F1GD 4105 - Confronting Public Policy to Complexity: A Course in Policy Formulation and Design

***UPDATED for 2024/25***

This course explores, from both a theoretical and applied perspective, some of the most relevant challenges faced by decision-making, policy experts and anyone aspiring to understand the interplay of multi-level governance and international policy regime in an era of increasing global tensions. The formulation of policies will be explored mainly- although not exclusively- from the vantage point of policy design which involves the effort to more or less systematically develop efficient and effective policies through the application of knowledge about policy capacity, past trajectories, and bounded rationality. The course will explore the dynamics behind the development and adoption of courses of action that are likely to succeed in attaining their desired goals or aims within specific policy contexts, from resources involved in goal attainment, capacities to persuasions in processes of more or less conscious and rational efforts at design. However, the object of design—what is actually designed—hinges on complex politicization processes, interest aggregation and ultimately the salience of policy issues in society at specific given times. This course will also look into two related concomitant phenomena from the perspective of the public policy analysis field: on the one hand, issues that cut across borders, that have become unsolvable by bounded national /local public action systems, becoming the facto major global challenges, such as climate change, trade wars, pandemics and the emergence of new policy arenas. On the other hand, the convergence in very localized contexts of issues resulting of contradictions of international policy-making regimes in a growing number of fields (environment, health, trade, human rights etc.) uncoordinated and increasingly leading to fragmentation across multiple decision-making levels. Leading increasingly towards cognitive dissonances in society, and renewed expression of interests fed into the policy cycle, the complexity of policy-making increasingly leads to sluggishness, paralysis but also at times formidable leaps forward ushered by unorthodox policy responses. Drawing on an in-depth analysis of specific case studies, this seminar will serve as a fundamental course of policy-making formulation and design through international multi-level lenses, destined to students with a previous introduction to the discipline by related courses or professional experience. Its goal is to explore ultimately how out of specific policy processes (in)formal rules and norms stemming from/landing into the international level come to exist. While providing a robust empirical grounding the course will also explore more cutting-edge analytical tools such as nudging and data analytics and their contribution to transforming international public policy making today.

Learning Outcomes

1.Awareness of uncertainties around policy issues and their important role in forming public opinion and garnering public support

2. Learning to draw on facts and evidence to support proposals and make them stronger and more effective.

3. Learning from past and present policies ‘successes and failures and understanding how they can alter preliminary policy designs

4. Being aware of the key value concepts in public policy and their more recently related analytical innovations

5. Characterizing uncertainty and ambiguity and setting up instrumental classifications and gaps

Professional Skills

-Students will learn how to apply analytical tools and frameworks to understand the problems they may be facing, improve their decision-making processes,

-Students will learn how to produce evidence-based policy solutions.

-Students will learn how to investigate the issues that impact the creation of rigorous policies, including considering what rational decision-making actually is and its limits in the light of cognitive blind spots

- Acquiring frameworks to understand individual and group decision-making behaviors, and how to overcome some of the problems that arise.

-Gathering and analyzing data then advising stakeholders on decisions

-Knowledge of moral and ethical issues

Alvaro ARTIGAS PEREIRA,Vinicius BERNARDES DA SILVA SCHAEFERS PAUL

Séminaire

English

- In Class Presence: 2 hours a week / 24 hours a semester

- Reading and Preparation for Class: 3 hours a week / 33 hours a semester

- Research and Preparation for Group Work: / 40 hours a semester

- Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: / 40hours a semester

- Other: Course revisions: 2 hours a week / 22 hours a semester

This course has per requirement previous courses in political science and/or an introductory course to public policy analysis. Students are expected to have followed some preliminary introductory courses to public policy analysis, addressing basic issues such as the policy cycle, cost-benefit analysis. Other courses in political science, addressing more fundamental representation and interest aggregation through collective action are welcome as a useful departing base.

Autumn 2024-2025

- 1 presentation (15 minutes max) by a group of max 4-5 students (40%) – Starting Week 4. The presentations that will not take place due to an absence or impediments by the students will either have to be presented by the group or prepared on a recorded format, as they cannot be organized during an ulterior session.

- 1 class debate- related critical reading to be prepared together by 3-4 students. The debate will be organized by groups of 3-4 students preparing a reading assignment of 10 minutes and offering a critical counterpoint. One of the students will randomly get to present. During the same session, another group will prepare a similar assignment, the idea being to end up in a general discussion. A 2-page prepared by the students will have to be provided the day before class 5 P.M. (20%). Students cannot prepare both assignments during the same session.

- 1 final exam, i.e. short true-false questions based on required readings, ppt presentations and case studies (40%) – in class, duration: 1h30 minutes, Week 12.

Feedback will be provided on a weekly basis, both in the form of a gradebook and during office hours.