Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science - Political Economy and Public Policy

SUNY Stony Brook University

The concentration in political economy and public policy emphasizes the interaction between politics and the institutions (both public and private) that shape economic policies. Students choosing this concentration analyze important issues by focusing on decision-making and organizational behavior as shaped by individual incentives and institutional structures. In addition to the foundation course in public policy required of all students, elective seminars in this field include policy evaluation, organizational decision-making, bureaucracy, regulation, institutional analysis, and urban politics. The faculty have published research on issues such as the economic development of metropolitan areas, the political economy of suburbs, political controls over regulatory bureaucracies, and citizen responses to tax policies. A sample of other ongoing research projects in which incoming students may become involved include the effect of market-like incentives in school choice, subsidy flows in the European Union, the role of social capital in environmental decision making, and regulation of business by state governments. The economic approach is also used to investigate other political processes such as voting, party competition, and agenda setting.