Module POLM227M for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
POLM227M: Behavioural Public Policy and Administration
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
The main objective of the module is to provide you with a critical understanding of how research and theoretical insights from the fields of behavioural economics and social psychology are being used to develop policy innovations in the contemporary era. The module discusses the idea of ‘boundedly rational’ decision-making and the implications of this for governments seeking to develop policy tools or shape the ‘choice architecture’ to influence citizens, or indeed bureaucrats. The module will use up-to-date case studies of behavioural public policies that are being applied by contemporary governments in OECD countries, and we will discuss the applicability of these approaches in different international contexts. While the course has practical policy relevance, you will be encouraged to take a critical, questioning approach and the course will also cover ethical and legitimacy questions surrounding behavioural public policy.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how behavioural economic and social psychological insights are being used by government to secure policy outcomes 2. Demonstrate awareness of key heuristics employed in human decision-making 3. Articulate a range of theoretical perspectives concerning the role of the State in influencing citizen behaviour |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 4. Effectively synthesise and extract arguments from academic literature 5. Critique a range of academic theories and perspectives 6. Appraise the strengths & weaknesses of different research methodologies |
| Personal and Key Skills | 7. Present arguments and distil evidence in a cogent way to a non-specialist audience 8. Apply theory and research findings from a variety of disciplinary perspectives to real world policy dilemmas |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover the following topics:
- What is Behavioural Public Policy?
- Bounded Rationality; The Automatic and the Reflective System
- Key Insights and Heuristics from Behavioural Economics
- Applications of ‘Nudge’ in public policy
- The politics of Libertarian Paternalism
- Ethical issues in behavioural public policy
- Combining policy tools: How Regulation and Nudge can be complementary
- Insights from psychology and behavioural economics for Public Administrators
Throughout the module we discuss a variety of policy applications including areas such as Health & Lifestyle; Environmental Behaviours; Payment of taxes; Savings and financial behaviour, linking these to the underlying theory from behavioural economics and social psychology and reviewing evidence of their effectiveness.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 278 | 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 & Teaching Activities | 22 | 11 x 2 hr seminars |
| Guided independent study | 118 | Reading and seminar preparation, including formative reading, reflecting and formative assessment tasks |
| Guided independent study | 160 | Assignment preparation |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
The module will be supported by ELE materials, including links to core texts, podcasts and lectures.
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Policy briefing outline | 750 words | 2 | Oral within seminar |
| Essay outline | 750 words | 1,4,6 | Oral within seminar |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 50 | 3,000 words | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | Written |
| Policy Briefing aimed at your own countrys government using chosen policy area (written) | 50 | 3,000 words | 1,2,4,6,7,8 | Written |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (3,000 words) | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Policy Briefing | Policy Briefing (3,000 words) | 1,2,4,6,7,8 | August/September reassessment period |
