POLITICS 757

Comparative Public Policy


Please note: this is archived course information from 2020 for POLITICS 757.

Description

 

This course explores public policy actors, processes and outcomes primarily from a comparative perspective. It does so by engaging with a range of conceptual and methodological approaches employed by policy scholars, and introduces students to debates around the best ways of explaining and understanding policymaking and policy outcomes across countries: that is, the relative importance of interests, institutions and ideas, as well as international agencies involved in the transfer of policy across countries.

By the end of this course it is expected that the student will be able to:

  • Understand of the role and influence of key actors, ideas and institutions in the policy process
  • Critically analyse the various approaches used to explain differences in policy outcomes
  • Link theory and practice through comparative policy analysis
  • Work effectively in teams to present sophisticated arguments on a selected topic
  • Demonstrate articulate and professional written and oral communication skills

Additional Skills

In addition to gaining knowledge of comparative policy analysis you will gain several skills as a result of completing the requirements for this class.

These include the ability to:

  • Access relevant original and secondary source material from electronic databases and journals
  • Define and apply key policy concepts
  • Design and write an original literature review
  • Present and debate research ideas in a supportive environment

Assessment

Coursework only

View the course syllabus

Availability 2020

Semester 2

Lecturer(s)

Coordinator(s) Professor Jennifer Curtin

Points

POLITICS 757: 15 points