APL 311 Research for Policy Change
In politics, we use policy to build a world that reflects our vision and values. In this class, students learn how political actors develop policies to advance their goals. Students consider how political actors use social science research to inform policy positions and make policy recommendations. In addition, students learn about the research and policy development process as it relates to electoral campaigns, advocacy organizations, political parties, and local and state government.
4 Undergraduate credits
Effective August 18, 2025 to present
Meets graduation requirements for
Learning outcomes
General
- Explain the connection between political values and policy positions.
- Explain how social science research informs policy debates.
- Find relevant social science research related to a policy domain.
- Evaluate social science research on a policy domain in terms of information reliability and applicableness to a given social problem.
- Evaluate real-world examples of policy documents (e.g., endorsement questionnaires, party platforms, policy briefs).
- Create a policy brief on a contemporary social problem.
Minnesota Transfer Curriculum
Goal 5: History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Employ the methods and data that historians and social and behavioral scientists use to investigate the human condition.
- Examine social institutions and processes across a range of historical periods and cultures.
- Use and critique alternative explanatory systems or theories.
- Develop and communicate alternative explanations or solutions for contemporary social issues.
Goal 9: Ethical and Civic Responsibility
- Examine, articulate, and apply their own ethical views.
- Understand and apply core concepts (e.g. politics, rights and obligations, justice, liberty) to specific issues.
- Analyze and reflect on the ethical dimensions of legal, social, and scientific issues.
- Recognize the diversity of political motivations and interests of others.
- Identify ways to exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
Fall 2026
| Section | Title | Instructor | books | eservices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Research for Policy Change | Negstad, Lars | Books for APL-311-01 Fall 2026 | Course details for APL-311-01 Fall 2026 |