210152 VO Public Policy (2019W)

This lecture introduces students to the basics of public policy and policy analysis. It provides an overview of historical developments of the field and introduces main theories as well as different approaches to policy analysis. A major goal of this course is for each student to develop a set of general conceptual skills for thinking about policy problems, policy-making processes and policy solutions. Referring to various disciplines (political science, economics, public administration, public policy research, etc.), the students will learn how to analyze decision-making processes, identify political actors and interests, and understand the (relevance of) policy determinants and framework conditions. The knowledge and skills will be applied to examples from the field of environmental and natural resources policy (e.g. climate policy, water policy, natural hazard risk management).

The main objectives of the course are:
- Understand the complexity of policy-making processes and the challenges for public policy analysis.
- Get to know basics of public policy and policy analysis (policy determinants, policy problems, policy solutions, implementation challenges, etc.).
- Develop critical thinking.

Topics covered in the lecture are:
- Public policy as field of social science
- Basic terms and concepts (policy, public policy, policy output, policy outcome, policy change, policy actors, stakeholders, policy entrepreneurs, etc.)
- Historical development of public policy (analysis)
- The policy cycle (and other approaches)
- Actors and networks
- Structures and institutions
- Policy design and instruments
- Agenda setting and policy discourse
- Science-policy interface (evidence-based policy-making)
- Policy impact
- Policy evaluation
- Policy learning, policy transfer
- Determinants of and constraints on public policy (economic constraints, political feasibility, institutional constraints, social and cultural factors, globalization)
- Democratization and participation
- Comparative policy research
- Policy analysis as policy advice