HA 1004: Introduction to Public Policy

Public Policy and Global Affairs Programme School of Humanities and Social Sciences

HA 1004: Introduction to Public Policy

AY13/14

Syllabus
Instructor: CHEN, Chung-An Office: HSS-05-15 Telephone: 65922499 Email: cchongan@ntu.edu.sg Office hours: By appointment Lecture and Tutorial Schedule Lecture: Wednesday 11:30 13:30 (LT24) Tutorial: A Wednesday 14:30 15:30 (TR+111) B Wednesday 15:30 16:30 (TR+111) C Thursday 11:30 12:30 (TR+79) D Thursday 12:30 13:30 (TR+79)

Introduction
This course is designed to provide students an introductory overview in the field of public policy and policy science. Policy science refers to a problem-solving orientation that cuts across all disciplines to deal with important societal decisions. Policy science aims to integrate all relevant policy-related disciplines into a unified whole. Therefore, students having different backgrounds are all welcome to this course. This course introduces basic elements (e.g. policy environment, policy goals, policy analysis, policy output, policy implementation, and policy evaluation) of a public policy process. This course also examines several substantive policy areas such as social welfare policy, education policy, economic policy, etc. in Singapore and many other countries such as the United States, China, and Taiwan. Students will have chances to analyze real Singapore policy cases by employing theories covered in the lecture. In sum, this course aims to provide both theoretical and practical training for students.

HA 1004: Introduction to Public Policy

Course Objectives
1. 2. 3. 4. To provide students a thorough understanding of public policy process; To enhance students consciousness about critical policy issues which affect their lives; To promote students concerns for the lives of people and beyond; To equip students with the knowledge and skills essential to assessing problems of contemporary public policy, to provide policy solutions, and to assess the adequacy of different policy alternatives.

Course Description
This course covers the following three elements. It first introduces the conceptual framework of policy process including policy goals, policy actor dynamics, policy decision making, policy evaluation, and policy learning. Second, it looks into substantial policy areas such as welfare policy, education policy, economic policy, and so on. Finally, students will analyze public policies in Singapore by applying basic public policy ideas to real cases and present their findings in the class.

Textbooks
Required textbooks Birkland, T. (2011). An Introduction to the Policy Process (3rd edition). Stone, D. (2002). Policy Paradox (revised edition). Other required readings Except textbooks, all required readings are made available online at edventure.ntu.edu.sg (e) Recommended textbook Low, D. (ed.) (2012). Behavioural Economics and Policy Design: Examples from Singapore.

Course Policies

No cell phone, chatting, or other behavior irrelevant with lectures will be allowed. Students are expected to be punctual in attendance. Students are expected to adhere to academic integrity in their homework assignments.

HA 1004: Introduction to Public Policy

Grading
Policy Memos (20%) Students organize groups (about 4 people in one group) to conduct policy studies and present their findings in tutorials. There will be TWO (2) case studies in this semester, and each study carries TEN (10) marks. This group work is comprised of the following elements: (1) a self-selected social issue; (2) a formal presentation and/or and an informal show; (3) a three pages (double space) long policy memo. Students in the same group get the same grade unless free-riding occurs. Attendance (13%) I will check your attendance SIX (6) times in this semester. Each attendance carries 2 marks. You come you get them; you dont come you get nothing. Full attendance helps you earn a bonus point, which makes the overall grade 6 2 + 1 = 13. Lecture Participation + Tutorial Participation (12%) Discussion is crucial in policy studies. One-way instruction discourages thinking and thus creates rigid robot-like students. Asking questions and spontaneously answering my questions will help you get participation marks. Asking questions will not embarrass the instructor. Questions that make the instructor fail to answer will help you earn more marks. The first lesson you must learn in HA1004: Authority (e.g. professor) can be wrong; your classmates can be right; you can be right too. Being subservient to the authority shows no respect but pathology. Dont expect that professors give you answers and you follow. Answers come from thinking, discussing, not following. Respecting others and listening to others is the basic spirit of democracy. You can never complain others talking nonsense. The only nonsense in HA1004 is silence. The instructor especially likes personal experiences and things not in the textbooks. I dont need you to give me something that I can find in papers or textbooks. Telling me things in the textbooks only proves that you are book-smart. Singaporeans are not shy. Shy people dont complain. They are simply trained to (1) stop thinking and (2) show their respect in a silent way. None of them is appreciable and needs to be corrected. You have been fully informed about the style of this class. Complaining in your teaching evaluation does not help you get a better treatment. It simply shows that you are an unwise silent complainer but nothing else.

If you are afraid that your questions and answers are not impressive enough and the instructor may forget them, you may want to email me your contributions in the class. They will become the evidence of your participation.

HA 1004: Introduction to Public Policy

You earn participation marks not only in lectures but also in tutorials: There will be several group discussions (with given topics). After each discussion, you can share your perspectives with others. There will be two group presentations as well. Off-duty students will be responsible for providing comments for other groups. There will also be some video-watching opportunities. Students will discuss and share their thoughts with me and other classmates.

I will record your participation every time. Final Examination (55%) Final examination is a comprehensive examination that evaluates a students knowledge of public policy in general. It will include everything covered throughout this semester. Questions appear in several forms: true/false questions, multiple choice questions and theory application questions. Students are not allowed to use any book, paper, and internet materials in answering all these questions.

The Make-Up Lecture and Tutorial on the 13th of November

The instructor will probably attend a conference on the 13th of November. The lecture and tutorial in the last week will probably need to be rescheduled. This is not a done deal, so no more detail can be said. If rescheduling is necessary, the instructor will announce in the class.

HA 1004: Introduction to Public Policy

Lecture Schedule and Readings

Date 08/14 (1 week) 08/21 08/28 (2 weeks) Unofficial actors Themes Introduction What is public policy? Policy context Institutions and official actors Readings A smoothie making metaphor Birkland: Chapter 1 & 2 The blender Birkland: Chapter 4 (e) Lindblom: Chapter 3-6 Birkland: Chapter 5 (e) Lindblom: Chapter 7-10 Fruits World Happiness Report by Columbia University Birkland: Chapter 8 (p.228-236) Stone: Chapter 2 (all), 4 (p.86-104), & 5 (p.108-121) Stone: Chapter 3 (p.61-66) (e) Weimer & Vining: Chapter 4 (p.54-57) Birkland: Chpater 6 (p.187-201) Stone: Chapter 6-8 Blending Birkland: Chapter 7 Birkland: Chapter 8 (p.243-252) Stone: Chapter 2 (p.71-79) (e) Weimer & Vining: Chapter 4 & 5 (e) Chen: Contracting Stone: Chapter 11 Low (recommended textbook): The whole book Smoothie Birkland: Chapter 8 (pp.253-257) Stone: Chapter 3 (p.80-85), 4 (p.104-107), 5 (p.128-130) Stone: Chapter 10 Low (recommended textbook): The whole book Birkland: Chapter 6 (p.168-187), 8 (p.257-258) (e) Kingdon: Multiple streams theory (e) Downs: Issue attention cycle (pp.137-141)

09/04 09/11 09/18 (3 weeks)

Problem identification Happiness index Equity, security, and liberty

Efficiency

Selling problems

09/25 10/09 10/16 (3 weeks)

Policy alternatives Solutions in general

Market

External intervention

10/23 10/30 (2 weeks)

Policy output Decision making

Agenda setting (Selling solutions)

HA 1004: Introduction to Public Policy

11/06 (1 week)

Policy implementation

Drinking the smoothie Birkland: Chapter 9 (pp.263-272) (e) Hummel: Understanding bureaucracy

11/13 (0.5 week)

Policy evaluation

Telling me if the smoothie is good Birkland: Chapter 9 (pp.272-277) (e) Dye: Evaluation

11/13 (0.5 week)

Review

Making another cup of smoothie No required reading