210131 VO EC: Policy Analysis in the Real World (2024W)

This course is an introduction to the discipline of policy analysis. Policy analysis is the study of the policy process. It is an applied discipline that aims at explanations of social, economic and technical problems for the purpose of providing advice to officials about the best course of government action. Thus, you will find policy analysists in areas as different as health, education, social welfare, and climate policy. In addition to the substantive knowledge of their particular social domain, policy analysts understand the stages, actors, and instruments of the policy process. In 12 lectures I will discuss the major elements of the policy process, as well as different ways of studying public policy. I will illustrate the general insights of the course with concrete examples. I made a little video to introduce the course. You can access the video here: https://ucloud.univie.ac.at/index.php/s/PKzExoLG4jKtBxc. (Enjoy! Note: the final image provides the dates of last year’s course)

This is the official description of the course. Now for the more interesting part. I have lectured and done policy analysis most of my professional life. I also worked within a government bureaucracy, so I know how policy making looks from the inside. Most of the literature on policy analysis is, frankly, boring and often of dubious value. Yet the study of public policy, being in the frontline where the action is, working with bureaucrats, politicians, and citizens, has always been one of the most rewarding experiences in my working life. I will try to convey some of that excitement in the course, by drawing upon my own experiences and by discussing many concrete examples. Moreover, this course is part of the Erweiterungscurriculum. I see it as my task to present you an attractive and inviting introduction to the topic of public policy, that will make you want to read more about it. I guarantee you that the course will make you read the news differently.

Learning goals: by the end of the module you will be able to:
• Understand the main concepts and theories of public policy analysis;
• Demonstrate knowledge of analytical approaches to understanding governance and policy making;
• Apply concepts, theories and analytical approaches to critically analyse and evaluate real-world cases of public policy making and governance.