After this course, the student will:
1. have basic knowledge of the role of political institutions in in the policy-making process
2. know the different levels of governance and their relation to the policy-making process
3. learn how to write a policy brief (
4. develop their analytical, communication, and presentation skills
5. develop the ability to apply various theoretical perspectives to real-world political phenomena
N.B. During this course students will acquire additional skills that serve the PPE-program as a whole. Academic integrity will be emphasized throughout.
Additional skill set outcomes:
• Ability to facilitate group discussion
• Ability to work with groups
• Ability to take on leadership roles
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Are policy-making processes geared toward providing optimal solutions for societal problems or do societal groups use these processes to secure their interests and ideals?
Politics and policy-making will show that public policy processes often involves both dynamics. On the one hand, they involve actors that seek to effectively achieve policy goals. On the other hand, actors (also) struggle to attain power to achieve their ideals and protect their interests.
The central objective of this course is to equip students with the knowledge to analyse policy-making processes in contemporary democracies. A democratic vote in parliament is an essential moment in the process, but this public decision is a ‘cog’ in much larger policy-making ‘machinery’ of modern states. From the news media deciding what to broadcast to the case worker at a poverty center deciding on welfare benefits each of these actors shape public policies.
Students are made aware that policy-making is, in part, a political process involving the exercise of and struggle for power. The course focuses on the role of institutions and actors in the policy-making process. Building on a theories, cases and, if possible, practitioners, the course will provide insights into the realities of policy-making processes. Further, students are challenged to apply theoretical insights to real-world cases.
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