Module Code - Title:
PA4047
-
COMPARATIVE PUBLIC POLICY
Year Last Offered:
2025/6
Hours Per Week:
Grading Type:
N
Prerequisite Modules:
Rationale and Purpose of the Module:
This module explores a range of concepts, theories and findings in public policy research with a view to understanding similarities and differences across advanced industrial societies. What is public policy? How can policy be conceptualized and measured? How can we distinguish types of policy and is it useful to do so? The module examines existing research that seeks to explain policy outputs and policy outcomes. Why do countries respond differently to similar problems? Which factors influence policy making? Do policy actors like parties and interest groups matter? Which interests and ideas matter, and how? Do policy makers learn from their own experiences and from the experiences of others? We will use discussion of these general questions as a platform to explore substantive policy areas. The module is centred on regular reading and participation in class. It places a strong emphasis on recent research literature that uses a range of methods .
Syllabus:
Institutions and policy; ideas and policy; path dependency; advocacy coalitions; policy entrepreneurship; policy agendas; parties and policy; lobbying and interest groups; the civil service; policy advice and policy advisers; policy diffusion.
Learning Outcomes:
Cognitive (Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis)
Identify the main concepts underlying comparative policy analysis; describe policy-making in substantive policy areas in comparative, cross-national perspective; investigate important questions in comparative public policy; recognize and apply common case selection strategies; and assess competing explanations of variation in policy outputs and outcomes.
Affective (Attitudes and Values)
Take the perspective of a social scientist; appreciate the potential for political science to inform policy.
Psychomotor (Physical Skills)
N/A
How the Module will be Taught and what will be the Learning Experiences of the Students:
Active class sessions, with frequent pair and small-group work (Graduate attribute: Collaborative).
Student presentations: these short descriptive presentations will be related to the theme being addressed in a given week (Graduate attribute: Articulate).
Term paper development sessions, including peer feedback sessions (Graduate attributes: Creative, Collaborative).
'Workshop' sessions, in which students will have opportunities to develop their knowledge of the sources of data and case-study information available to them (Graduate attributes: Knowledgeable, Creative).
Guest speakers, depending on availability.
The module is centred on regular reading and participation in class and it places an emphasis on recent research findings and the state of the art across the topics covered (Graduate attribute: Knowledgeable).
Research Findings Incorporated in to the Syllabus (If Relevant):
Prime Texts:
Sabatier, PA and M Weible (2014)
Theories of the Policy Process (2nd ed.)
, Westview
Hill, M and F Varone (2017)
The Public Policy Process (7th ed.)
, Routledge
Other Relevant Texts:
Pierson, Paul (2000)
Increasing Returns, Path Dependence, and the Study of Politics
, American Political Science Review 94(2): 251-267
Mortensen, Peter Bjerre, Christoffer Green-Pedersen, Gerard Breeman, Laura Chaqués-
Bonafont, Will Jennings, Peter John, Anna M. Palau, and Arco Timmermans. (2011)
Comparing Government Agendas Executive Speeches in the Netherlands, United Kingdom,
and Denmark.
, Comparative Political Studies 44 (8): 973-1000
Culpepper, Pepper D. (2011)
Quiet Politics and Business Power : Corporate Control in Europe and Japan.
, New York: Cambridge University Press.
Programme(s) in which this Module is Offered:
BLLAPLUFA - (LAW PLUS)
BAHPSSUFA - History, Politics, Sociology and Social Studies
BAJOHOUFA - JOINT HONOURS
BAPPADUFA - Politics and Public Administration
BAPIREUFA - POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
BAEUSTUFA - EUROPEAN STUDIES
BAARTSUFA - Arts
Semester(s) Module is Offered:
Autumn
Spring
Module Leader:
conor.little@ul.ie