Explaining Public Policies

Module title	Explaining Public Policies
Module code	POL2102
Academic year	2022/3
Credits	15
Module staff	Dr Alice Moseley ()

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	12

Number students taking module (anticipated)	120

Module description

In this module you will explore key policy research theories in depth. You will be provided with a range of conceptual approaches that explore themes including: the role of stories in policy-making; the sources of radical policy change; the impact of policies on people and their self-identity. We explore these themes using case studies from contemporary policy-making including: LGBT policy change, gun control and capital punishment. The module provides the opportunity to think critically about the everyday issues faced by policymakers both in the UK and globally and is highly recommended to any students interested in public policy and wish to continue this pathway at Level 3.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module helps you understand and explain why policies take the form they do. After the introductory lecture, the module is taught in five 2-week cycles; a theoretical framework will be introduced in the first week and then applied to an empirical setting in the second week through research-led teaching. The tutorials will mirror these lectures and will include student presentations based on the corresponding topics. In addition to encouraging students to think like policymakers, the module will provide links to employability and future career pathways such as the Civil Service, lobbying and policy advisor roles.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. demonstrate understanding of the nature and evolution of core concepts regarding public policy;
2. analyse policy problems through key conceptual lenses.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

3. critically assess the utility of different public policy-oriented theories and methods deployed in policy analysis;
4. apply key theoretical tenants to concrete, empirical examples.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

5. demonstrate advanced oral and written communication skills (via group PowerPoint presentation and assessed essays);
6. successfully use IT for the retrieval and presentation of information.

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:

How Do We Explain Policies? What Gives a Theory its Power?

Multiple Streams Approach (MSA) and the Role of Luck, Chance and Contingency

Multiple Streams Approach (MSA) Case Studies – Tobacco Control and Alcohol Pricing

Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET) and Why Policies Change (Sometimes…)

Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET) Case Studies – Civil Nuclear Power and Capital Punishment in the US

Social Construction of Target Populations (SCTP) – How Policy Decisions Construct Citizens and Democracies

Social Construction of Target Populations (SCTP) Case Studies – LGBT Citizens Treatment in Law and Artificial Intelligence

Policy Learning – Do Policies Ever Improve Over Time?

Policy Learning Case Studies – Hormones in Beef Trade War and Brexit

Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) and the Persistent of Stories and Myths in Policy

Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) Case Studies – Arab Spring and US Gun Control

Combining Theories and Module Recap

N.B. Please note these case studies are indicative, some weeks we may branch out to further empirical examples.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
27.5	122.5	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

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
Guided Independent Study	20	Preparation for seminar presentation
Guided Independent Study	62.5	Preparation and writing of essay
Guided Independent Study	40	Reading for tutorials

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Essay plan	250 words	1-6	Verbal, one-to-one

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
80	0	20

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Essay	80	2,000 words	1-6	Written
Group Tutorial Presentation	20	15 minutes	1-6	Written

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Essay	Essay (2,000 words)	1-6	August/September reassessment period
Group Tutorial Presentation	Individual or group presentation with tutor (15 minutes)	1-6	Throughout the semester

Re-assessment notes

For the group tutorial presentation, reassessment can be offered during the semester if appropriate and available.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Indicative Reading List:

Cairney, P.A. (2020) Understanding Public Policy 2^nd edn Palgrave

Dunlop, C.A., Radaelli, C.M. and Trein, J.P. (2018) (eds) Learning in Public Policy: Analysis, Modes and Outcomes, Palgrave

George, A.L. and Bennett, A. (2004) Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences London: MIT Press.

Howlett, M., Wu, X. and Ramesh, M. (2017) (eds) Policy Capacity and Governance: Assessing Governmental Competences and Capabilities in Theory and Practice Basingstoke: Palgrave.

Jenkins-Smith, H.C. (1990) Democratic Politics and Policy Analysis Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Jones, B.D. (2001) Politics and the Architecture of Choice, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Jones, M.D., McBeth, M.K. and Shanahan, E.A. (2014) (eds) The Science of Stories: Applications of the Narrative Policy Framework in Public Policy Analysis Basingstoke: Palgrave.

Lindblom, C.E. (1965) The Intelligence of Democracy New York, NY: The Free Press.

Parsons, W. (1995) Public Policy: An Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Policy Analysis, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

Pierson, P. (2004) Politics in Time Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Schattschneider, E.E. (1960) The Semi-Sovereign People New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston

Schneider, A. L. and Ingram, H.M. (1997) Policy Design for Democracy Lawrence, KA: University Press of Kansas

Weible, C.M. and Cairney, P.C. (2021) Practical Insights from Policy Theories Bristol: Policy Press.

Weible, C.M. and Sabatier, P.A. (eds) (2018) Theories of The Policy Process, 4^th edn Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Yanow, D. (1996) How Does A Policy Mean? Georgetown University Press.

Zahariadis, N. (2016) Handbook of Public Policy Agenda Setting, 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

Key words search

Public Policy Analysis – Theories of the Policy Process – Case Studies

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	5
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	23/01/2018
Last revision date	02/02/2022