Compared Public Policies

Teacher(s)

Aubin David; Brans Marleen;

Language

French

Main themes

The first sessions will introduce an analysis framework to public policies, as well as present the comparative method. Then, a lecture will introduce the major features of theory. It could also introduce the selected theme of the year In a third part, particular theoretical aspects of this year's object will be submitted to a comparative analysis of public policies. This work will be presented by the students and discussed in regards to weekly readings. Each session combines oral presentations in class and a discussion animated by the students through the oral presentation of weekly readings. The students will have to read a syllabus and a series of texts before each ses-sion.

Aims

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	Objectives for the student : - learn to manipulate theory helping in the understanding of major issues related to public policies in the world ; - master the different steps of a compared analysis of public policies ; - critically discuss a range of public policies in different sectors and countries ; - be aware of the questions and issues of multi-level governance.

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

Each year, this course presents a debate or a current theoretical development of the analysis of public policies (for instance, the transfer of public policies, the process of Europeanization of public policies, the creation of regulation agencies or market-based tools). The students are invited to use the theoretical elements that stand out in those debates in comparative analysis of public policies conducted in different industrialised countries (for instance, the UK, France, Italy, Germany, the USA and Japan) and different regions (for instance, immigration, economic policy, health, education, the environment). Rather than being an autonomous disciplinary field, the compared analysis of public policies is more a transpo-sition of the compared method to the analysis of public policies. This method is helpful to explain the similari-ties and differences observed between countries or regions of intervention. The course thus offers a view of large tendencies in terms of public policies regulation (Pilotage) , and also insists on the issue of multi-level governance, and, in particular, on the European dimension and the internation-alisation of public policies.

Other information

Course on the analysis of public policies, in order to have an introduction to the disci-pline. The knowledge the student acquires is evaluated through two short papers (30 %), con-sisting in individual reading reports, and a long paper (40 %), written alone or in pair and presented orally to the classroom (20 %). The animation and the participation to discus-sions will also be taken into account for the final results (10%). Written material (texts) and compulsory book, selected each year according to the theme
The course is given alternately to Louvain-la-Neuve and to Leuven.

Faculty or entity

PSAD