LABOR 230 - Labor, Politics, and Policy

3 Credit(s) | Lecture |
Course can be counted for credit once

Description:
This course introduces students to the legislative process at the national and state levels of government, especially as it affects and is affected by workers, labor unions, and community groups. Topics covered will include basic legislative structure, function and process, and how labor unions and community groups can: exert pressure and take action to shape a political agenda; create and shape policy issues; get to know and understand roles and functions within the legislature and who and how to work with the legislative membership. Students will be required to: research and answer questions about how issues are moved from the background to the forefront of political discussion; understand and be able to explain the structure and function of the legislature in this process; and examine the impact of citizens and interest groups (labor unions, community groups, and others) in legislative decision making. These topics will be examined in relation to particular examples of legislation that have been important (positively or negatively) to workers and their organizations. As part of this course, we will be researching and examining current issues before the Massachusetts legislature and assessing (in real time) their progress and possibility of success or failure based on a number of factors such as influence and power.

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