Sarah Ludwig

This course will provide undergraduate students with an understanding of the political and governmental processes that influence New York City. The course will explore the structure of the municipal government, the role of the mayor and city council, the way in which state and regional agencies affect public services, and the role of the media in the political life of New York City.

This course introduces graduate students to the field of community wealth-building, neighborhood equity, and movements for community-led economic development. Students will examine ways that communities have organized against redlining, and for access to capital; methods for ensuring collaborative, inclusive economic development and a just transition from an extractive to a regenerative economy; and technical tools needed to advance cooperative economics and locally-controlled development. The course will provide students with a strong historical framework, as well as timely case studies showing how groups in low-income urban neighborhoods and communities of color are working to build a just economy. Guest speakers will share their experiences organizing for community control of land and social housing, community development financial institutions and public banking, worker-owned cooperatives, locally-controlled renewable energy, and more. 

There is no profession more noble than public service, and no arena more exciting than New York. Our objective is to gain insight into how our city and state governments make decisions, informed by a foundational and wide-ranging understanding of the forces at work and issues that face policymakers today. I am teaching this class because of my longstanding—and ever-expanding—interest in the practice of public policy and a deeply held belief that the effectiveness of our government depends on the quality of those who serve in it. In the first half of the semester, we will examine the structures of New York City and State government and the recent historical and political context in which they operate. This background will be used in the second half of the semester to explore a range of public policy debates in areas such as economic development, transportation and infrastructure, public education, public safety and housing and homelessness. Emphasis throughout will be placed on the practicalities of decision-making and the messy, politicized and conflict-rich environment in which public policy is hammered out. We will be joined by a number of guest speakers from the worlds of journalism, government, business and advocacy.