Course Description
This course is a graduate-level course that examines the legal, political, social, technological and economic frameworks in which telecommunication policy is formulated in the United States. For the purpose of this course, the term "telecommunication" will be defined broadly as public and private electronic communication, including telephone systems, broadcasting (local and network), cable television and radio, satellite-delivered data transmission and audio-visual programming, and computer networks (Internet and WWW). In addition, the course explores the consequences of policies adopted and not adopted.
Of paramount importance in U.S. telecommunications policymaking is the relationship among

1. Congress;
2. The Executive branch;
3. The Courts;
4. Industry and its lobbyists; and
5. The Citizenry.

Course Objectives
At the conclusion of the course, the student should be able

• To understand how public policy in telecommunication is formulated;
• To articulate knowledge of how past policies have influenced the current telecommunication industries;
• To discuss telecommunication policy in terms of social, political, and economic impact.

Texts
The following texts will be used in this class. WWW access is also required.

• Foundations of Communications Policy by Philip Napoli
• Deregulating Telecommunications by Kevin Wilson
• Telecommunications, Mass Media, & Democracy by Robert McChesney
• The New York Times Online
• Newslink: Site for links to news outlets (including newspapers, magazines and broadcast stations).
• GLOSSARY OF TERMS
  
  Additional Resources:
  
  • Government Printing Office (GPO)
    
  • Federal Communications Commission
    
  • Telecommunications Act of 1996: FCC page includes the Act and various links
  • U.S. Code: Title 47 (statutes that concern telecommunication)
  • Securities and Exchange Commission
  • National Telecommunications and Information Adminsitration
  • The Cato Institute Telecom Index Page
  • Center for Democracy and Technology
  • Center for Digital Democracy
  
  
  • Telecommunications Virtual Library (links to various publications)
  
  
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  Assignments
  All assignment must be completed.

  1. Current Policy Items for Discussion : Each undergraduate student will provide two current policy topics for class discussion during the first half of the semester. Submissions will include the article(s) cited and a brief paragraph describing the topic and it's relevance to the course material.
  2. Class Discussion
  : Graduate student teams will organize readings and class discussion during the second half of the semester.
  3. Research Paper: Each student will research a topic in telecommunications policy and offer a specific policy proposal appropriate to that topic. The paper may be historical or contemporary. In addition to researching the topic, the paper must apply a communication theory framework or perspective, providing a justification for the policy initiative.
     The research paper will be completed according to the following schedule:
     • February 5: Research Topic Due
     • March 5: Preliminary Bibliography and Outline Due
     • April 2: First Draft of Research Paper Due
     • April 30: Research Paper Due
  4. Policy Group Project: Teams will prepare a filing to be delivered to a federal or state regulatory agency with jurisdiction over some aspect of telecommunications policy. The filing will advocate a position on a current issue the regulatory body.

  Grading
  Course assignments and examinations will be weighted as follows:

  Assignment	Points
  Current Policy Items For Discussion (2 x 100 points) Undergraduate students only	200 points
  Class Discussion Group Graduate students only	200 points
  Research Paper	300 points
  Policy Group Project	300 points
  Final Examination	200 points
  Total	1000 points

  
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  The final grade will be based on the following scale:
  

  Points	Grade
  1000-890 points	A
  889-790 points	B
  789-700 points	C
  699-600 points	D
  599 points-below	F

  
  

  Course Policies
  1. You are expected to attend class.
  2. All assignments must be turned in. Failure to turn in an assigment will result in a grade of F for the course.
  3. No late assignments will be accepted. Due dates are stated in the syllabus.
  4. No handwritten assignments will be accepted.

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  Campus Services
  
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  URL:http://users.ipfw.edu/tankel/syllabi/Spring2003/com563.htm
  Revised: 7 January 2003

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