Outline

Overview

Public policy is about what governments do or choose not to do. This unit explores how public policy is formulated, implemented and evaluated, and what governance processes are typically followed. It also covers circumstances under which governments may choose to abstain from taking policy action. This unit examines a range of approaches to the study of public policy in both theory and practice and in the context of national and international politics, with both an Australian and comparative focus.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	GOVT2941
Academic unit	Government and International Relations
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 1000 level in GOVT and a minimum of 36 credit points
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Nicholas James Bromfield, nicholas.bromfield@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Participation	Tutorial participation n/a	10%	Ongoing
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Policy brief proposal and video pitch n/a	20%	Week 05 Due date: 23 Mar 2020 at 23:59	2 minute video and 500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Policy brief n/a	35%	Week 10 Due date: 04 May 2020 at 23:59	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Take home exam n/a	35%	Week 14 (STUVAC) Due date: 05 Jun 2020 at 23:59	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Policy brief proposal and video pitch

A formative assessment to demonstrate that there is something to research for the policy brief assignment in a 2 minute video pitch; provide supporting materials in a writen commentary.

Policy brief

A summative assessment that researches and writes a full policy brief on an Australian public policy issue, including recommendations for policy reform.

Take home exam

A summative assessment that will address 10 short answers questions; 40/60 split, since weeks 1-9 have already been assessed in the policy brief assessments ie 4 questions combining themes from weeks 1-9; and 6 questions from weeks 10-12.

Participation

Active participation in tutorials, including demonstration of engagement with lectures and readings, fellow classmates and tutor.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

The Assessment Procedures 2011 provide that any written work submitted after 11:59pm on the due date will be penalised by 5% of the maximum awardable mark for each calendar day after the due date. If the assessment is submitted more than ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	What is public policy and the policy process?: The policy cycle vs punctuated equilibrium	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 01	What is public policy and the policy process?: The policy cycle vs punctuated equilibrium	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 02	Alternate ways of conceiving policy making and process: Multiple streams analysis and the social construction of target communities	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Alternate ways of conceiving policy making and process: Multiple streams analysis and the social construction of target communities	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	Modes of governance: Traditional public administration and the neo-Weberian state, new public management and new public governance	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Modes of governance: Traditional public administration and the neo-Weberian state, new public management and new public governance	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Agenda setting: Power and changing agendas	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	Agenda setting: Power and changing agendas	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Institutions: Understanding how institutions affect policy	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	Institutions: Understanding how institutions affect policy	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	Actors: Understanding the role and variety of policy actors	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Actors: Understanding the role and variety of policy actors	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	Public management and administration: The machinery of government	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	Public management and administration: The machinery of government	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	Policy design and tools: Putting policy into practice	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Policy design and tools: Putting policy into practice	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Policy evaluation: What went right and what went wrong?	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 09	Policy evaluation: What went right and what went wrong?	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	Does scale matter? Local to regional to national to supra-national policy-making	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 10	Does scale matter? Local to regional to national to supra-national policy-making	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	What’s different about public policy in emerging democracies?	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 11	What’s different about public policy in emerging democracies?	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	What’s different about public policy in authoritarian regimes?	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	What’s different about public policy in authoritarian regimes?	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	Putting it all together: Conclusion and consultation	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	Putting it all together: Conclusion and consultation	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. compare how concepts, theories and methods used to analyse and research public policy have differed over time and across different contexts
LO2. evaluate ethical and other issues involved in different research methods commonly used in public policy analysis
LO3. apply advanced concepts and theories to explain increasingly complex examples of political phenomena
LO4. engage in limited independent evidence gathering to support their arguments.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Significant changes have been made since this unit was last offered, based upon student and teacher feedback. In particular, topics in public policy theory have been added and clarified; weekly topics have been adjusted and tightened in focus; and a take-home exam has been added as a summative assessment to gauge overall student depth and breath of knowledge.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

GOVT2941: Making Policy in Political Context

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect