Taught Masters Modules: POL6320 - Comparative Governance and Public Policy

Level: MA
Credits: 30

Module Leader: Professor Matthew Flinders

Description

The role of the state and the effective implementation of public policies form central elements of contemporary political debates around the world. This module adopts a comparative approach in order to provide insights into the theory and practice of governance and public policy. It encourages students to reflect on how they interpret and define political events. This involves exploring the relationship between ‘governance’ and ‘government’, understanding the drivers behind these processes and reflecting on the changing nature of socio-political interactions and relationships. This module is particularly aimed at students who may follow a career within the public sector and as such seeks to locate state of the art academic research and theory within the contours of ‘real-world’ policy dilemmas. As such this module aims to cultivate: a sophisticated and nuanced approach to political analysis; conceptual clarity; analytical rigor; methodological awareness; an interest in theory-building; and intellectual maturity and curiosity.

Objectives

This module aims to provide an advanced level of understanding of governance and the policy making process. By the end of the module students will be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of theories of the state, government and governance in relation to the policy-making process.
• Apply conceptual tools to assess whether new forms of governance challenge traditional notions of the nation-state.
• Demonstrate appropriate cognitive, communicative, and transferable skills, including the ability to evaluate advanced concepts and theories, to employ primary and secondary sources, to present reasoned and effective arguments in written and oral form, to make individual and group presentations, to pursue independent learning and to show critical judgement.

Assessment

• Essay 1: 40%
• Essay 2: 60%