Master 2022/2023

Foundations of Public Policy

Category 'Best Course for Career Development'

Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'

Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'

Type: Compulsory course (Politics. Economics. Philosophy)

Area of studies: Political Science

Delivered by: School of Politics and Governance

Where: Faculty of Social Sciences

When: 1 year, 2, 3 module

Mode of studies: offline

Open to: students of all HSE University campuses

Instructors: Artem Uldanov

Master’s programme: Политика. Экономика. Философия

Language: English

ECTS credits: 6

Contact hours: 48

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This course introduces students to the field of public policy. During the first part of the course, the major public policy theories are taught to students, namely: Policy Cycle Theory, Advocacy Coalition Framework, Multiple Streams Approach, Punctuated Equilibrium framework, Neo-Institutionalism, Policy Narratives Framework, Policy Capacity Framework and Policy Transfer Theory. In the second part, these frameworks and theories are applied to current policymaking issues. Thereby, students are supposed to answer questions such as: What factors may explain policy change? What leads to the failure of policy? Why is a policy effective and how do we measure effectiveness?

Learning Objectives

• The objectives of this course are to: Introduce students to what public policy is; Introduce students to theories and frameworks used in public policy; Provide students with the necessary skills to apply public policy theories to current issues in public policy.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Know and understand the Advocay Coalition Framework and be able to apply it
• Know and understand the concept of policy learning and policy transfer theory and be able to apply them
• Know and understand the Mulitple Streams Framework and be able to apply it
• Know and understand the Policy Capacity Framework and be able to apply it
• Know and understand the Policy Cycle Theory and be able to apply it
• Know and understand the Policy Narratives Framework, the concept of framing and discourse, and be able to apply them
• Know and understand the Punctuated Equilibrium Theory and be able to apply it
• Know and understand the three different forms of neo-institutionalism (historical institutionalism, sociological institutionalism and behavioural institutionalism) and be able to apply them
• Know different definitions of public policy, know the differences between policy, politics and polity
• Understand the opportunities and challenges of technocratic policymaking in hybrid regimes

Course Contents

• Introduction to public policy
• Policy Cycle Theory
• The Advocacy Coalition Framework
• The Multiple Streams Framework
• Policy Narratives Framework, framing, policy discourse
• Neo-Institutionalism
• The Punctuated Equilibrium Theory
• Public Policy in Russia
• Policy learning and policy transfer
• Policy Capacity Framework

Assessment Elements

• Individual presentation
  For this task you need to prepare a short but focused presentation on the public policy theory which we studied previous class and give your own suggestions how it could be applied
• 1st essay
  For this task you should select any public policy problem in your homecountry, provide arguments why it is a significant problem and give brief explanation what public policy theory(ies) might be useful to study the problem. The essay should be 1500 words long (not counting bibliography), Times New Romain, size 12, spacing 1.5, normal margins. Sources need to be correctly indicated for any text or idea that is borrowed from other authors (including text taken from the internet). Any copying without citing the source (plagiarism) will result in a reduction of the grade, essays that include repeated copying without citing the source will be given the grade 0. All cited sources need to be listed in the bibliography.
• Essay
  For this task, you have to write an essay on a particular public policy issue of your choice. Preferably, you select the topic of your term paper, but you are free to select another issue. Your task is to apply one of the following public policy theories / frameworks to your topic: - Policy Cycle Theory - Multiple Streams Framework - Advocacy Coalition Framework - Punctuated Equilibrium Theory - Historical institutionalism - Rational Choice institutionalism - Sociological institutionalism - Narrative Policy Framework - Policy Transfer Framework - Policy Learning First, start your essay with a concrete research question. Second, explain which theory/framework you select to answer your question and justify your choice. You do not necessarily need to use the entire theory/framework, you may select only parts of it. If you only select parts, it is necessary to justify why you selected these parts of the theory/framework and not others. Third, you should provide a (preliminary) answer to your research question by using the selected theory/framework. You are not expected to do a systematic empirical analysis, but back your arguments and claims with references to literature, media or other data. At the end, wind up with a small conclusion.
• Final test
  15 questions (open and closed questions with options) related to the key public policy theories that we've been studying during the course.

Interim Assessment

• 2022/2023 3rd module
  0.35 * Essay + 0.4 * Final test + 0 * 1st essay + 0.25 * Individual presentation

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Araral, E. (2013). Routledge Handbook of Public Policy. New York: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=513571
• Dolowitz, D. P., & Marsh, D. (2000). Learning from Abroad: The Role of Policy Transfer in Contemporary Policy-Making. Governance, 13(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.1111/0952-1895.00121
• Gel’man, V. V. (DE-588)1147609624, (DE-576)495891827, aut. (2018). The technocratic traps of post-Soviet reforms : politics versus policy / Vladimir Gel’man, European University at St. Petersburg; University of Helsinki ; PONARS Eurasia - New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.500389802
• Hall, P., & Taylor, R. (1996). Political Science and the Three New Institutionalisms. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.45428ED0
• Weible, C. M., & Sabatier, P. A. (2017). Theories of the Policy Process (Vol. Fourth edition). Boulder, CO: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1451128
• Wu, X., Ramesh, M., & Howlett, M. (2015). Policy capacity: A conceptual framework for understanding policy competences and capabilities. Policy & Society, 34(3/4), 165–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polsoc.2015.09.001

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Albright, E. A. (2011). Policy Change and Learning in Response to Extreme Flood Events in Hungary: An Advocacy Coalition Approach. Policy Studies Journal, 39(3), 485–511. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-0072.2011.00418.x
• Baumgartner, F. R., & Jones, B. D. (1991). Agenda Dynamics and Policy Subsystems. Journal of Politics, 53(4), 1044–1074. https://doi.org/10.2307/2131866
• Claire A. Dunlop, & Claudio M. Radaelli. (2013). Systematising Policy Learning: From Monolith to Dimensions. Political Studies, (3), 599. https://doi.org/10.1111/post.2013.61.issue-3
• Dunlop, C. A., & Radaelli, C. M. (2018). Does Policy Learning Meet the Standards of an Analytical Framework of the Policy Process? ; Policy Learning Framework. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.19EE1EDD
• Gel’man, V., & Starodubtsev, A. (2016). Opportunities and Constraints of Authoritarian Modernisation: Russian Policy Reforms in the 2000s. Europe-Asia Studies, 68(1), 97–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/09668136.2015.1113232
• Howlett, M., McConnell, A., & Perl, A. (2017). Moving Policy Theory Forward: Connecting Multiple Stream and Advocacy Coalition Frameworks to Policy Cycle Models of Analysis. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 76(1), 65–79. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.12191
• Kay, A. (2015). A Critique of the Use of Path Dependency in Policy Studies. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.45B17789
• Kingdon, J. W. (2013). Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies, Update Edition, with an Epilogue on Health Care: Pearson New International Edition (Vol. Second edition). Harlow, United Kingdom: Pearson. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1418568
• NGOs and the policy-making process in Russia: The case of child welfare reform. (2018). https://doi.org/10.1111/gove.12366
• Robert M. Entman. (1993). Framing: Toward clarification of a fractured paradigm. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.28A41BC
• Sabatier, P. A. (1988). An advocacy coalition framework of policy change and the role of policy-oriented learning therein. Policy Sciences, 21(2–4), 129–168. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00136406
• Weible, C. M., Sabatier, P. A., Jenkins-Smith, H. C., Nohrstedt, D., Henry, A. D., & deLeon, P. (2011). A Quarter Century of the Advocacy Coalition Framework: An Introduction to the Special Issue. Policy Studies Journal, 39(3), 349–360. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-0072.2011.00412.x

Authors

• ULDANOV ARTEM ALEKSANDROVICH
• GERASIMOVA KSENIYA LEONIDOVNA
• SHLAUFER KAROLINLEA -