Courses

UC Riverside

PBPL 002 Politics and Policy (Fall 2025; Spring 2026)

This course is designed to give students an understanding of public policy and how one might choose between various policies along with a consideration of the politics of public policy.  The first part of the course provides basic knowledge of rationality, collective action, party dynamics, and electoral systems.  The second part of the course provides a brief overview of each stage of the policy-making process, during which we will discuss the political dynamics inherent to policymaking. The third part of the course discusses various aspects and tools of public policy. The last part of the course focuses on a key policy question facing our state: housing policy.

PBPL [—] Litigation and Public Policy (MPP Course - Spring 2026)

Litigation is a major component of public policy in the United States. This course introduces you to the American legal system and discusses how litigation forms and affects public policy. Over the course of the quarter, you will be exposed to competing philosophies of what law can and should do, as well as discussions of how law advances or constrains the achievement of various political, economic, and social goals. Likewise, the course will consider American courts as robust policy-making institutions that are regularly used by various actors – including the judiciary – to make policy.

Previous Teaching

POLI 160AA Introduction to Policy Analysis (Instructor-of-Record - Spring 2023, Winter 2024, Winter 2025 at UC San Diego)

This course is designed to give students an understanding of public policy and how one might choose between various policies.  The first part of the course provides basic knowledge of rationality, collective action, market dynamics, and problems with the market.  The second part of the course provides a brief overview of each stage of the policy-making process. The third part of the course discusses various aspects of public policy. The last part of the course focuses on current policy questions and students will vote for the topics they are most interested in learning about and discussing.

POST 66 Interest Groups and Political Advocacy (Instructor-of-Record - Spring 2025 at Pitzer College)

Organized interests influence every aspect of government in the United States. This class examines the history of interest groups in America, how they are formed and maintain their membership, how they influence politics and policy, and where they fit in our society and government. By the end of class, students should have a comprehensive introduction to organized interests in the U.S. and be able to engage in debates over how their advocacy can be most effective in achieving their policy goals. 

PLS 2070 Introduction to Public Law (Instructor-of-Record - Spring 2024 at Cal Poly Pomona)

This course introduces you to fundamental concepts, institutions, and actors in public law. Over the course of the semester, you will be exposed to competing philosophies of what law can and should do, as well as discussions of how law advances or constrains the achievement of various political, economic, and social goals. Likewise, the course will consider American courts as robust policy-making institutions that accomplish policy change where other branches of government fall short by situating the critical actors and component structures of the U.S. legal system within the study of American politics more broadly. During the first part of the course, we will examine the foundations and nature of law and the legal system. Then, we will consider the organizational characteristics of the American legal system, including the importance of the common law tradition, the federal structure of American government, and the function of U.S. courts as venues for orderly dispute resolution. Third, we will discuss several actors of the legal system, along with determinants and effects of their behavior. We will also survey a range of particular areas in American law, including the interaction of law with race, gender, and other characteristics so as to assess the impact of the law and courts on society.