This course will examine the historical development of key public policy issues in cross-national perspective. The course will consist of two parts. The first will consist of an instructor guided study of three key policy areas: the welfare state, health care policy, and urban policy (including a consideration of education policy). These historical assessments will compare U.S. policies in these areas with other key countries. The second part of the course will focus on student-directed group research into the history of other key policy areas, concluding with the presentation of a digital story/documentary to the class. Through both parts of the class we will ask a series of questions: What explains the similarities and differences in the content of policy agendas and the structure of policy systems over time and across nations? Why do different nations often respond to similar problems in very different ways? What have been the key drivers of policy both in the past and today?