School of Public Policy 597G - ST-The Future of Government

This seminar offers students an opportunity for discussion, debate and discovery concerning the benefits and negative consequences of an increasingly digitalized society, economy and governments. For the most part, we will focus on your world as a future public servant (knowing that many of you will work in the nonprofit or private sectors) at the local, state, federal or international levels. We will examine cases of innovation, promising practices and serious challenges that public servants and public managers may face. Course topics will range from public engagement and participation, open access and open data, visualization and mapping, multistakeholder collaboration, cross-boundary networks and collaboration, smart cities and digital citizenship. By contrast, the course will also examine ?threats? including security, surveillance, digital profiling, disinformation, increasing use of artificial intelligence and robotics, increasing inequalities, and the gig economy. Most of our material will be practical focusing on organizational, operational and management issues. We will use research, case studies, guest speakers, and other methods. Assignments will include brief reflection memos and a final project on a topic of your choice, in consultation with the instructor, related to the future of government and public policy and management.

The class is primarily for professional degree students in SPP and, if space allows, other campus programs. Well qualified seniors may be able to enroll with permission of the instructor.