languages (e.g., R, Python in industry; SAS, SQL in government) will be much less onerous.
Zotero - Zotero is a free platform for organizing and sharing academic work and it is how readings will be distributed to the class. You can download the app here. I suggest also downloading the browser connector for whatever browser you use - it helps save a dramatic amount of time when conducting a literature review. During the first week of classes you will receive an invitation to join the class Zotero library. If you do not receive one, please email the professor. I provide an introduction to Zotero and the features most applicable to this class in the embedded video below.
There are a variety of citation organizer software options out there for researchers to use and, having experimented with most of them, Zotero is by far the best. It is free; Open Source; designed and developed by researchers; and governed as a non-profit to protect the integrity and accessibility of the software.
When you receive an announcement that the group invitations for the class library have been sent, go to the Zotero.org website, login to your account, and click the groups tab. You should see RPAD 504 with a red button that says join. Click join. In the Zotero app, click the green refresh circle in the top right and the class library should appear.
Structure of the Class
Each week, our in-person meetings will involve a mix of lecture and application of class concepts in lab work. Often class time will be split between these two activities evenly, but some sessions will lean deeper into one or the other based on the material. As group work gears up, I will allocate some time in the back end of class time for working with groups on the final report assignment. At the end of class, attendance will be taken each week and that will factor directly into studentsโ participation grade.
In this class you tackle one (1) broader research project on a team. This is by design because most professional work is conducted on teams, most decisions in public work are made by consensus, and opportunities to learn to adjust to different working styles while managing projects helps develop important and transferable skills. Once groups are assigned, I strongly encourage you to meet with your groups with an early video call and get to know each other, your schedules, and so on. Communication helps dramatically in successful groups. That said, some group dynamics can - in very rare circumstances - become bad for all involved. I provide two means for coping: first, students can use peer evaluations to ensure accountability in group work. And second, if that is insufficient, the group can vote to remove a member and inform me of the decision. No harm, no foul. This should be considered a measure of last resort and only pursued if a group member has made no contributions to the group.
Assignments
Overview
The following assignments will form the basis of your grade in this course:
- Final Report (35 points)
- Weekly Problem Sets (30 points)
- Mid-term Exam (15 points)
- Final Exam (15 points)
- Participation (5 points)
All assignments will be turned in via Brightspace.
Final Report
To assess your understanding of the course material and your ability to apply concepts to real policy issues, you will be working in groups to prepare a 10 page report that i) describes a social problem with policy implications or an emerging policy issue, ii) uses data to describe the problem statistically, and iii) makes an informed recommendation on a policy change to improve the conditions that define the problem. The primary datasets used in the examples and problem sets throughout the course will be the datasets you will draw upon to construct your report. We will go over an example the second week of class to introduce you to the mix of art and science that goes into crafting good policy reports using data. You will also prepare a presentation for these results to deliver at the end of the semester (see Section 1.7.1).
Acceptable sources. Generally, your research should use primary sources more than secondary sources. Primary sources include, but are not limited to: government reports, legislative hearings and testimonies, court decisions, government auditor reports, and rigorous academic research. Secondary sources are summaries and interpretations of primary sources. Secondary sources include, but are not limited to, articles from major newspapers and news magazines and more conceptual or theoretical academic research. Blogs and Wikipedia are not acceptable sources (though both can be good ways to get a broad sense of a topic before digging deeper). Be an intelligent consumer of information by evaluating secondary sources for potential political bias. If it is well known that a particular source is liberal or conservative, you must compensate for this in the paper. Acknowledge its bias and balance the information with something from a source on the other side of the political spectrum. Here are some places to start with your research, but feel free to consult other sources:
- Academic research published in public administration, political science, economics, or policy journals such as: Nature Human Behaviour, Public Administration Review, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Journal of Public Policy Analysis and Management, American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, American Economic Review, Journal of Labor Economics, Journal of Human Resources, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Policy Studies Journal.
- Congressional testimony (available through Lexis/Nexis via the library) and reports completed by Congressional committee staff
- Agency Inspector General reports
- Congressional Research Service reports
- U.S. Government Accountability Office reports
- The library also has research support services for this class, which can be found here
Submission of papers. The final report will be due by midnight on the designated due date (details to be distributed early in the semester). Electronic versions of the paper are to be submitted via the SafeAssign link in Brightspace. It is the studentโs responsibility to ensure the electronic file is readable and not corrupted. Please note: once you hit the submit button in SafeAssign, you cannot go back and submit a different version.
Late assignments. An assignment is considered late if the paper copy is not submitted at the beginning of class, if the electronic file is not submitted before class, and/or if the electronic file is not readable. Assignments (electronic or hard copy) submitted 10 minutes after the beginning of class or the launch of the following module will be considered late and will be automatically reduced by 10%. Papers submitted one day after the due date will be automatically reduced by 20%; essays submitted two days after the assigned date will be reduced by 30%, etc. Exceptions will be made for documented extreme health and family emergencies.
Weekly Problem Sets
For 10 weeks throughout the semester (see Section 1.7.1 for the specific weeks), problem sets will be posted to Brightspace and the course site by the end of the day Thursday. They will be due before the start of class the following week, leaving both weekend and weekday stretches available for you to complete the problem sets. Problem sets will involve applying concepts and activities we complete in class together to new but similar datasets and problems on your own. You will be expected to turn in 1) a clean answer sheet that provides the final solution to any problem; and 2) a .log file that shows the code used to derive the solutions to the problems.
The problem set will be cumulative in the sense that each week will add new concepts and issues for you to tackle that will often build on skills used the previous week. This carries two important implications. First, you will want to be careful not to miss any problem sets, as they provide important opportunities to confirm your progress in the class and understanding of the skills we are learning and missing problem sets might compound any struggles you are having. Second, each week will likely have opportunities to practice skills learned in prior weeks en route to practicing new material.
Each problem set is worth 3 points.
Mid-term and Final Exams
There will be two in-class exams over the course of the semester. The week before the exam, study aids will be distributed and the exams will be taken in-class. Details about the exams will be provided ahead of the scheduled exams.
Participation
Attendance and participation in class discussion and activities will determine the participation points you earn at the end of the semester.
Class Schedule
Overview of Weeks
Key:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ๐จโ๐ซ: | Lecture |
| โ : | Problem Set Assigned (due before the next class) |
| ๐ฅ: | Lab |
| ๐ : | Exam or Final Report Due |
| ๐: | Reading is from an article/chapter on Zotero (by author last name) |
| Date | Topic | Assignments | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/28 | Intro to course | ||
| 9/4 | Data Origins | ๐จโ๐ซ | ๐ Knox et al. ๐ Llolbrera & Hall ๐ Holt & Vinopal |
| 9/11 | Assessing Data Quality | ๐จโ๐ซ | ๐ National Academies of SEM: Appendices A and C |
| 9/18 | Summarizing Data I | ๐จโ๐ซ โ ๐ฅ |
๐ Huntington-Klein |
| 9/25 | Summarizing Data II | ๐จโ๐ซ โ ๐ฅ |
|
| 10/2 | Data Management I | ๐จโ๐ซ โ ๐ฅ |
๐ Kroenke & Auer (Ch. 1 & 2) |
| 10/9 | Data Management II | ๐จโ๐ซ โ ๐ฅ |
๐ Kohler & Kreuter |
| 10/16 | Midterm Exam | ๐ | |
| 10/23 | Geographic Information and Mapping Data | ๐จโ๐ซ โ ๐ฅ |
|
| 10/30 | Writing About Data | ๐จโ๐ซ โ ๐ฅ |
|
| 10/30 | Light Statistics Introduction | ๐จโ๐ซ โ ๐ฅ |
|
| 11/6 | Statistical Models I | ๐จโ๐ซ โ ๐ฅ |
|
| 11/13 | Statistical Models II | ๐จโ๐ซ โ ๐ฅ |
|
| 11/20 | Presentations and Wrap | ๐จโ๐ซ โ ๐ |
|
| 11/27 | Thanksgiving Break | ||
| 12/4 | Final Exam | ๐ |
Class Policies
- Public policy is a professional field; therefore, I emphasize professional skills in the classroom and assignments. Professional skills are punctuality, adhering to deadlines, and preparedness.
- After the first week, readings for each week should be completed by the Tuesday of that week (that is, BEFORE CLASS!). While much of the class reading comes from assigned readings, I will cover other material in my lectures. You will be responsible for knowing this material too!
- A large body of well-designed research has demonstrated the detrimental effects of laptops on learning in a lecture/discussion based environment. Please be courteous and do not use your computers for anything other than class related work (taking notes and so on). Cellular phones are not to be used during class time!
- Letters of recommendation. If you are a hard working student and serious about a career in public service, I will be a dedicated advocate for you on the job market and will happily write letters of recommendation on your behalf. There is, however, one condition and one recommendation. The condition: I will not write a letter of recommendation for your while you are in my class. This is because to write a good faith, sincere, and thoughtful recommendation, I will need to be able to consider your work as a whole, and while the class is on-going, my assessment of you will be incomplete. After the semester is over, I am happy to help in any way I can, including writing letters. The recommendation: Make an appointment to visit my office hours at least once over the course of the semester to talk informally about your goals, career interests, and other professional ambitions so I can get a better sense of who you are as individuals. The better I know you, the more effective I can be at writing letters on your behalf and thinking of you when opportunities arise.
- Attend/participate in class! Again, class participation is 5% of your grade, and you canโt participate if youโre not in class or watching the class videos. If you DO need to miss class (emergencies, sickness, etc.), please contact me as soon as possible and let me know. It will be your responsibility to notify me and to get any notes/materials from other students.
- Cell phones: we all have them, and they can be quite distracting. I ask that you please be courteous and silence your cell phone and leave it out of sight (in a pocket/purse/bag) during class.
- Feel free to eat and drink in class. I only ask that you do so quietly and in a manner that does not disrupt class.
- All assignments and non-textbook readings will be posted to the class Zotero Library. I will email any announcements or updates to the class and also post them in the Blackboard. Report any trouble accessing anything on the Blackboard as soon as you encounter the problem.
- I have a strict open door policy. If there is anything about the course, the assignments, the grading, the material, class, or anything related to public administration/policy or statistics broadly that you would like to discuss, do not hesitate to visit me during office hours or email me. I can respond via email, schedule a phone call, or schedule a separate meeting. I am here to help, so please do not hesitate to reach out to me. (But please be respectful of my time!)
- HAVE FUN! Public administration/policy is a broad topic that explores big, important questions that affect everyone. Discussing these topics should be as fun and interesting as it is challenging.
- The table below lays out the grading scale that will be used in assigning final course grades.
- Students with special physical and/or learning needs will be accommodated. Please notify the Disabilities Office and me as soon as possible so that reasonable accommodations can be made.
Throughout the semester, I may add or subtract readings as needed to adjust the course according to your progress, engagement, and interests.
Table. Grade Scale Used for Calculating Class Grades
| Percent | Grade | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 93-100 | A | 4.0 |
| 90-92 | A- | 3.7 |
| 87-89 | B+ | 3.3 |
| 83-86 | B | 3.0 |
| 80-82 | B- | 2.7 |
| 77-79 | C+ | 2.3 |
| 73-76 | C | 2.0 |
| 70-72 | C- | 1.7 |
| 67-69 | D+ | 1.3 |
| 63-66 | D | 1.0 |
| 60-62 | D- | 0.7 |
| < 60 | F | 0.0 |
The percent refers to the percent of available weighted points earned. Each assignment is weighted by the proportion of the final grade made up by the assignment itself, as described above.
Academic integrity
Academic honesty is something your professor takes very seriously. Cheating in any form will not be tolerated. Students are required to be familiar with the universityโs academic honesty policies; ignorance is not an excuse for dishonest behavior. In all cases of cheating, a Violation of Academic Integrity Report will be submitted to the Dean of Graduate Studies to be placed in your university file, with copies provided to you, the department head, and the Dean of Rockefeller College. Additional penalties may include some combination of the following: revision and re-submission of the assignment, reduction of the grade or failure of the assignment, reduction of the course grade or failure of the course, filing of a case with the Office of Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility, suspension, or expulsion. For a more detailed description of the universityโs academic honesty policies, visit the site.
By now, we are all aware of the technological advances in generative large language models (LLMs) trained on large quantities of written language scraped from around the internet. The University policy considers the use of ChatGPT and other generative LLMs to produce classwork without explicit permission from the instructor an act of plagiarism. I do not permit the use of ChatGPT or other generative LLMs in this course. First, generative LLMs can at times invent fictional sources, recombine information that is confidently stated but ultimately incorrect, and can produce generally mediocre and formulaic writing. Such events make the output unreliable - particularly for people aiming to be professionals working in the institutions that govern our society. Second, and more importantly, grappling with complicated trade-offs, collecting and synthesizing complex information thoughtfully, and going through the process of articulating your decisions and the knowledge base that inform them is a large part of an effective professional career. Learning in general is an arduous process that involves practice, trial and error, and confronting your current limits before finding ways to overcome them. In short, learning is work and the process by which that work occurs is often reading and writing, poorly at first and much better over time. I do think that, properly understood, LLMs can be a useful tool in managing routine tasks in which you have mastered the background, can detect and correct errors, and can use such tools effectively. However, early in your careers and in your academic lives, the very purpose of being in a graduate program is to have opportunities to learn new things (or old things in new ways) and using an LLM to do the work involved in learning will only cheat you of opportunities to learn, grow, and develop deeper and more lasting skills. Finally, and more practically, if you are caught using LLMs to produce the work assigned in this class, the work will be given a 0 and you will be cited for plagiarism.
Students with Disabilities
We are committed to providing an accessible learning environment for all students. This includes students with physical, sensory, medical, cognitive, learning, mental health, and other disabilities. If you have, or think you may have a disability, please contact Disability Access and Inclusion Student Services (DAISS) by emailing daiss@albany.edu or calling 518 -442-5501. DAISS staff will explain the documentation and registration process, and set you up with an appointment. Once you have completed registration, you will be provided with a letter to inform your instructors that you are a student with a disability registered with DAISS, and which lists the recommended reasonable accommodations for your courses.
Counseling Center
The Counseling Center (518-442-5800; 400 Patroon Creek Blvd, Suite 104) offers counseling and consultations regarding personal concerns, self-help information, and connections to off-campus resources. More information can be found at their site.
Library Assistance
SUNY-Albany offers a great collection available in several different media. Access to research help and library tutorials can be found online at the libraryโs site.
For information about SUNY-Albanyโs Dewey Graduate Library, which is located on the Downtown Campus, visit their site.
Writing Center
The university offers a number of services for students who need assistance with writing and research projects. Support is available in the Writing Center (518-442-4061; 140 HU) and at the University Library. Information about the Writing Center can be found at their site.
Title IX and Sexual Violence Prevention
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs and activities. The SUNY-wide Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Policies prohibit offenses defined as sexual harassment, sexual assault, intimate partner violence (dating or domestic violence), sexual exploitation, and stalking. The SUNY-wide Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Policies apply to the entire University at Albany community, including students, faculty, and staff of all gender identities. The University at Albany provides a variety of resources for support and advocacy to assist individuals who have experienced sexual offenses.
Confidential support and guidance can be found through the Counseling Center (518-442-5800, or online), the University Health Center (518-442-5454, or online), and the Interfaith Center (518-489-8573, or online). Individuals at these locations will not report crimes to law enforcement or university officials without permission, except for in extreme circumstances, such as a health and/or safety emergency. Additionally, the Advocates at the University at Albanyโs Advocacy Center for Sexual Violence are available to assist students without sharing information that could identify them (518-442-CARE, or online).
Sexual offenses can be reported non-confidentially to the Title IX Coordinator within The Office for Equity and Compliance (518-442-3800, or online, Building 25, Room 117) and/or the University Police Department (518-442-3131, or online).
PLEASE NOTE: Faculty members are considered โresponsible employeesโ at the University at Albany, meaning that they are required to report all known relevant details about a complaint of sexual violence to the Universityโs Title IX Coordinator, including names of anyone involved or present, date, time, and location.
In case of an emergency, please call 911.
Incomplete Grade Policy
A tentative grade given only when the student has nearly completed the course but due to circumstances beyond the studentโs control the work is not completed on schedule. The date for the completion of the work is specified by the instructor. The date stipulated will not be later than one month before the end of the session following that in which the Incomplete is received. The grade I is automatically changed to E or U unless work is completed as agreed between the student and the instructor.
Absence due to religious observance
Students are excused, without penalty, to be absent because of religious beliefs, and will be provided equivalent opportunities for make-up examinations, study, or work requirements missed because of such absences. Students should notify the instructor of record in a timely manner, and the instructor will work directly with students to accommodate religious observances. Online courses will not schedule any assignment deadlines on religious holidays.
Footnotes
Password is RockCollege. Feel free to also use as a meeting spot with your groups - the rooms are private meeting rooms (this will make sense when you use it) and the space itself has a 25 person capacity.โฉ๏ธ
This course is aligned with the five core competencies identified by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) as critical for success in public service careers. Competencies are integrative. Competencies are a bundle of knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that, when fully integrated, define successful performance. Competencies are broader than knowing how to use Excel or being able to define what marginal cost means. Competencies describe the characteristics of the person who does the job best. In this way, competencies describe the whole person and their total performance. Competencies are broader than job tasks. The NASPAA identified competencies are 1) The ability to lead and manage in public governance; 2) To participate in and contribute to the policy process; 3) To analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems and make decisions; 4) To articulate and apply a public service perspective; 5) To communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry.โฉ๏ธ