HAD5765H

Prerequisite

HAD5011H OR equivalent (see below) Students should be familiar with such basic concepts as: – Introduction to Canadian politics

• Policy formation – including roles of Royal Commissions, task forces, committees, etc.

• Budgetary system

• Policy outputs (including distributive, regulatory, redistributive policies)

• Policy instruments

• Factors influencing policy formation, especially pressure groups and media

• Inter-governmental relations

• Inter-departmental relations; resource allocation within departments

• Policy/Administration tension

• Roles of experts vs/ generalists; administrators vs. politicians

• Role of quasi-independent agencies; regulation

Description

This course analyzes the formation and implementation of public policy through the use of case studies, focused about important theoretical concepts. Students will develop the ability to understand and analyze the processes by which public policies are formed, and the ability to perform comparisons of policy alternatives. Guest lecturers may be used where appropriate to expand upon the process of policy implementation in an informal format. Cases to be analyzed will be selected from the attached list by the class. With the permission of the instructor, new cases may be added.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Understand and analyze the processes by which public policies are formed and implemented,
• Perform comparisons of policy alternatives,
• Analyze and discuss case studies in class,
• Organize and manage an in-class discussion of a case study, and apply appropriate theoretical concepts to better understand and analyze public policy.

Instructor

Evaluation