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POL8526

Comparative Public Policy and Administration

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Credits 10
Level Doctoral degree level
Course start Autumn 2024
Duration 1 semester
Language of instruction English and norwegian
Location Trondheim
Examination arrangement Paper

About

About the course

Course content

Complex and cross-sectoral societal challenges bring about modern organizational forms and changes in the development of policy. How the political and administrative systems of government is organized and formulates policy is central to the study of public policy and administration. Instruments and the effect of instruments is another central topic. With a comparative perspective the course looks at both political-administrative structures and policy analysis.

The course gives an advanced introduction to classical and modern literature in the field of public policy and administration, as well as theory and empirical data on implementation and evaluation of public policy. Empirical examples from relevant policy areas will be covered (such as health and welfare policy, agricultural and rural policy, immigration and integration policy).

Learning outcome

Knowledge - the student shall have knowledge of:

  • explanations of variations in policy formulations and tensions between different levels of government
  • the development and principles within reform traditions
  • modern forms of organization and governance
  • policy design, instruments and implementation of public policy
  • methods for the evaluation of public policy and public programs

Skills - the student shall demonstrate the ability to:

  • treat one of the themes which was discussed in instruction in an independent empirical analytical manner at an internationally high level.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures/group discussions for 4 hours per week throughout the semester. Supervision of paper. The paper is to be an independent discussion of a topic taught in lectures, and is to consist of 20 pages. If less than 6 students attend the course the two first weeks of teaching, the course will be given as an individual study course with supervision. Please contact the department for further information.

Further on evaluation

Form of assessment: Individual paper. An identical version of the exam paper cannot be used directly in the PhD thesis as an article or a chapter. A revised version of the exam paper may be included in the thesis. When repeating a failed exam, the candidate can submit a revised version of a previously submitted paper in the course. If the submission is a revised version of a previously submitted paper, this must be specified in the paper.

Required previous knowledge

Master's degree in Political Science or equivalent.

Course materials

To be decided at the start of the course.

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From
POL3526 10 sp Autumn 2022
This course has academic overlap with the course in the table above. If you take overlapping courses, you will receive a credit reduction in the course where you have the lowest grade. If the grades are the same, the reduction will be applied to the course completed most recently.

Subject areas

  • Social Sciences
  • Political Science

Contact information

Course coordinator

Lecturers

Department with academic responsibility

Department of Sociology and Political Science