Dr. Michael Seipel
3082 Magruder Hall
785-4316 (Office)
mseipel@truman.edu
CATALOG DESCRIPTION
To provide an understanding of domestic and international issues in U.S. agricultural food policy. A study of major problems confronting agriculture. How public policy influences the nature and performance of U.S. and world agriculture.
A MORE DESCRIPTIVE OVERVIEW
This course offers a multi-disciplinary approach to understanding agricultural and food policy in the United States and the world. It draws on the theories and insights of economics, sociology, political science, and history to examine the agricultural policy process and its outcomes. It thereby helps students develop a better understanding of policy-making entities at various levels of government in the United States. It also provides a broad understanding of how policy actions in agriculture impact not only farmers’ incomes, but also the well being of consumers, the economic viability of rural communities, and the quality of our nation’s environmental resources.
We will delve into U.S. history to understand when and why the federal government began to take an active role in setting agricultural policy, and examine how the role of the federal government has changed over time. We will examine how interest groups—ranging from general farm organizations to commodity groups to environmental organizations—play a critical role in agricultural policy formation. We will touch on the international arena as we analyze the importance of international trade to the agricultural economy, how the policies of the U.S. and other nations shape trade flows, and the controversies surrounding multilateral trade agreements governing agricultural trade. Finally, we will briefly examine how the policy actions of state and local governments impact agriculture.
PREREQUISITES
At least one economics course.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
- To develop a basic understanding of the history of U.S. agricultural policy, including the alternative philosophies used to justify government involvement in agriculture over time.
- To gain the broad appreciation of contemporary agricultural policy issues needed by professionals in a variety of agriculture-related occupations.
- To apply economic principles to evaluate the impacts of alternative policy options.
- To develop an understanding of the policy process itself, including the actors and arenas involved, especially as it applies to agricultural and food policy.
- To gain experience in accessing a wide array of resources (especially online resources) pertaining to agricultural policy formation and analysis, so that students can return to these resources as a way to stay informed on current policy issues in their future careers.
Ronald D. Knutson, J.P. Penn, and Barry L. Flinchbaugh. 1998. Agricultural and Food Policy. Fourth Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
William P. Browne, Jerry R. Skees, Louis E. Swanson, Paul B. Thompson, Laurian J Unnevehr. 1992. Sacred Cows and Hot Potatoes: Agrarian Myths in Agricultural Policy . Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.
Other resources, including various web sites, linked from the CourseInfo class web site, and additional articles to be assigned.
COURSEINFO WEB SITE
Because we will use the Internet for various assignments, I have put together a course web site using the CourseInfo software. This web site will contain links to relevant web sites, important announcements and assignment information, and will allow you to submit assignments electronically. To reach the course web site, go to http://cinfo.truman.edu and scroll down to the AGSC 414 link. Click on this link and, when prompted, enter your Truman e-mail I.D. (i.e. a111) as your logon I.D. and you Social Security Number (with no dashes) as your password. You can change your password after you are logged onto the system.
COURSE OUTLINE
Week | Topic | Readings | Due |
1 | Introduction The Policy Setting | Knutson, Chapter 1, pp. 1-17 | |
2 | Review of Economic Principles Policy Issues in Agriculture | Knutson, Chapter 1, pp. 17-26 Knutson, Chapter 2 | |
3 | The Policy Process and Government Actors | Knutson, Chapter 3 | |
4 | Other Policy Actors—Interest Groups | Knutson, Chapter 4 | |
5 | Paper 1 Presentations (Interest Groups) | Presentations | |
6 | Domestic Agriculture Policy Issues EXAM | Knutson, Chapter 9 | Exam 1 |
7 | History of U.S. Agricultural Policy | Knutson, Chapter 10 | |
8 | The 1996 Farm Bill and Beyond | Knutson, Chapter 11 | |
9 | State Agricultural Policy Policy and the Structure of Agriculture | Knutson, Chapter 12 | |
10 | Agriculture and Resource Issues | Knutson, Chapter 13 | |
11 | Agriculture and Resource Issues EXAM | Knutson, Chapter 13 | Exam 2 |
12 | Introduction to Agricultural Policy Myths Agricultural Trade | Browne, Chapter 1, 2 Knutson, Chapter 6 | |
13 | Paper 2 Presentations (Myths) | Presentations | |
14 | International Trade and Market Development | Knutson, Chapter 7 | |
15 | Nutrition, Food Safety, and Food Quality Paper 3 Presentations (your topic) | Knutson, Chapter 15 | Presentations |
16 | Presentations | Presentations |
BASIS FOR STUDENT EVALUATION
Possible points for the course are as follows:
| Item | Points Possible | Pct. Of Final Grade |
| In-class Exams (2) | 200 | 28.57% |
| Final Exam | 100 | 14.29% |
| Policy Papers (3) | 300 | 42.86% |
| Paper Presentations (3) | 30 | 4.29% |
| Questions and Summaries of Guest Speakers (4) | 40 | 5.71% |
| Discussion and Class Participation | 30 | 4.29% |
All deadlines and examination dates must be met unless you make prior arrangements with me. Material covered during class discussion periods is integral to the content of the course. Therefore, attendance at and participation in class sessions is expected and required, and will affect your grade through discussion and participation points. Final grades will be calculated on a straight scale (A= 90%+, B=80-89.9%, C=70-79.9%, D=60-69.9%, F=Below 60%).
POLICY PAPER TOPICS
Over the course of the semester you will write three papers (6 to 8 pages) focusing on policy issues, policy actors, or various aspects of the policy process. The likely topics for these papers are described below.
Interest Groups and Agricultural Policy
Interest groups play a critical role in shaping agricultural policy, by providing focused input to policymakers regarding the likely impact of particular policies on their constituencies. In this paper you will both examine the general importance of interest groups in the policy arena and delve into the history and philosophical approach of one specific interest group focused on agricultural policy. You can choose from a list of possible interest groups, or select one of your own choosing, with my approval. Possible groups include the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, National Cattleman’s Beef Association, Sierra Club, and many others.
Agricultural Policy Myths
Select one of the “policy myths” from the Browne et al. book and describe, in detail, the characteristics of this myth, its origin, and its importance to agricultural policy. After writing this paper, you will teach other class members about the relevance of this policy myth. You will have a portion of a class period in which to present your paper and explain why this myth is important to our study of agricultural policy. Since not all class members will be doing a detailed reading of each chapter in the Sacred Cows… book, it is important that you have a good understanding of your topic and make a clear presentation on it.
Policy Analysis Paper
For this final paper, you will select a specific agricultural policy or piece of legislation of interest to you. In your paper you will carefully describe your chosen policy, including
- a description of the issue or situation the policy was designed to address,
- the history of the process through which this policy came into being,
- the goals and objectives of the policy,
- the actors involved in the creation of the policy and the positions taken by them,
- the actual or likely impacts of the policy, and
- alternative policy actions that could address the same issue through other means (these alternatives may have actually been considered in the policy-making process, or they may be alternatives of your envisioning).
For each of your three papers, you will make an in-class (~10 minute) presentation. This presentation should be carefully organized to convey maximal information about your topic in this short time frame. These presentations are an important way of sharing information among the entire class because, for these paper topics, individual class members will be doing different variations on the same general topic (i.e. examining different specific groups for the interest group paper). For each presentation you must turn in a short, bulleted or numbered outline containing the main points to be covered in your presentation. Each presentation is worth ten points.
QUESTIONS FOR GUEST SPEAKERS
We will also draw on a variety of outside expertise regarding agricultural policy, through in-class guest speakers, attendance of out-of-class presentations relating to agricultural policy, and field trips. For four of these speakers or presentations, you will prepare and submit (in advance of the presentation) a question or issue related to that person’s area of expertise. After the presentation, you will write a response to your question (in the form of a one-page typed paper), based on information gained from the presentation, and submit this for a grade. If you are not able to directly ask your specific question during the course of the presentation, try to answer your question using other information presented, or simply write a more general summary of the presentation.