Duration
30h Th, 15h Pr
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
Whether at the local, regional, national or European level, we are confronted on a daily basis with the actions and decisions taken by public authorities. How can we analyse the content and transformations of a public action programme, its genesis, the instruments mobilised and the effects of the programme on the problem to be addressed or on its target audiences?
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
This course aims to present the diversity of research currents that study public policies and the transformations of public action.
It aims to develop a number of skills:
Understanding and synthesising scientific readings (in french or english): Each week, students will analyse two scientific readings presenting a theoretical approach (e.g. sequential, socio-historical, pragmatic, multi-level governance, sociology of the network actor, agenda-setting) to analyse changes in public policy.
Analyse scientific readings critically: with the help of a reading sheet, identify the added value and limitations of each approach by highlighting the questions they raise, the analytical responses they favour and the key concepts associated with them.
Mobilise and apply a theoretical framework to a particular public policy and report on it in writing (in accordance with scientific standards): Each week, students take an analytical theoretical look at an illustrative public policy. They will learn to report on their analysis in writing, making explicit reference to the authors seen in the course.
Comparing and linking theoretical approaches: By comparing the contributions and limitations of different theoretical approaches, students will be able to understand and analyse public policy from several theoretical perspectives.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Aucun
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course is structured around an introductory book and a set of theoretical readings available from Presses Universitaires de Liege and on ecampus.
Prepared at home and with the support of the teaching student before the lesson, the readings are dissected in class (work in sub-groups), before being put into perspective by the teacher in an ex cathedra form, which uses examples of applications by authors using the approach studied.
Each session closes with an compulsory reflexicte evaluative exercise in pairs aimed at considering the application of the approach studied to an illustrative public policy.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Further information:
Face-to-face mode.
Each week, a seminar to support the reading of scientific articles is also organised with a student monitor.
Peer review sessions are compulsory. All absences must be justified by a medical certificate within 48 hours of the absence.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Compulsory Readings
Reference book : Boussaguet, Jacquot, Ravinet, 2019, Dictionnaire des politiques publiques, 5e édition, SciencesPo les Presses, p.845 (available in bibliothèque Graulich and Presses Universitaires de Liege)
+ Slides are available via Ecampus
+ a list of scientific papers is constituted during the semestre and made available to the students via eCampus with the support of the teaching assistant. This list is compiled and published in the form of a syllabus available from the Presses Universitaires de Liege.
Exam(s) in session
January exam session
- In-person
oral exam
August-September exam session
- In-person
oral exam
Continuous assessment
Further information:
Continuous assessment through weekly written theory questions in groups of two (40% of the final grade).
Individual oral examination en session (60% of the final grade).
Organisation of the oral examination: The student will draw one of the scientific articles seen during the academic year. For 15 minutes, the student will be asked to present its main conclusions in detail, to apply it to a concrete case and to make links with other concepts and other scientific articles seen in the course.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
The team in charge of this course is composed of :
- Céline Parotte
- Hélène Dodion
- a teaching assistant (student tutor): Mirko Papadopoulos mirko.papadopoulos@student.uliege.be