Curriculum: In Detail

Hurricane Katrina victimsCrisis Management
Both China and the United States experience a wide range of emergencies, some of which escalate into genuine crisis situations. In this section, participants learn risk reduction strategies, effective public communications during a disaster, emergency preparedness and response, and disaster recovery plans as illustrated through a series of case studies such as the nuclear meltdown at Three Mile Island in Harrisburg, PA; Hurricane Katrina as a landscape-scale disaster in New Orleans, LA; and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Leadership & StrategyLeadership & Strategy
What is the value of persuasion in building meaningful relationships with key organizations and constituencies? What kinds of tools are available for public managers to improve their performance? Participants will evaluate different types of persuasion and power by studying a case on the Battle of Gettysburg, during the American Civil War. Other topics include cutting-edge negotiation strategies, communications strategy, and conceptual frameworks for analyzing organizational strategy.

Washington, D.C.New Public Management & Governance
Government reforms have tried to reduce the size of government bureaucracy while trying to make government service more efficient, modern, and responsive to citizen demands. Past sections have assessed the value of public-private partnerships, evaluated successful cases of confronting corruption, and looked at how the District of Columbia’s city government improved performance of its Departments of Motor Vehicles and Consumer/Regulatory Affairs by incorporating measurement capabilities.

Social PolicySocial Policy & Innovation
Participants will study trends in American income support and antipoverty programs such as Medicare, Food Stamps, and unemployment insurance and discuss implications on China’s social safety net. Past cases discussed include school and police reform in urban Chicago; investing in Boston’s low-income Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative; and transparency in democratic governance initiatives like the Right to Information Campaign.

Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable Development
Is China’s energy policy hindering innovation in energy production and consumption? How can we best address global energy challenges like consumption and demand despite climate change projections? This section provides a framework for thinking about the formulation of a sustainable policy for development social policy and a more efficient use of resources. Past sections have explored cases on Venezuela’s nationalized domestic oil industry and Liberia’s wind and solar power options.

Big Dig, BostonUrban Development
Cases on Boston’s Central Artery Ted Williams Tunnel Project (Big Dig); Melbourne, Australia’s City Link project; Poland’s A2 motorway; and Indonesia’s property taxation reform have served as the basis for discussion on strategies for combating rising congestion in cities, effective financing solutions for infrastructure projects, urban planning, and the rise of urban mega-projects.Sessions have also assessed patterns of urban development in the United States and elsewhere and assessed policies and incentives for shaping physical and economic development.

White HouseU.S. Policies & Institutions
This section provides an overview of the structure of the American governmental system including the three branches of government. Past sessions have addressed the American presidency along with hard, soft, and smart power. Participants also explore the American health care debate – considered to be one of the most highly controversial domestic issues of our time – and a key issue among all three branches of government.