Bills and Billions: Policymaking in an Era of Transformation for U.S. Cities and States

J. Phillip Thompson, Elisabeth Beck Reynolds

This IAP session will provide a high level overview of the key themes, policy topics and project/internship opportunities of the DUSP course, Bills and Billions, which will be taught in spring of 2024. The course engages with the theory and practice of public policy making and planning in the context of the U.S. political economy and changing national and global policy priorities and frameworks. These changes are driven in part by the passage of historic legislation of unprecedented federal funding in the U.S. along with billions in private sector investment which will flow to cities and states to fund physical infrastructure, digital infrastructure and clean energy over the next 10 years. The session will review recent changes to dominant policy paradigms and practice related to neoliberalism, globalization and industrial strategy in the context of race, equity, sustainability, technology and innovation among other topics. The class involves semester-long student projects with cities and states related to physical and climate infrastructure, particularly those communities that have been left behind, as well as opportunities for paid summer internships.