Public policy is a puzzling phenomenon. Why do governments declare some social conditions to be problems that warrant the commitment of scarce public resources? And why do different governments that confront similar problems address them in very different ways? Why are there often such big gaps between the stated policy and that which is actually delivered to citizens? This course presents an introduction to policy analysis - a multidisciplinary social science endeavour devoted to answering these and many other intriguing puzzles that our daily experience of public policy throws up. It focuses on the institutions and processes by which public policy is made, accounted for and evaluated. Political institutions include formal elements of the constitution, such as the executive and legislative branches and the electoral system, together with less formal institutions, such as political parties. We will present and utilise some of the main concepts and models that scholars employ to describe, explain and evaluate public policy-making. Students will apply these to policy practice by discussing and analysing real world examples.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
On successful completion of this course you will have:
- demonstrated a working knowledge of key terms, concepts and ideas in the study of public policy
- considered the major political institutions and actors involved in the public policy process
- debated the role of values in public policy
- examined how public policy issues come onto the agenda, and how they are managed
- demonstrated a working knowledge of policy instruments and their behavioural assumptions
- contributed to informed discussions on various theoretical and practical aspects of public policy;
- demonstrated the capacity to research and critically analyse public policy issues;
- considered the implications of centralised and federal systems of government for public policy
- reflected on the politics and practices of implementing and evaluating public policy
- demonstrated the ability to think independently, and persuasively communicate in the field of public policy.
Other Information
Delivery Mode:
On Campus.
Indicative Assessment
- Online discussion (30%)
- Policy Project (50%)
- Policy responses (under test conditions) (20%)
Passing the course is conditional on passing all items of assessment.
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
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Workload
30 contact hours.
At least 30 hours outside of contact hours to complete the course.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Preliminary Reading
Howlett, Michael and M Ramesh (2003) Studying Public Policy. Policy Cycles and Policy Subsystems (Second Edition) Toronto, Oxford University Press
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $4050 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $5760 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.