Public Policy
A.Y. 2020/2021
Learning objectives
The course aims to illustrate how the study of public policies leads to overcoming a naive vision of social processes, emphasizing that public policies present specific obstacles, particular intervention techniques and peculiar resources, completely independent by political perspectives. The tools to analyze and improve public policies will be presented.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course the student will be able to understand and identify the specific obstacles, the particular intervention techniques and the peculiar resources that are proper to public policies. The student will know the theories and the tools to analyze, evaluate and improve public policies.
Lesson period: Second trimester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second trimester
Teaching methods
The distance teaching will be held on the Microsoft Teams platform in synchronous mode, according to the schedule of the second trimester. In the final module, part of the lessons will be held on the Microsoft Teams platform in asynchronous mode.
For attending students, registration to the MS Teams channel and attendance to lessons in synchronous mode will be required, with the possibility of up to a maximum of 9 absences. Furthermore, lessons will be recorded and left available to students on the Ariel website until the end of the course. The slides of the lectures will be made available on the Ariel website of the course and on the website http://www.politichepubbliche.org/avanzato/corso.html
For non-attending students, the lessons will be recorded and left available to students on the Ariel website until the end of the course. The slides supporting the preparation of the exam texts will be made available on the Ariel website of the course and on the website http://www.politichepubbliche.org/avanzato/corso.html
Program and reference material
The exam syllabus and reference material for distance teaching will be the same as normal teaching
Evaluation criteria
For attending students, the first and second intermediate tests will be held at distance in written mode, according to the university guidelines. The final colloquium will be an oral exam using the Microsoft Teams platform.
For non-attending students, the oral exam will be held using the Microsoft Teams platform.
The distance teaching will be held on the Microsoft Teams platform in synchronous mode, according to the schedule of the second trimester. In the final module, part of the lessons will be held on the Microsoft Teams platform in asynchronous mode.
For attending students, registration to the MS Teams channel and attendance to lessons in synchronous mode will be required, with the possibility of up to a maximum of 9 absences. Furthermore, lessons will be recorded and left available to students on the Ariel website until the end of the course. The slides of the lectures will be made available on the Ariel website of the course and on the website http://www.politichepubbliche.org/avanzato/corso.html
For non-attending students, the lessons will be recorded and left available to students on the Ariel website until the end of the course. The slides supporting the preparation of the exam texts will be made available on the Ariel website of the course and on the website http://www.politichepubbliche.org/avanzato/corso.html
Program and reference material
The exam syllabus and reference material for distance teaching will be the same as normal teaching
Evaluation criteria
For attending students, the first and second intermediate tests will be held at distance in written mode, according to the university guidelines. The final colloquium will be an oral exam using the Microsoft Teams platform.
For non-attending students, the oral exam will be held using the Microsoft Teams platform.
Course syllabus
Module 1
The first part of the course is aimed at:
- allowing the students to detect the policy problem in the media, in the public debate and in day-by-day experience.
- offering a conceptual map of the different approaches in the discipline.
Module 2
The second part focuses on the methods of analysis based on economic rationality and on the application of the problem solving as an approach to study public policies. This approach structures the analysis upon several questions:
- what is the problem?
- what are the consequences if the problem is not faced?
- what are the possible solutions?
- what solution may bring to the better results?
- what may be the shortcomings during the implementation phase?
- how to monitor and to evaluate the results?
A final topic will be the discussion of complementarities between the rational approach with other approaches oriented to social interactions and social problem-solving.
Module 3
The third part is dedicated to the descriptive and explanatory approaches to the policy process inspired by the public choice. Public policies are studies as predictable processes where rational actors shape the policy process. Examples of the topics of this module include:
- the rationality of actors and their preferences
- the theory of rents and the theory of choice
- the theories on the bureaucracy
The first part of the course is aimed at:
- allowing the students to detect the policy problem in the media, in the public debate and in day-by-day experience.
- offering a conceptual map of the different approaches in the discipline.
Module 2
The second part focuses on the methods of analysis based on economic rationality and on the application of the problem solving as an approach to study public policies. This approach structures the analysis upon several questions:
- what is the problem?
- what are the consequences if the problem is not faced?
- what are the possible solutions?
- what solution may bring to the better results?
- what may be the shortcomings during the implementation phase?
- how to monitor and to evaluate the results?
A final topic will be the discussion of complementarities between the rational approach with other approaches oriented to social interactions and social problem-solving.
Module 3
The third part is dedicated to the descriptive and explanatory approaches to the policy process inspired by the public choice. Public policies are studies as predictable processes where rational actors shape the policy process. Examples of the topics of this module include:
- the rationality of actors and their preferences
- the theory of rents and the theory of choice
- the theories on the bureaucracy
Prerequisites for admission
Students are requested to have successfully passed the courses of Political and Administrative Systems/Political Science (1st year) and of Economics (1st year) to enroll to the course of Public Policy. Both courses are mandatory.
Teaching methods
Class teaching and discussion.
First intermediate text with questions related to the first two modules of lessons and exercises.
Application of the approach to a case study of public policy (teamwork)
Final text with discussion of the materials (texts and slides).
All the materials of the course are available on Ariel and at the website: http://www.politichepubbliche.org
First intermediate text with questions related to the first two modules of lessons and exercises.
Application of the approach to a case study of public policy (teamwork)
Final text with discussion of the materials (texts and slides).
All the materials of the course are available on Ariel and at the website: http://www.politichepubbliche.org
Teaching Resources
First Module
Chapters 1 and 2, G. Regonini, Capire le politiche pubbliche, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2001 (http://www.politichepubbliche.org/base/capirelepolitiche.html)
In addition, we strongly recommend to complete the preparation with the content of the slides - available on the website of the course - which also contains an overview of the main critique to the different approaches.
Alternatively, students can study the following chapters of Fischer, Frank and Miller, Gerald J. and Sidney, Mara S., (eds.) (2007) Handbook of Public Policy Analysis: Theory, Politics, and Methods. CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA:
Chapter 11 Public Policy Analysis and Think Tanks, Diane Stone
Chapter 23 Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis, Kaifeng Yang
Chapter 28 Qualitative Research and Public Policy, Alan R. Sadovnik
Second module
Chapter 3, G. Regonini, Capire le politiche pubbliche, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2001 (www.politichepubbliche.org/polpubbl/capirelepolitiche.html)
In addition, we strongly recommend to complete the preparation with the content of the slides - available on the website of the course - which also contains an overview of the main critique to the different approaches.
Alternatively, students can study the following chapters of Fischer, Frank and Miller, Gerald J. and Sidney, Mara S., (eds.) (2007) Handbook of Public Policy Analysis: Theory, Politics, and Methods. CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA:
Chapter 4 Theories of the Policy Cycle, Werner Jann and Kai Wegrich
Chapter 6 Policy Formulation: Design and Tools, Mara S. Sidney
Chapter 26 Policy Evaluation and Evaluation Research, Hellmut Wollmann
Chapter 25 Social Experiments and Public Policy, Caroline Danielson
Third module
Chapter 6, G. Regonini, Capire le politiche pubbliche, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2001 (http://www.politichepubbliche.org/base/capirelepolitiche.html)
In addition, we strongly recommend to complete the preparation with the content of the slides - available on the website of the course - which also contains an overview of the main critique to the different approaches.
Alternatively, students can study the following chapters of Fischer, Frank and Miller, Gerald J. and Sidney, Mara S., (eds.) (2007) Handbook of Public Policy Analysis: Theory, Politics, and Methods. CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA:
Chapter 5 Agenda Setting in Public Policy, Thomas A. Birkland
Chapter 7 Implementing Public Policy, Helga Pülzl and Oliver Treib
Chapter 29 Interpretation and Intention in Policy Analysis, Henk Wagenaar
Chapter 30 Context-Sensitive Policy Methods, Susan E. Clarke
Chapters 1 and 2, G. Regonini, Capire le politiche pubbliche, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2001 (http://www.politichepubbliche.org/base/capirelepolitiche.html)
In addition, we strongly recommend to complete the preparation with the content of the slides - available on the website of the course - which also contains an overview of the main critique to the different approaches.
Alternatively, students can study the following chapters of Fischer, Frank and Miller, Gerald J. and Sidney, Mara S., (eds.) (2007) Handbook of Public Policy Analysis: Theory, Politics, and Methods. CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA:
Chapter 11 Public Policy Analysis and Think Tanks, Diane Stone
Chapter 23 Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis, Kaifeng Yang
Chapter 28 Qualitative Research and Public Policy, Alan R. Sadovnik
Second module
Chapter 3, G. Regonini, Capire le politiche pubbliche, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2001 (www.politichepubbliche.org/polpubbl/capirelepolitiche.html)
In addition, we strongly recommend to complete the preparation with the content of the slides - available on the website of the course - which also contains an overview of the main critique to the different approaches.
Alternatively, students can study the following chapters of Fischer, Frank and Miller, Gerald J. and Sidney, Mara S., (eds.) (2007) Handbook of Public Policy Analysis: Theory, Politics, and Methods. CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA:
Chapter 4 Theories of the Policy Cycle, Werner Jann and Kai Wegrich
Chapter 6 Policy Formulation: Design and Tools, Mara S. Sidney
Chapter 26 Policy Evaluation and Evaluation Research, Hellmut Wollmann
Chapter 25 Social Experiments and Public Policy, Caroline Danielson
Third module
Chapter 6, G. Regonini, Capire le politiche pubbliche, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2001 (http://www.politichepubbliche.org/base/capirelepolitiche.html)
In addition, we strongly recommend to complete the preparation with the content of the slides - available on the website of the course - which also contains an overview of the main critique to the different approaches.
Alternatively, students can study the following chapters of Fischer, Frank and Miller, Gerald J. and Sidney, Mara S., (eds.) (2007) Handbook of Public Policy Analysis: Theory, Politics, and Methods. CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA:
Chapter 5 Agenda Setting in Public Policy, Thomas A. Birkland
Chapter 7 Implementing Public Policy, Helga Pülzl and Oliver Treib
Chapter 29 Interpretation and Intention in Policy Analysis, Henk Wagenaar
Chapter 30 Context-Sensitive Policy Methods, Susan E. Clarke
Assessment methods and Criteria
Attending students will obtain 9 credits with a final score resulting from three intermediate tests: 1) a written test after the first two module of lessons (30% of the total score), 2) a presentation of part of a teamwork (30% of the total score), 3) a final discussion based on the contents of the course (40% of the total score). The intermediate tests are in Italian. The exams of Political and Administrative Systems/Political Science and of Economics are mandatory.
The exam for not-attending students is a discussion of the texts of the program. Usually exams are scheduled in the afternoon, and when the number of students is high, exams might extend to the following day. The exams of Political and Administrative Systems/Political Science and of Economics are mandatory.
The exam for not-attending students is a discussion of the texts of the program. Usually exams are scheduled in the afternoon, and when the number of students is high, exams might extend to the following day. The exams of Political and Administrative Systems/Political Science and of Economics are mandatory.
SPS/04 - POLITICAL SCIENCE - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professors:
Galanti Maria Tullia, Rebessi Elisa
Professor(s)