Module: Public Policy Analysis

Module Specifications..

Current Academic Year 2023 - 2024

Please note that this information is subject to change.

Module Title	Public Policy Analysis
Module Code	LG5003
School	School of Law & Government
Module Co-ordinator	Semester 1: Eoin O'Malley Semester 2: Volkan Yilmaz Autumn: Volkan Yilmaz
Module Teachers	Eoin O'Malley Volkan Yilmaz
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	10
Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

None

Description

The purpose of this course is to enable students to analyse policy proposals for their likely impacts. This will build on some fundamental blocks of social science. Students will learn about causation, evidence and conditions to define policy problems and set out the elements to make a decision on policy. This will include setting out competing theories of human behaviour - particularly those from economics, sociology and psychology. It will identify instruments available to policy makers, and consideration of implementation in policy design. Throughout the course case studies will give practical effect to the theoretical approach. In that context the course will look at specific real world situations across a variety of analytical frameworks and examples in areas such as health, education, transport, and emergent technologies.

Learning Outcomes

1. Determine which public policy proposal is 'best' given certain criteria
2. critically examine policy proposals
3. select criteria for decisions
4. identify 'good' evidence for expected policy impacts
5. understand competing theories of human behaviour
6. construct arguments for which theory of behaviour is most appropriate
7. articulate arguments on policy issues

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	11	No Description
Assignment Completion	2	Identify policy problems
Assignment Completion	2	Frame policy
Seminars	11	Peer discussion
Directed learning	2	No Description
Assignment Completion	16	prepare analysis of own proposals
Assignment Completion	6	prepare presentation
Directed learning	10	overnight prep for class discussion
Independent Study	190	reading and study
Total Workload: 250

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Abstracting policy problems
This section gives the tools to think of policy problems in abstract terms, such as scarce resources, collective action problems, free rider, principal-agent etc.

Policy Instruments
This section will study policy instruments available to policy makers, first in an abstract way (Marketisation, collectivisation, anarchy), and then looking at how these manifest themselves in practical terms (regulation, taxation, privatisation, prohibition, provision, information etc.)

Causality, data and evidence
This section will briefly introduce theories of causation, using case studies of policy to illustrate these. We will also look at the nature of evidence and what is necessary to make claims for data being evidence for a particular policy proposal.

Theories of Human Behaviour
This section will give students an understanding of different explanations for how humans behave. These include rational choice theory, sociological theories and psychological theories. Again using case studies we will consider under what circumstances each is appropriate.

The Process of Policy Analysis
This will begin the practical process of doing policy analysis in class, where we consider (and practise) problem definition, criteria for decisions, finding appropriate evidence, programme design, implementation, unintended consequences)

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total
Course Work Breakdown
Assignment	short assignment setting out a problem definition for a policy problem, incl. identifying the problem/ harm, describe the cause, assign blame, and defend why the government should be involved in its solution. This should give an abstract explanation of the nature of the problem, f.i. collective action, co-ordination, externality etc.	10%
Oral Examination	Present policy problem and issues associated with it. This will build on the first assignment and be a presentation of a draft second assignment.	10%
Assignment	3-5000 word research paper based on earlier assignments which set out and evaluate rival solutions to a problem. These should include	50%

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; 1 = A resit is available for all components of the module 2 = No resit is available for 100% continuous assessment module 3 = No resit is available for the continuous assessment component
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Eugene Bardach: 2012, A Practical Guide to Policy Analysis, 4th ed., Sage/ CQ, Los Angeles,
Nancy Cartwright and Jeremy Hardie: 2012, Evidence Based Policy - A Practical Guide to Doing it Better, OUP, Oxford,
Charles F. Manski: 2013, Public Policy in an Uncertain World: Analysis and Decision, Harvard UP, Cambridge MA,
David Weimer and Aidan Vining: 2014, Policy Analysis: Concepts and Practice, 5th ed., Pearson, Harlow,
Adam Oliver (ed.): 2013, Behavioural Public Policy, Cambridge UP, Cambridge,
Peter John et al.: 2011, Nudge, Nudge, Think, Think: Experimenting with ways to change civic behaviour, Bloomsbury, London,
Jon Elster: 2007, Explaining Social Behavior: More nuts and Bolts for the social sciences, Cambridge UP, New York,
Eldar Shafir (ed.): 2013, The Behavioral Foundations of Public Policy, Princeton UP, Princeton, NJ,
Moran, Rein & Goodin: 2006, The Oxford Handbook of Public Policy, OUP, Oxford,

Other Resources

None

Programme or List of Programmes

GCPPS	Graduate Certificate in Public Policy
MELP	Master of Arts in European Law & Policy
MPP	MSc in Public Policy

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