Introduction to Public Policy and Administration

This course provides students with an introduction to the key theoretical concepts necessary to describe public policies, analyze the factors that influence their development, and understand how public administrations, in interaction with other societal actors, can shape these processes. The course is structured around three main components:

• Foundational concepts of public policy and administration (policy cycle, policy design, and administrative traditions)
• Actors and institutions in policymaking
• Theories of the policy process

The aim of the course is to equip students with theoretical and methodological tools to understand the policymaking process and to analyze how public administrations, in interaction with societal actors, shape and influence its outcomes.

Required and Corequired knowledge and skills

Prior knowledge of public law, political science, and political economy is an asset, as it can help students engage more easily with the material. However, this background is not mandatory. The course is designed to be accessible to students from a variety of academic disciplines (e.g. sociology, economics, management), provided they are motivated to familiarize themselves with the key concepts introduced during the sessions.

Lecture course in an auditorium

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

The following books are general indications. A detailed list of references is provided for each session via the UV platform.

• Capano, G., & Howlett, M. (Eds.). (2020). A Modern Guide to Public Policy. Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Weible, C. M. (Ed.). (2023). Theories of the Policy Process. Taylor & Francis.

Contacts

E-mail: Giovanni.esposito@ulb.be

Campus

Solbosch

Method(s) of evaluation

• Other

Other

The course is assessed through a multiple-choice exam, with questions designed to evaluate four dimensions of learning: knowledge (recall of definitions), understanding (linking examples to concepts), application (using models/theories to solve problems), and analysis (extracting key elements from cases to make a diagnosis).

Language(s) of evaluation

• english