Matthew Shapiro, assistant professor of political science, will be teaching PS 338, “Energy and Environmental Policy” in fall 2012.

Overview
This is an intermediate-level course on energy and the environmental policies. There’s a lot at stake here, and there is also a lot to be gained by students interested in related fields in civil engineering, architecture, or anyone interested in understanding how energy and environmental policy is shaped and shapes modern life. This is certain to be a topic in the fall 2012 elections, so we will devote some time to the agenda-setting efforts of politicians to affect energy and environmental policies.

Course Objectives
This class will enable the student to understand the mounting concerns about energy use and its impact upon the environment. By the end of the semester the student will:

• Possess the ability to conduct research and make environmental and energy policy prescriptions.
• Understand how environmental and energy policies have evolved in the United States and how such policies impact other countries, especially the developing world.
• Apply political and economic theory to problems of environmental and energy policies.
• Recognize at an intuitive level the growing role of the states in environmental and energy policies.
• Challenge concepts of “sustainability” and “development” which are elegant but theoretically deficient.
• Be informed of government efforts to reduce market failures in environmental and energy science and technology.
• Understand at a sophisticated level the connection between the developed and developing worlds, the importance of technology transfer, and avenues for collective action.

Enroll today!

Any questions about prerequisites or enrollment can be directed to Assistant Professor Shapiro at matthew.shapiro@iit.edu.