Course overview
This course will provide students with an understanding of how the process of policy making works in practice and how governments decide which policies to pursue or avoid. Students will gain an understanding of important theories of public policy. Through analysing how ideas and institutions shape public policy, students will have the opportunity to search for solutions to real-world policy problems. Students will gain an understanding of the essential elements of policy development: from how policy is formed to how policy can be evaluated. A strong focus of this course is on equipping students to communicate public policy to diverse audiences.
Course learning outcomes
- Understand theories of public policy and their applicability today and into the future
- Understand, analyse and apply different approaches and contexts of policy formulation, implementation and evaluation
- Understand the limitations of public policy and develop skills in proposing alternative policy approaches