Course syllabus

 

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POLITICS 222: Public Policy: Actors, Processes and Politics

SEMESTER 1, 2018

15 points

 
The course syllabus is available HERE.
The lecture recordings for the entire course are available HERE.


COURSE CONVENOR AND LECTURER:
Julie MacArthur
   j.macarthur@auckland.ac.nz


GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTS:
Ido Yahel 

Clark Tipene  

 

Course Delivery Format:

The course material is delivered over a 12 week period. There will be a two-hour lecture each week and a one hour tutorial. In the latter you will review topics in further detail, receive assessment guidance. A detailed breakdown of the weekly lectures and readings is contained in the TALIS Reading List in the menu on your left. Students are required to attend their tutorials having completed the assigned readings for the week. You should also be prepared to discuss the material with your classmates.

Timetable and room details can be viewed on Student Services Online.

 

Course Description:              

This course is designed to enable development of a conceptual ‘tool-kit’ for the explanation and evaluation of public policy. The questions asked in this course include: Why does policy matter? Who makes policy and how? What impact does globalization have on the types of policies domestic governments deliver? The course examines the role of policy actors such as social movements, businesses, technical experts and government agencies, including the way in which the international economy and domestic political institutions shape policy outcomes, the recognition and diagnosis of policy problems, and the rationality of policy decision-making. We also delve more deeply into a series of important challenges in the following substantive policy areas: health, the environment, employment, families and the economy.

Course Outcomes:

On successful completion of this paper students will be able to:

  1. Understand what public policies are and how they relate to broader issues of politics and power;
  2. Recognize different policy instruments and the theoretical basis for each;
  3. Identify how policy actors and processes have evolved, and why this matters;
  4. Explain the importance of and difference between various policy issue areas;
  5. Write a policy brief;
  6. Critically discuss and analyse a range of policy issues;
  7. Effectively communicate their arguments in written and oral form.

 

Course Assessment:

 

Value

Length

Due Date

Policy Brief

20%

700 words

16 April, 4pm

Essay

30%

2000 words

May 28th, 4pm

Final Exam

50%

2 hours

TBA

 

Weekly Topics:

(Please note - this is a preliminary lecture schedule and subject to change. It will be finalised in Week 1). 

   Week

Lecture

Lecture Dates & details

PART ONE: Introduction & Context

Week 1

Introduction

1 March  No tutorials in Week 1

Week 2

Policies – agendas and goals

8 March  Tutorials start

Week 3

Actors 1 –  The State

15 March

Week 4

Actors 2 – Non-state & supra-state

22 March Tutorial tips for the Policy Brief assignment

Week 5

Applying ideas: Social Policy

29 March

Break

Mid-Semester Break

March 30th – April 14th

Week 6

Theories of public policy

19 April  Policy Briefs due 16 April

Week 7

Applying ideas – Economic Policy

26 April

Week 8

Policy Instruments and Decision-making

3 May Tutorial tips for the Essay assignment

Week 9

Applying ideas – Health Policy

10 May

Week 10

Implementation & Evaluation

17 May

Week 11

Applying ideas – Environmental Policy

24 May  Essays due 28 May

Week 12

Review & Summary

31 May Tutorial tips for the Exam

 

Tutorials:

A one-hour tutorial will be held each week, where students will develop their understanding of the material and assignments in more depth. You must attend the tutorial you’ve been assigned to in your schedule, due to room capacity requirements. If you would like to request an exception for one session to attend a different tutorial (due to illness, etc), please contact your tutor for permission.

Students are expected to attend and to have completed the weekly readings (in the schedule below) PRIOR TO each tutorial.  It is highly recommended that you arrive with a list of notes and/or questions (50-60 words maximum) on the readings, including key points and clarifying questions you may have.   These meetings are a crucial part of successfully completing this course. Tutorials help you to develop the ability to discuss and debate complex issues and deepen your understanding of the material. They also provide a space for learning how to properly construct and format your assignments. A schedule detailing the weekly readings can be found below. Readings available online via Canvas are denoted with an asterisk (*).

 

Prescribed Texts:

Textbook

The textbook is Public Policy: A New Introduction, by Christoph Knill & Jale Tosun (2012). It is available at the UBIQ bookstore and is also on short loan at the General Library. You can also purchase an ebook copy from the Palgrave McMillan website.

Canvas

The assigned readings not in the required textbook are available under Reading Lists to your left. Please ensure that your email address is current so that you receive course information and updates.

Recommended

You may also find useful the 3rd edition of Shaw and Eichbaum’s Public Policy in New Zealand (Pearson, 2011), as well as Mulholland and Tawhai’s Weeping Waters (Huia, 2010), both available at the General Library.

 

Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:           

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension will be penalised by loss of marks.

Course summary:

Date Details Due