Course content

Complex and cross-sectoral societal challenges drive the evolution of modern organizational forms and shape the development of public policy. Understanding how political and administrative systems of government are organized and how they formulate policy is central to the study of public policy and administration. Focusing on individual cases alone can limit our understanding of the causes and effects of different administrative designs or different policies. For instance, why do policies on education, immigration, or the environment vary greatly across countries, even when they face similar global challenges? Why are some administrations more effective than others in solving societal issues? This lecture approaches public policy and administration from a comparative perspective to address these and other questions.

Applying a comparative perspective we will look at both political-administrative structures and policy analysis. The lecture provides an advanced introduction to both classical and modern literature in the field of public policy and administration, as well as theory and empirical studies on policy implementation and evaluation. To illustrate key concepts, we will cover empirical examples from diverse policy areas (such as health and welfare policy, agricultural and rural policy, immigration and integration policy).

Learning outcome

Knowledge - the student shall have knowledge of:

• explanations of variations in policy formulations and tensions between different levels of government
• the development and principles within reform traditions
• modern forms of organization and governance
• policy design, instruments and implementation of public policy
• methods for the evaluation of public policy and public programs

Skills - the student shall demonstrate the ability to:

• analyze and evaluate aspects of public policy, management and administration using comparative methods
• discuss key challenges of the organization of public policy from a comparative perspective
• problematize similarities and variations in the formulation and implementation of policy across different levels of government, countries and political domains

Learning methods and activities

Lectures/group discussions for 4 hours per week throughout the semester. Supervision of term paper. If 6 or fewer students attend the course the two first weeks of teaching, the course will be offered as an individual study course with supervision. Please contact the department for further information.

Compulsory assignments

• Outline of a term paper including a review of the literature of a chosen topic
• Present a draft of the term paper and give comments on fellow students drafts

Recommended previous knowledge

POL1002

Required previous knowledge

60 credits including SOS1002 or an equivalent course in research methods. The requirement must be fulfilled to be admitted to the course.

Course materials

To be decided at the start of the semester.

Credit reductions