OAFP 9325 - The Symbolic Politics of Policy Making
OAFP 9325 · Fall semester 2026-2027
- Language of tuition
- English
- Course type
- Cours séminaire
- Number of hours
- 24
- Credits
- 4
Information
Description
This course investigates how symbols are used in politics and in policymaking and why this is
important in our fragile polities. Symbols are everywhere in politics. Yet, they tend to be
overlooked. We show that they are shared within social groups, which boundaries they
define. We highlight their cognitive and embodied dimensions and learn how they play a key
role in meaning-making, shape collective representations and steer individuals to action. We
take examples from emergency and routine situations and analyse how policymakers use
them, for what purpose and under which constraints, to which effect. Through case studies
selected and developed by students, we consider different policy sectors, actors and stages
in the policy process and the publics that are targeted. The course is comparative, with a
focus on qualitative methods of analysis due to the nature of the object of study.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of concepts and methods in political science is required. Students should be able to understand academic papers written in English. Lectures and assessment will be in English. Students are expected to attend all sessions, having done the required reading, and be ready to discuss them.
Teaching format
The course combines lectures and seminar discussions on readings, individuals and group projects such as presentations, class discussions and peer-reviewing.
Assessment
1 group presentation with a topic approved by the instructor (30%),
1 paper analysing the symbolic dimension of a policy chosen by the student in agreement
with the instructor (30%),
Student engagement during the semester (participation in class discussions during and
outside of class, contribution to peer evaluation exercises, ability to ask questions, and class
citizenship etc.) (20%),
In-class short written tests and final exam 20%
Group presentations
Collective grade. 15 minutes maximum. Research based. Submit slides and bibliography.
I expect no less than 7 academic references (peer-reviewed journals, academic publishers,
working papers) in the political and social sciences.
Readings
Main readings 5
-
Boussaguet, Laurie, et Florence Faucher. 2020. « Beyond a “gesture”. The treatment of the symbolic in public policy analysis ». French Politics 18 (1‑2): 189‑205.
-
Boussaguet, Laurie, et Florence Faucher. 2024. Symbolic Policy. Elements in Public Po;icy. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
-
Edelman, Murray. 1977. Political Language: Words That Succeed and Policies That Fail. New York : Academic Press.
-
Hart, Paul ’t. 1993. « Symbols, Rituals and Power: The Lost Dimensions of Crisis Management ». Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management 1 (1): 36‑50. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5973.1993.tb00005.x.
-
Saward, Michael. 2010. The Representative Claim. 1st edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Further readings 20
-
Anderson, Benedict. 1991. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Verso Books.
-
Anderson, Christopher J. 2023. « Citizens and the State during Crisis: Public Authority, Private Behaviour and the Covid-19 Pandemic in France ». European Journal of Political Research 62 (2): 571‑93.
-
Benford, Robert D., et David A. Snow. 2000. « Framing Processes and Social Movements: An Overview and Assessment ». Annual Review of Sociology 26 (1): 611‑39.
-
Boin, Arjen, Paul ’t Hart, Paul C. Stern, et Bengt Sundelius. 2017. The Politics of Crisis Management: Public Leadership Under Pressure. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
-
Chong, D., et J.N. Druckman. 2007. « A Theory of Framing and Opinion Formation in Competitive Elite Environ¬ments ». Journal of Communication, 57:99‑118.
-
Crow, D., & Jones, M. (2018). Narratives as tools for influencing policy change. Policy & Politics, 46(2), 217-234. from https://doi.org/10.1332/030557318X15230061022899
-
Douglas, Mary. 1986. How institutions think. Syracuse (N.Y.): Syracuse University Press.
-
Druckman, James N., et Lawrence R. Jacobs. 2015. Who Governs?: Presidents, Public Opinion, and Manipulation. University of Chicago Press.
-
Edelman, Murray. 1985. The symbolic uses of politics. Champaign, Ill.: University of Illinois Press.
-
Finlayson, Alan. 2021. « Performing Political Ideologies ». In The Oxford Handbook of Politics and Performance, 471‑83. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190863456.013.21.
-
Firat, Bilge. 2019. Diplomacy and lobbying during Turkey’s Europeanisation. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
-
Fischer, Frank. 2003. Reframing Public Policy: Discursive Politics and Deliberative Practices. 1 edition. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, U.S.A.
-
Freistein, Katja, et Frank and Gadinger. 2022. « Performing leadership: international politics through the lens of visual narrative analysis ». Political Research Exchange 4 (1): 2124922.
-
Gaffney, John. 2014. « Performative Political Leadership ». In The Oxford Handbook of Political Leadership, édité par R. A. W. Rhodes et Paul ’t Hart, 389‑402. Oxford: OUP Oxford.
-
Hulst, Merlijn van, Metze ,Tamara, Dewulf ,Art, de Vries ,Jasper, van Bommel ,Severine, et Mark and van Ostaijen. 2025. « Discourse, framing and narrative: three ways of doing critical, interpretive policy analysis ». Critical Policy Studies 19 (1): 74‑96. https://doi.org/10.1080/19460171.2024.2326936.
-
Jacobs, Lawrence R., et Suzanne Mettler. 2018. « When and How New Policy Creates New Politics: Examining the Feedback Effects of the Affordable Care Act on Public Opinion ». Perspectives On Politics 16 (2): pp345-363. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1537592717004182.
-
Rauer, Valentin. 2006. « Symbols in Action: Willy Brandt’s kneefall at the Warsaw Memorial ». In Social Performance, édité par Jeffrey C. Alexander, 257‑82. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
-
Simko, Christina. 2012. « Rhetorics of Suffering: September 11 Commemorations as Theodicy ». American Sociological Review 77 (6): 880‑902. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122412458785.
-
Wodak, Ruth. 2009. The Discourse of Politics in Action. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230316539.
-
Yanow, Dvora. 1996. How Does a Policy Mean?: Interpreting Policy and Organizational Actions. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
Teaching units
| Unit no. | Unit type | Teaching units | Teachers | Number of hours | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18304 | Cours séminaire | The Symbolic Politics of Policy Making | Florence FAUCHER | 24 | 4 |
Teachers
- Florence FAUCHER
In the curricula
- EXCHANGE PROGRAMME, SEMESTER 1 (2026-2027)ÉCOLE D'AFFAIRES PUBLIQUES (EAP)
- Master Politiques publiques et Master Affaires européennes : enseignements électifs du semestre d'automne (S1) // Master in Public Policy and Master in European Affairs: Elective Courses, Fall semester (S1) (2026-2027)ÉCOLE D'AFFAIRES PUBLIQUES (EAP)
Contacts and resources
- Contact
- SCHITTONE Delphine