James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2020

EV5966 - Public Policy Tools - Ridge to Reef

Available to students in the Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma of Ridge to Reef Sustainable Development only. This subject is due to run in Teaching Period 1 2020.

Subject Description

This subject provides an introduction to key concepts and models associated with public policy analysis and management. It will critique traditional policy-making approaches, which are heavily based on "rational decision-making models" or variants of them, and explore other models such as institutionalist, feminist and interpretivist models, which focus on the nature and structure of government and political society. Emphasis will be on applying conceptual knowledge to understanding the complexity of public policy processes, the impact of public policies on society, and how practitioners can avoid policy failures and disasters and choose and implement policies that work. The subject is divided into three parts. The first covers goals, such as equity, efficiency, welfare and liberty. The second explores problems, such as symbols, causes, numbers and decisions. The third examines solutions, such as inducements, rules, facts and rights. The subject will explore these concepts in the context of a framework for sound thinking about policy success and failure (eg, good politics but bad policy) and the wide terrain between these two extremes in terms of process, programs and politics.

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate knowledge of and an ability to relate to policy analysis to traditional disciplines and to the policy process in selected policy domains
• apply relevant skills to assess requirements for alternative policy choices and to evaluate the political management of those choices
• critically examine, explain and conceptualise the causes of policy problems and issues and the consequences of alternative public and private decisions

Subject Assessment

• - (50%)
• - (50%)

Note that minor variations might occur due to the continuous subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.

Availabilities