Module POL1044 for 2018/9
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL1044: Introduction to Public Policy
This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.
Module Aims
Using contemporary examples of policy problems and research led teaching, the module aims to explore the lifecycle of public policies. Where do policy issues come from? How do groups and elites get decision-makers’ attention? How are policy issues framed by policymakers? What are the cognitive dimensions of decision-making? Why do countries copy each other in their policy responses? Once a public policy is made can it ever be reversed or terminated? What role does knowledge and evaluation play in decision-makers’ policy reckonings? Throughout the course links to employability – such as careers in the Civil Service – will be discussed and further information flagged.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Understand the nature and evolution of core concepts regarding public policy 2. Analyse selected policy theories, ideas, instruments, interests and institutions, and how policy outcomes reflect political forces and also change politics |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. Analyse primary and secondary source material in the field of politics 4. Construct and present rigorous oral and written political arguments which show an understanding of key political theories and models |
| Personal and Key Skills | 5. Communicate effectively in oral and written work and in independent study and group work including the presentation of material for a non-assessed group discussion 6. Use on-line interactive material to apply key concepts to the empirical world |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- An Introduction to Public Policy
- Who are the Policy Actors?
- Citizen Attention and Issue Framing
- Government Attention
- Decision Making Models
- How do Institutions Matter?
- Policy in Space
- Policy in Time
- Policy Implementation
- Policy Evaluation
- Module Review
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 27.5 | 122.5 | 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 Activities | 16.5 | 11 x 1.5 hour lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 11 | 11 x 1 hour tutorial. Tutorials are based on lecture topics. Every student will be expected to present a formative assessment during the semester. |
| Guided Independent Study | 5.5 | Preparation for formative seminar presentation |
| Guided independent study | 40 | Preparation and writing of essay |
| Guided independent study | 37 | Preparation and revision for examination |
| Guided Independent Study | 40 | Reading for Tutorials |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group Tutorial Presentation | 15 minutes | 3,5,6 | Verbal |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 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 | 2,000 words | 1-6 | Written |
| Examination | 50 | 1 hour | 1-6 | 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 (2000 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Examination | Exam (1 hour) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Indicative Reading List:
Baumgartner, F.R. and Jones, B.D. (1993) Agendas and Instability in American Politics, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Birkland, T.A. (2005) An Introduction to the Policy Process, 2nd edn, M.E. Sharpe.
Buonanno, L. and N. Zahariadis (eds) (2017) The Routledge Handbook of European Public Policy London: Taylor & Francis
Cairney, P. (2011) Theories of Public Policy Palgrave.
Dorey, P. (2014) Policy Making in Britain, Sage.
Dunn, W. (2007) Public Policy Analysis: An Introduction, 2nd edn, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Fischer, F. (2003) Reframing Public Policy, Oxford University Press.
Hill, M. (ed) (2009) The Policy Process: A Reader, 5th edn, London: Longman.
Hill, M. and Hupe, P. (2009) Implementing Public Policy, 2nd edn, Sage.
Hogwood, B.W. and Gunn, L. (1984) Policy Analysis for the Real World, Oxford University Press.
Howlett, M. et al (2012) Routledge Handbook of Public Policy, Routledge.
Howlett, M., Ramesh, M. and Perl, A. (2009) Studying Public Policy: Policy Cycles and Policy Subsystem, 3rd edn, Oxford University Press.
Howlett, M., Wu, X. and Ramesh, M. (eds) (2017) Policy Capacity and Governance: Assessing Governmental Competences and Capabilities in Theory and Practice Basingstoke: Palgrave.
John, P. (2000) Analysing Public Policy, London, Pinter.
Jones, B.D. and Baumgartner, F.R. (2005) The Politics of Attention Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Jones, B.D. and Baumgartner, F.R. (2005) The Politics of Attention, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Moran, M., Rein, M. and Goodin, R.A. (2008) The Oxford Handbook of Public Policy, Oxford University Press.
Parsons, W. (1995) Public Policy, London: Edward Elgar.
Richards, D. and Smith, M. (2002) Governance and Public Policy in the UK, Oxford.
Stone, D. (2001) Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision-Making, W.W. Norton and Co.
Weible, C.M. and Sabatier, P.A. (eds) (20072017) Theories of The Policy Process, Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Zahariadis, N. (ed) (2016) Handbook of Public Policy Agenda-Setting Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Journals: Comparative Politics; Environmental Politics; Environmental Values; European Journal of Public Policy; Governance; Health, Risk and Society; Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management; Journal of European Public Policy; Journal of Policy Analysis and Management; Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory (J-PART); Journal of Public Policy; Policy and Politics; Policy Sciences; Policy Studies; Policy Studies Journal; Public Administration; Public Administration Review; Public Policy and Administration; Review of Policy Research; Risk Analysis; Risk and Regulation; Risk, Decision and Policy; Science and Public Policy
