Course syllabus

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SEMESTER 2, 2020

15 points


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

Office hours 1-2pm Fridays. Zoom while we're in lockdown. Book a 15 minute appointment here.

GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT:

Ashton Mismash amis393@aucklanduni.ac.nz

Wed 9-11AM, 201E (Social Sciences Bldg) room 528

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. Lectures are recorded and will be available in the 'Recordings' section of Canvas. Lecture PowerPoint slides will be posted in the 'Files' section of Canvas the Friday prior. In the tutorials you will review topics in further detail and receive assessment guidance. A detailed breakdown of the weekly  readings is contained in your 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 globalisation 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 as well as the foundational role of the Te Tiriti/ the Treaty of Waitangi in Aotearoa New Zealand..

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. Recognise 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

11  Sept 10 pm (online)

Essay

30%

2300 words

 23 October 10pm (online)

Final Exam

50%

2 hours

TBA

 

Weekly Topics:

Lecture recordings for on-campus lectures are in your Canvas Recordings tab. During lockdown weeks Zoom recordings for lectures are in Files/Zoom recordings and links are posted on the lecture recordings page

   Week

Lecture

Lecture Dates & details

 

Week 1

Introduction

28 July Tutorials start week 1

Week 2

Policies – agendas and goals

4 August 

Week 3

Theories of public policy

11 August (GL: Chlöe Swarbrick )

(Policy Brief overview in tutorial)

Week 4

Actors 1 –  The State

18 August  
(Guest lecture: Lara Greaves)

Week 5

Actors 2 – Non-state & supra-state

25 August

Week 6

Applying ideas- Social Policy

1 September

Policy Briefs Due 11 Sept

Break

Mid-Semester Break

7-18 September

Week 7

Applying ideas – Economic Policy

22 September (Guest lecture: Tyson Grootjans)

Week 8

Policy Instruments and Decision-making

29 September
Essay tips in tutorial

Week 9

Applying ideas – Health Policy

6 October

(Guest lecture: Siouxie Wiles)

Week 10

Implementation & Evaluation

13 October

Week 11

Applying ideas – Environmental Policy

20 October  Essays due 23 October

Week 12

Review & Summary

27 October 

Tutorials:

A one-hour tutorial will be held each week, starting in week 1, 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. 

Prescribed Texts:

Textbook

The textbook is Public Policy: A New Introduction (1st edition), by Christoph Knill & Jale Tosun (2012). It is on short loan at the General Library. There are limited hardcopies at UBIQ.  You can also purchase an ebook copy from Amazon and Google.

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

There are a number of readings marked as *recommended* in your reading list.  These are not required, but they may be helpful for your essays or  broadening your knowledge on the topic. 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 serious illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without an approved extension will be penalized according to the following sliding scale: 

  1. Assignments submitted up to two days late will lose 5% of the total assignment grade.
  2. Assignments submitted three to five days late will lose 10 % of the total assignment grade
  3. Assignments submitted six to ten days late will lose 25% of the total assignment grade
  4. Assignments s submitted more than ten days past the due submission date will not be accepted and the student will be given a 0% mark for the essay.

Course summary:

Date Details Due