DUSP Courses 1998

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11.427J Public Policy and Human Resources

15.677J/11.427J

PUBLIC POLICY AND HUMAN RESOURCES

Fall 1998

Paul Osterman Tuesday/Thursday

E52-586 9:30-11:00

253-2667 Bldg. 1-150

osterman@mit.edu

Course Overview

This course is an in-depth examination of labor market policy issues, with a special focus on employment and training. A wide range of topics regarding public employment and training policy will be taken up and an effort made to place these in the broader context of shifts in the labor market and the evolution of social policy in America.

The course will be organized around readings and discussion with only occasional lectures. For this to work all students will need to come to class having done the readings and prepared to discuss them.

Course Requirements

1. Prior to each class each student should send me a one page e-mail indicating what, based on the readings, are the important questions we need to discuss that day.

2. For one of the classes each student should prepare a five to seven page paper which critically analyzes the readings and presents the student's perspectives on the issues.

3. Students will be divided into groups and assigned (after a discussion with each group) a substantial policy analysis project on a topic relevant to the course. This project could involve such things as critically examining an element of employment and training policy in Massachusetts, describing and making recommendations regarding the current Federal discussion on reorganizing the employment and training system, looking at the problems of a particular labor market group in depth, etc. Each group will prepare a substantial paper and will present it to the class towards the end of the course.

Grading

Class participation: 40%

Individual paper: 30%

Group paper: 40%

Course Schedule

September 10: Introduction

September 15: Thinking About Policy in Broad Terms

Weir, Orloff, and Skocpol, "Understanding American Social Politics," in Weir, Orloff, and Skocpol, in The Politics of Social Policy in the United States

Korpi, "Approaches to the Study of Poverty in the United States, Critical Notes From A European Perspective," in Covello, ed., Poverty and Public Policy

Blau and Kahn, "Institutions and Laws in the Labor Market"

To be distributed in class.

Lindbeck, "Overshooting, Reform, and the Retreat of the Welfare State"

To be distributed in class.

Blank, Social Protection vs. Economic Flexibility: Is There A Tradeoff?, introduction and Chapter 1

September 17: Outcomes

Freeman, "How Labor Fares In Advanced Economies" in Freeman, ed., Working Under Different Rules

Jencks, "Is the American Underclass Growing?," in Petersen and Jencks, ed., The Urban Underclass

Levy and Murnane, "U.S. Earnings Levels and Earning Inequality," Journal of Economic Literature, September, 1992

Mishel and Bernstein, The State of Working America 1994-1995, Chapter 4

September 22: The Outcome Generation Process

Jencks, Who Gets Ahead, Chapter 3

Granovetter and Tilly, "Inequality and the Labor Process"

To be distributed in class.

Darity and Mason, "Evidence on Discrimination in Employement: Code of Color, Codes of Gender," Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 12, No. 2, Spring 1998, pp. 63-90

To be distributed in class

Arrow, "What Has Economics to Say About Racial Discrimination?" Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 12, No. 2, Spring 1998, pp. 91-100

To be distributed in class

Heckman, "Detecting Discrimination," Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 12, No. 2, Spring 1998, pp. 101-116

To be distributed in class

Loury, "Discrimination in the Post-Civil Rights Era: Beyond Market Interactions," Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 12, No. 2, Spring 1998, pp. 117-126

To be distributed in class

September 24: A Broad Perspective on Recent Developments

Osterman, book manuscript, Chapters 1, 2

To be distributed in class.

September 29: The Demand for Labor

October 1

Howell, "The Skills Myth," The American Prospect, Summer, 1994, pp.81-90

Levy and Murnane, "Honda of America and Northwestern Mutual Life"

Cappelli, "Is the 'Skills Gap' Really About Attitudes?"

Holzer and Danziger, "Are Jobs Available for Disadvantaged Workers in Urban Areas?"

Kirschenbaum and Neckerman, "We'd Love to Hire Them But," in Petersen and Jencks, eds., The Urban Underclass

To be distributed in class.

Johnson, "Changes In Earnings Inequality: The Role of Demand Shifts," Journal of Economic Perspectives, Spring, 1997, pp. 41-54

Octoaber 6: An Overview of the Skills Acquisition System in the U.S.

Cappelli et al., ed., Changes At Work, Chapter 4

Lynch, in Lynch, ed., Training and The Private Sector, introduction

Osterman, "Skill, Training, and Work Organization in American Establishments," Industrial Relations, Vol. 34, No. 2, 1995, pp. 125-146

October 8: An Overview of the Skills Acquisition System Abroad

Osterman, Employment Futures, Chapter 6

Berg, "Strategic Adjustment in Training: A Comparative Analysis Of the German and U.S. Automobile Industry," in Lynch, ed., Training and the Private Sector

Soskice, "Reconciling Markets and Institutions: The German Apprenticeship System," in Lynch, ed., Training and the Private Sector

October 15: The Historical Background of U.S. Training Policy

Weir, Politics and Jobs, Chapters 3 and 4

October 20: The U.S. Policy Debate: The Big Picture

America's Choice: High Skills or Low Wages, Executive Summary, Chapters 2 and 12

Heckman, Roselius, and Smith, "U.S. Education and Training Policy: A Reevaluation of the Assumptions Behind the 'New Consensus'"

Gary Burtless, reply, "Note on 'U.S. Education and Training Policy'"

October 22: The Evaluation Literature: An Overview

Friedlander, Greenberg, and Robins, "Evaluating Government Training Programs for the Economically Disadvantaged," Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 34, No. 4, 1997, pp. 1809-1855

October 27: The Youth Labor Market and Youth Policy

October 29

Osterman, "Is There A Problem With The Youth Labor Market, And If So How Should We Fix It?," in Katherine McFate, Roger Lawson, and William Julius Wilson, eds., Poverty, Inequality, and The Future of Social Policy

Gardecki and Neumark, "Early Labor Market Experiences and Their Consequences for Adult Labor Market Outcomes," mimeo, Center on The Educational Quality of the Workforce

Ihlanfeldt, Job Accessibility and the Employment and School Enrollment of Teenagers, Chapter 3

Walker and Smith,"Toward A New Policy Framework For Hard-To-Serve Youth"

Cappelli, "Is The Skills Gap Really About Attitudes"

Rosenbaum and Binder, "Do Employers Really Need More Educated Youth?"

Bailey, "Can Youth Apprenticeship Thrive in the United States?," Educational Researcher, April, 1993, pp. 4-10

Osterman, "Involving Employers In School-To-Work Programs," in Thomas Bailey, ed., Learning To Work, (Washington: The Brookings Institution), 1995

Goldberg and Kazis, "Revitalizing High Schools: What The School-To-Career Movement Can Contribute," Jobs For the Future, 1995

Stern, et al., School To Work, (The Falmer Press), Chapters 2 and 3

November 3: Training for Adults

November 5

Twentieth Century Fund, No-One Left Behind, p. xi, xii, 11-51

Clark and Dawson, Jobs and The Urban Poor, 1-33

Osterman and Lautsch, "Project Quest"

Osterman and Batt, "Employer-Centered Training For International Competitiveness," Journal of Policy Analysis And Management, Vol. 12, No. 3, 1993, pp.456-477

Kodrzycki, "Training Programs For Displaced Workers," New England Economic Review, May/June, 1997

November 10: Training For Welfare Recipients

Bloom, After AFDC, Chapters 2-6

November 12: Standards

SCANS, Learning A Living: A Blueprint for High Performance, Chapter 1

Bailey and Merritt, "Making Sense of Industry-Based Skills Standards"

November 17: NO CLASS

November 19

November 24: State Politics

Moscovitch, Closing the Gap: Raising Skill to Raise Wages, Mass Inc. Report, 1997

November 26: NO CLASS - Thanksgiving

December 1: NO CLASS

December 3: Economic Development and TrainingB

Gilroth, Jobs & Economic Development, selected chapters

To be distributed in class

December 8: Group Reports

December 10: Group Reports continued and Conclusion

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This syllabus may have been updated. To ensure that you're looking at the most recent version, please hit "Reload."
11.427J Public Policy and Human Resources
15.677J/11.427J PUBLIC POLICY AND HUMAN RESOURCES Fall 1998 Paul Osterman Tuesday/Thursday E52-586 9:30-11:00 253-2667 Bldg. 1-150 osterman@mit.edu Course Overview This course is an in-depth examination of labor market policy issues, with a special focus on employment and training. A wide range of topics regarding public employment and training policy will be taken up and an effort made to place these in the broader context of shifts in the labor market and the evolution of social policy in America. The course will be organized around readings and discussion with only occasional lectures. For this to work all students will need to come to class having done the readings and prepared to discuss them. Course Requirements 1. Prior to each class each student should send me a one page e-mail indicating what, based on the readings, are the important questions we need to discuss that day. 2. For one of the classes each student should prepare a five to seven page paper which critically analyzes the readings and presents the student's perspectives on the issues. 3. Students will be divided into groups and assigned (after a discussion with each group) a substantial policy analysis project on a topic relevant to the course. This project could involve such things as critically examining an element of employment and training policy in Massachusetts, describing and making recommendations regarding the current Federal discussion on reorganizing the employment and training system, looking at the problems of a particular labor market group in depth, etc. Each group will prepare a substantial paper and will present it to the class towards the end of the course. Grading Class participation: 40% Individual paper: 30% Group paper: 40% Course Schedule September 10: Introduction September 15: Thinking About Policy in Broad Terms Weir, Orloff, and Skocpol, "Understanding American Social Politics," in Weir, Orloff, and Skocpol, in The Politics of Social Policy in the United States Korpi, "Approaches to the Study of Poverty in the United States, Critical Notes From A European Perspective," in Covello, ed., Poverty and Public Policy Blau and Kahn, "Institutions and Laws in the Labor Market" To be distributed in class. Lindbeck, "Overshooting, Reform, and the Retreat of the Welfare State" To be distributed in class. Blank, Social Protection vs. Economic Flexibility: Is There A Tradeoff?, introduction and Chapter 1 September 17: Outcomes Freeman, "How Labor Fares In Advanced Economies" in Freeman, ed., Working Under Different Rules Jencks, "Is the American Underclass Growing?," in Petersen and Jencks, ed., The Urban Underclass Levy and Murnane, "U.S. Earnings Levels and Earning Inequality," Journal of Economic Literature, September, 1992 Mishel and Bernstein, The State of Working America 1994-1995, Chapter 4 September 22: The Outcome Generation Process Jencks, Who Gets Ahead, Chapter 3 Granovetter and Tilly, "Inequality and the Labor Process" To be distributed in class. Darity and Mason, "Evidence on Discrimination in Employement: Code of Color, Codes of Gender," Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 12, No. 2, Spring 1998, pp. 63-90 To be distributed in class Arrow, "What Has Economics to Say About Racial Discrimination?" Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 12, No. 2, Spring 1998, pp. 91-100 To be distributed in class Heckman, "Detecting Discrimination," Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 12, No. 2, Spring 1998, pp. 101-116 To be distributed in class Loury, "Discrimination in the Post-Civil Rights Era: Beyond Market Interactions," Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 12, No. 2, Spring 1998, pp. 117-126 To be distributed in class September 24: A Broad Perspective on Recent Developments Osterman, book manuscript, Chapters 1, 2 To be distributed in class. September 29: The Demand for Labor October 1 Howell, "The Skills Myth," The American Prospect, Summer, 1994, pp.81-90 Levy and Murnane, "Honda of America and Northwestern Mutual Life" Cappelli, "Is the 'Skills Gap' Really About Attitudes?" Holzer and Danziger, "Are Jobs Available for Disadvantaged Workers in Urban Areas?" Kirschenbaum and Neckerman, "We'd Love to Hire Them But," in Petersen and Jencks, eds., The Urban Underclass To be distributed in class. Johnson, "Changes In Earnings Inequality: The Role of Demand Shifts," Journal of Economic Perspectives, Spring, 1997, pp. 41-54 Octoaber 6: An Overview of the Skills Acquisition System in the U.S. Cappelli et al., ed., Changes At Work, Chapter 4 Lynch, in Lynch, ed., Training and The Private Sector, introduction Osterman, "Skill, Training, and Work Organization in American Establishments," Industrial Relations, Vol. 34, No. 2, 1995, pp. 125-146 October 8: An Overview of the Skills Acquisition System Abroad Osterman, Employment Futures, Chapter 6 Berg, "Strategic Adjustment in Training: A Comparative Analysis Of the German and U.S. Automobile Industry," in Lynch, ed., Training and the Private Sector Soskice, "Reconciling Markets and Institutions: The German Apprenticeship System," in Lynch, ed., Training and the Private Sector October 15: The Historical Background of U.S. Training Policy Weir, Politics and Jobs, Chapters 3 and 4 October 20: The U.S. Policy Debate: The Big Picture America's Choice: High Skills or Low Wages, Executive Summary, Chapters 2 and 12 Heckman, Roselius, and Smith, "U.S. Education and Training Policy: A Reevaluation of the Assumptions Behind the 'New Consensus'" Gary Burtless, reply, "Note on 'U.S. Education and Training Policy'" October 22: The Evaluation Literature: An Overview Friedlander, Greenberg, and Robins, "Evaluating Government Training Programs for the Economically Disadvantaged," Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 34, No. 4, 1997, pp. 1809-1855 October 27: The Youth Labor Market and Youth Policy October 29 Osterman, "Is There A Problem With The Youth Labor Market, And If So How Should We Fix It?," in Katherine McFate, Roger Lawson, and William Julius Wilson, eds., Poverty, Inequality, and The Future of Social Policy Gardecki and Neumark, "Early Labor Market Experiences and Their Consequences for Adult Labor Market Outcomes," mimeo, Center on The Educational Quality of the Workforce Ihlanfeldt, Job Accessibility and the Employment and School Enrollment of Teenagers, Chapter 3 Walker and Smith,"Toward A New Policy Framework For Hard-To-Serve Youth" Cappelli, "Is The Skills Gap Really About Attitudes" Rosenbaum and Binder, "Do Employers Really Need More Educated Youth?" Bailey, "Can Youth Apprenticeship Thrive in the United States?," Educational Researcher, April, 1993, pp. 4-10 Osterman, "Involving Employers In School-To-Work Programs," in Thomas Bailey, ed., Learning To Work, (Washington: The Brookings Institution), 1995 Goldberg and Kazis, "Revitalizing High Schools: What The School-To-Career Movement Can Contribute," Jobs For the Future, 1995 Stern, et al., School To Work, (The Falmer Press), Chapters 2 and 3 November 3: Training for Adults November 5 Twentieth Century Fund, No-One Left Behind, p. xi, xii, 11-51 Clark and Dawson, Jobs and The Urban Poor, 1-33 Osterman and Lautsch, "Project Quest" Osterman and Batt, "Employer-Centered Training For International Competitiveness," Journal of Policy Analysis And Management, Vol. 12, No. 3, 1993, pp.456-477 Kodrzycki, "Training Programs For Displaced Workers," New England Economic Review, May/June, 1997 November 10: Training For Welfare Recipients Bloom, After AFDC, Chapters 2-6 November 12: Standards SCANS, Learning A Living: A Blueprint for High Performance, Chapter 1 Bailey and Merritt, "Making Sense of Industry-Based Skills Standards" November 17: NO CLASS November 19 November 24: State Politics Moscovitch, Closing the Gap: Raising Skill to Raise Wages, Mass Inc. Report, 1997 November 26: NO CLASS - Thanksgiving December 1: NO CLASS December 3: Economic Development and TrainingB Gilroth, Jobs & Economic Development, selected chapters To be distributed in class December 8: Group Reports December 10: Group Reports continued and Conclusion