Teacher(s)

Reuchamps Min;

Language

French

Main themes

In order to study the context of contemporary political decision, the course explores the concept of multi-level governance along three axes: comparative federalism and regionalism (axis 1), actors of political decision (axis 2), democratic innovations (axis 3).

Aims

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	Traditionally political decision-making was studied through a linear approach: agenda-setting, legislative process centered on traditional political actors, implementation and evaluation. With the emergence of multi-level governance, the political decision process has gone deep transformations. The objective of this course is to study theoretically and methodological political decision-making through the lenses of multi-level governance.   At the end of this course, the students will be able: to locate a decision-making process in multi-level governance to analyze such process theoretically (with the right analytical framework) and methodologically (with the appropriate research design) to undertake such analysis in light of scientific readings and to elaborate it in a written and/or a spoken mode to deepen this analysis collectively both on one¿s work and on others¿ works to communicate the results of this analysis in written, oral and visual modes

The contribution of this Teaching Unit to the development and command of the skills and learning outcomes of the programme(s) can be accessed at the end of this sheet, in the section entitled “Programmes/courses offering this Teaching Unit”.

Content

Content Introduction: power, decision and conflict. Theories rationality: pure, limited, adaptive, instrumental, procedural, cognitive, axiological. Decision under uncertainty. Simple decision in state of ignorance. Rational decision's criteria. Levels of decision: individual, collective, systemic. Evolution and behavior. Decisional flow: compromise, consensus, leadership, power, vote. Game theory. General standards. Problems of equilibrium and communication. Symmetrical games. Interdependence of utility functions. Epistemological challenges of game theory. Contextualisation of game theory in international relations. Empirical use of the game theory: some examples. Praxiology, ethics and axiology of decision. Intentions and preferences. Hedonism, heroism, perfectionism. Some traditional doctrines. Theories of democracy. Democratic values. Theory of voting. Democracy and rationalities. Public choice theory. Public and private goods. Social mechanisms of public policies choice. Method The lectures combines theoretical explanations, practical applications and methodological exercises useful for the understanding of political decision making.

Other information

The course includes syllabus, lectures and readings. The written exam takes the form of open questions.

Faculty or entity

PSAD