This course tackles the big questions of economic growth, inequality and sustainability. It shows how frameworks and insights from economics and political science can be applied to these questions, and it encourages students to apply those frameworks and insights to real-world problems to produce technically sound and politically attractive policy advice. Through a mix of survey and guest lectures, interactive case workshops and the writing of case papers, the course exposes students to the key policy debates of our time, and helps them to improve their analytical and writing skills.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Developed disciplinary and cross-disciplinary understanding of major challenges facing policymakers;
- Understood key analytic frameworks, techniques and insights from economics, environmental management, and political science; and
- Worked effectively in multidisciplinary teams to analyse major policy problems
Other Information
Delivery Mode: The course involves a mixture of lectures and group discussions. Lectures will provide students with the opportunity to learn about key themes and debates. Group discussions provide an opportunity to discuss case readings and apply the themes and readings to the case study.
Indicative Assessment
- Students must complete three case study papers - one per theme. These papers provide a link between theory and practice allowing students to demonstrate not only an understanding of key frameworks, techniques and insights, and key challenges facing policy makers, but also, importantly, their ability to argue in favour of a particular approach or solution. The three papers together are worth nine-tenths of the overall grade for this course, with the two better essays counting more than the third, weakest one. There is also an oral presentation, worth one-tenth of the overall grade for this course. (100) [LO 1,2,3]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The course is divided into three blocks of four weeks of length. Each block consists of six hours of lectures, and six of group discussions. Students should expect to spend 10 hours per week related to the course (including class time).
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
See Wattle.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you 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). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 34
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found 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 |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $2940 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $4890 |
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.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.