Postgraduate Module Descriptor

POLM009M: Regulation and Reform: Analysis and Policy

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Module Aims

The aims of this module are to provide advanced postgraduate level introductions to and analyses of different types of regulatory reform, suitable for policymakers and public managers. Empirically, the focus will be on the recent wave of 'better regulation' reforms in developing and developed countries. A student completing this module will have firm grasp of the costs and benefits of regulation, and will be familiar with the various policymaking tools used to evaluate and redesign regulations.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. Critically examine the theoretical foundations of different approaches to regulatory reform and the diffusion of the better regulation movement using political science and administrative law; 2. Identify the theoretical and empirical manifestations of better regulation, by using theory and comparative evidence across the OECD countries and beyond; 3. Identify examples of success and failures in better regulation experiments across nations; 4. Explain the political dynamics of adoption and implementation of better regulation packages; 5. Explain how the tools of better regulation work and appraise them empirically and normatively;
Discipline-Specific Skills	6. Appraise and critically evaluate government reports, public policy, and OECD-EU-World Bank documents; 7. Synthesise and comment critically on a corpus of academic literature; 8. Link public administration concepts and theories to real world examples;
Personal and Key Skills	9. Undertake independent/self-directed learning (including time management) to achieve consistent, proficient and sustained attainment; 10. Work as a participant or leader of a group and contribute effectively to the achievement of objectives; and 11. Reflect on the process of learning and evaluate personal strengths and weaknesses.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will include the following topics in the order indicated:

1. Different tides of regulatory reform. Regulatory reform strategies

2. The rise of the better regulation agenda: history and diffusion patterns. Better regulation as public policy

3. Theoretical expectations about better regulation: public choice and administrative-constitutional legal scholarship

4. The better regulation toolkit - overview

5. Regulatory impact assessment

6. Comparative analysis: the EU and the USA

7. Comparative analysis across OECD nations

8. The case of developing countries

9. Regulatory indicators and the management of better regulation

10. Why better regulation is adopted and not implemented: empirical evidence and theoretical considerations

11. Appraising better regulation: normative analysis

12. Conclusions

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
18	182	0

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	10	Ten Lectures (1 hour)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	6	Three Group Work sessions (2 hours each)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	5	Two Workshops (2.5 hours each)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	3	One Guest Presentation (3 hours)
Guided independent study	82	Reading, thinking and preparing for lectures and workshops
Guided independent study	94	Assignment preparation

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).