Professor P.J. Hill

This course offers the opportunity to read several books and articles dealing with public policy issues and then to discuss them with other students and the professor. Formal lectures are not a part of the course, nor is there a specific body of knowledge that the professor wants to communicate to the students. Rather, the emphasis is on reading about issues, formulating one's thoughts and responses, and interacting with others.

Because the course is based on discussion it is important that students attend all the sessions. Twenty-five percent of the course grade will be based on daily quizzes over the assigned reading and seventy-five percent on exams and/or short papers.

The books being used are Principles for a Free Society: Reconciling Individual Liberty With the Common Good, by Richard Epstein, and The Future and Its Enemies: The Growing Conflict Over Creativity, Enterprise, and Progress, by Virginia Postrel. There may also be some other short readings.

[Note from Virginia Postrel: Professor Hill arranged for me to spend about 45 minutes discussing the book with his class via phone. While this isn't feasible with a large class, I am happy to have such discussions, time permitting, with classes studying The Future and Its Enemies.]