INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL IDEAS AND PUBLIC POLICY ASSIGNMENT-
Topic Educational Aims - The educational aims of this Topic are to:
1. Introduce students to some significant political ideas, ideologies and political thinkers;
2. Introduce students to the basic, concepts, principles, institutions and processes of public policy;
2. Indicate the basic connections between political ideas and public policy;
3. Encourage students to read texts efficiently and critically;
4. To encourage students to exercise the 'generic' skills of critical thinking, and oral and written expression.
Intended Learning Outcomes - Students completing the topic will be able to:
Understand a number of significant political ideas, ideologies and political thinkers, and the influence of these on public policy
Understand the basic, concepts, principles, institutions and processes of public policy
Produce written work on political ideas and public policy in accordance with good scholarly standards
Contribute intelligently to oral discussion of the relevant issues
Apply developed generic skills in critical reading, professional writing, bibliographic research, academic analysis and verbal argument
PART 1: POLITICAL IDEAS AND IDEOLOGIES
Discussion questions:
1. What is a 'normative' question in politics? Give your own example of a current political or public policy issue that raises normative questions.
2. What is 'political theory'? Why is there so much disagreement among political theorists?
3. Explain these concepts or values in your own words: justice, rights, liberty and autonomy, equality, private property, the common good.
4. What is the basic normative or explanatory idea in each of the following ideologies: liberalism, communitarianism, Marxism, feminism, conservatism?
Required reading: Katherine Smits, Applying Political Theory, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009, Ch. 1.
PART 2: LIBERALISM
Discussion questions:
1. What are the fundamental values and themes of liberalism?
2. Which features of the medieval order did the early liberals react against?
3. What did the Protestant Reformation and the English political conflicts of the seventeenth century contribute to the development of liberalism?
4. How is liberalism linked to capitalism?
5. How did the new or 'welfare' liberals of the late-nineteenth century differ from their 'classical' or 'neoclassical' forerunners? In particular, what is the difference between 'negative' and 'positive' liberty?
Required reading: Terence Ball and Richard Dagger, Political Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal, 5 edn, New York: Pearson Longman, 2004, Chapter 1.
PART 3: SOCIALISM AND SOCIAL DEMOCRACY
Discussion questions:
1. What are the core themes of socialism?
2. What are the main schools of socialism?
3. Outline Marx's main ideas. Is Marxism dead now?
4. How does social democracy differ from Marxism, and how does the Third Way differ from social democracy?
Required reading: Andrew Heywood, Political Ideologies: An Introduction, 4 edn, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009, Chapter 4.
PART 4: CONSERVATISM AND NATIONALISM
Discussion questions:
1. What are the basic themes of conservatism?
2. Modern conservatives, such as John Howard and Tony Abbott, often combine their conservatism with strong support for the free market. Is this a consistent view?
3. According to Miller, what are the elements of 'nationality', why is nationality valuable?
4. What problems are there with nationalism?
Required reading: Kenneth Hoover, Ideology and Political Life, 2 edn, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1994, Ch. 3.
David Miller, 'In Defence of Nationality', Journal of Applied Philosophy 10 (1993), 3-16.
PART 5: FEMINISM, ECOLOGISM, AND POSTMODERNISM
Discussion questions:
1. What are the core ideas of feminism, and what are its main schools? Which school is most convincing
2. What are the core ideas and the main types of ecologism? How persuasive are any of these ideas?
3. What is postmodernism? What does it mean for politics? What are its strengths and weaknesses?
Required reading: Leon P. Baradat, Political Ideologies: Their Origin and Impact, 8 edn (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003), Chapter 12.
W. T. Anderson, 'Introduction', in Anderson, ed., The Truth About Truth, Tarcher/Putnam, New York, 1995.
PART 6: Introducing Public Policy
Discussion Questions
1. What is (and is not) public policy? Which is the best definition of Public Policy, and why?
2. What are the main differences between policy as 'authoritative choice' and 'structured interaction'? Can you think of examples of either model?
3. What are the main 'types' of policy?
4. What are the main issues for policy-making in the Australian context?
Required Reading: Maddison, S and Dennis. R. 2013. 'Introduction' and 'Chapter 1', An Introduction to Australian Public Policy: Theory and Practice, 2nd edition, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, pp.3-33.
PART 7: WHO MAKES POLICY? WHO INFLUENCES POLICY?
Discussion Questions
1. What are the main institutions and actors in formulating public policy? Do some actors have more influence than other actors?
2. How effective is Cabinet as the central engine of governmental policy-making and management?
3. What is the role of ministerial advisors?
4. Who are the main actors who seek to influence policy? Do interest groups play a useful role in policy, or are they just vehicles for noisy/powerful groups?
5. What role do think tanks, academics, and professional lobbyists play?
Required Reading: Althaus, C, Bridgmam, P & G Davis 2013, 'The Institutions of public policy', Ch.2 in The Australian Policy Handbook, Fifth Edition, 201pp.31-31.
Halpin, D 2012, 'Pressure groups and Lobbying', Ch.16 in Contemporary Politics in Australia, eds Smith, Vromen and Cook, Cambridge University Press, pp.178-187.
PART 8: POLICY ANALYSIS AND ADVICE
Discussion Questions
1. What are the main elements of policy analysis?
2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of using economic frameworks such as cost-benefit analysis?
3. How far can policy analysis be 'rational'? Should we think of public policy as a science or an art?
4. What is 'good' policy advice? Why does policy implementation 'fail'? How has the advice-giving context changed over time in Australia? Has it improved?
Required Reading: Michael Kraft and Scott Furlong, 2015. 'Policy Analysis', Ch.4 in Public policy: Politics, Analysis and Alternatives, 5th Edn, Thousand Acres, CQ Press, pp.112-139.
Patrick Weller, 2015. 'Policy Professionals in Context: Advisors and Ministers', Ch.2 in Brian Head and Kate Crowley (eds), Policy Analysis in Australia, Bristol, Policy Press, pp.23-36.
PART 9: Public Sector reform, and Policy 'success'
Discussion Questions
1. How is the public sector held to account? How might we improve accountability?
2. What is the relationship between the Minister and Public servants? Why might there be tension between the two? What is the 'Westminster tradition' in relation to the public service?
3. What is 'networked governance'? What does this mean for the modern public sector? What was the New Public Management' (NPM) and what did it involve?
4. How can we judge policy 'success' and 'failure'? Can you think of some examples of either?
Required Reading: Stewart, J 2010, 'Managing and restructuring the public sector', in Woodward, Parkin and Summers Government, Politics, Power and Policy in Australia 9th edition Pearson, St Leonards, NSW, pp.116-139.
Alan McConnell, 'Learning from Success and Failure', Ch.36 in Eduardo Araral, Scott Fritzen, Michael Howlett, M. Ramesh, Xun Wu (eds.) Routledge Handbook of Public Policy, London, Routledge.
ESSAY QUESTIONS-
Essay 1- Choose ONE of the following questions:
1. Compare and evaluate the claims of classical and reform liberals?
2. Is it still possible to be a Marxist today?
3. Is the third way a 'betrayal' of the social democratic tradition?
4. Can a conservative support the free market?
5. What is nationalism? Is national identity as important as nationalists say it is?
6. To what extent can or should public policy be determined by any ONE of the following: feminism OR ecologism OR postmodernism. (Choose one of these to write about.)
Essay 2- Choose ONE of the following questions:
1. Is it more insightful to use the model of 'structured interaction' rather than 'authoritative choice' to understand how policy is developed?
2. Why is it so difficult to define 'public policy'?
3. Can policy analysis ever be 'rational'?
4. Do the benefits of federal policy making outweigh the limits?
5. Have the conditions for giving policy advice in Australia improved over time?
6. Choose two recent examples of a policy 'success' and a policy 'failure'. In what way did they succeed or fail?
1500 words
10 Harvard references.
Attachment:- Assignment.rar