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INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC POLICY

2008

PUAD 5120; POLI 4240/5240
Place and Time: Kenneth C. Rowe Building, Room 1011, Monday-Wednesday, 2:303:55 p.m.
Instructor: M. Paul Brown
School of Public Administration, Rowe Building, Room 3024
Halifax, Nova Scotia
(Office) 494-2282 (Fax) 494-7023 (Home) 423-3686
E-Mail: Paul.Brown@dal.ca; M_PaulBrown@hotmail.com

1.0 TEACHING RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES
For starters, browse through to Policy Hub. A short visit, and brief drill down in this site, the
official policy site of the Cabinet Office of the Government of the United Kingdom, will serve to
confirm that public policy remains, as it has been since the 1960s and 1970s, one of the
fascinating and complex fields of public administration. To study public policy is to study of the
authoritative allocation of values, as David Easton pointed out over 50 years ago. No matter what
the level of government--national, regional, local, international, the content of public policies
involves state recognition of the values which they represent, and a decision to use the
instruments of the state to ensure that those values are promoted.
In 2008, it would be hard to imagine an area of studies in any part of the world that is more
crucial to the process of public governance. From Canada to Cuba to Georgia and Ukraine, state
competence in policy-making is thoroughly recognized as fundamental to the achievement and
maintenance of individual security. As the now classic 1997 World Bank report on The State in a
Changing World put it, good governance is epitomized by, among other things, predictable,
open, and enlightened policymaking. As a consequence, governments in Canada, the United
Kingdom and many countries have been attempting to improve their policy approaches. Better
policy-making, to cite the British government, is the aim. That is why every professional
program in public administration has policy analysis as the centerpiece of its curriculum.
It is also true that the study of public policy features a wide variety of approaches. In 1995, Brian
Hogwood (1995:60-61) noted that two main groupings are discernible in the literature. One
consists of the knowledge of policy and the policy process, and comprises studies of policy
content, process, outputs, and evaluation. The other reflects a concern with theuse of knowledge
in the policy process, and includes information for policy-making, process advocacy (improving
the policy process), policy advocacy, and the critical appraisal of the assumptions, methodology,
and validity of policy analysis. This assessment remains as valid now as it was in 1995. It still
provides a good foundation for organizing the content of an introductory graduate course on
public policy.
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That being the case, it is appropriate to lay the thoughts and assumptions that underlie PUAD
5120A/PS 4240-5240 for 2008. Taking our cue from Hogwood--but in reverse order given the
professional nature of the MPA program--we will first address the course from the perspective of
students entering this course from Public Administration and other professional programs; then,
speak to the concerns of public policy students coming from Political Science and other cognate
disciplines. .
1.1 Introduction to Public Policy and Professional Students
As a course in the graduate MPA program of the School of Public Administration, PUAD 5120
provides a first year overview of the general field of policy management. The general objective
of the course is to increase your capacity to undertake some of the key functions of policy
management. These functions were conveniently listed by a Deputy Minister Task Force in
Ottawa, (George Anderson, 1995: 473-74) in a mid-1990s analysis that remains valid:
1. theoretical research
2. applied research and statistics
3. quantitative modeling
4. environmental scanning, trend analysis, and forecasting
5. policy analysis and advice
6. managing consultations and relationships
7. communications
8. program design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation
Of course, no one course could hope to introduce all of these topics, much less to cover them in
depth. Thus, all professional policy or public administration programs offer specialized, detailed
courses on many of these functions. That is the case with the School of Public Administration at
Dalhousie.

You will find that PUAD 5120 Introduction to Public Policy is integrally related to other courses
addressing specific policy management functions. For example, in the first year, it meshes
closely at times with 5130 Managerial Economics; at other times with 5100 Government
Structure and Organization and 5125 Research Methods & Policy Analysis, and at still other
times with MWB 5000. It is also a prerequisite to some advanced courses, such as PUAD 6520
Program Evaluation in the second year of the program.
This boundary spanning with other courses is inevitable and necessary. The trick, of course, is
to ensure that it does not result in duplication. The resulting combination of context, theory,
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process, and techniques provides the thorough grounding that public servants will need to
contribute to better policy-making in the 21st century.
Specifically, the aim of PUAD 5120 for practitioners--those of you who are already public
servants and those of you who aspire to be-- in 2008 is to increase your policy capacity, and
hence your effectiveness, on an individual basis. Indeed, with the financial pressures that all
governments face in the 21st century, it is essential that the maximum impact be achieved for
each public dollar invested in coming up with and implementing a solution. In Hogwoods
terms, you will be primarilyconcerned with use of knowledge in the policy process. You will
look to this course to improve your ability to understand the policy-making process and to be
effective policy and process advocates in a public service context.
Perhaps the best way to think of the course objectives here is to consider the role of policy
analysts and the competencies that they are expected to have. According to the Generic Policy
Analyst Draft Competency Profile issued by the Learning Resource Network of the Government
of Canada in the mid-1990s, policy analysts are public servants who:
help Ministers to align policy change with the evolving roles of
government at all levels, and to use governance tools to achieve policy
goals....operate with enormous sensitivity to the political process....serve
the government objectively, professionally, and neutrally....create
intellectual frameworks that enable discussion of issues by a wide range of
constituencies, and advise and often assist Ministers in interacting with
these constituencies. They draw together knowledge from within and
outside of government in a sensitive, collaborative fashion, and are acutely
aware of the broadest context within which policy develops.
Note this does not mean that knowledge of policy has nothing to offer to those of you concerned
primarily with providing policy advice. Quite the opposite is the case. Today, more than ever,
effective policy development requires that analysts bring to bear not only state-of-the-art
techniques, quantitative or otherwise but also an appreciation of the array of contextual forces
which constrain, but are not necessarily invoked consciously, in any decision situation. Made
aware of these constraints, you will be better able to understand and contribute to any policy
field.
1.2 Introduction to Public Policy and Student of Policy Sciences:
The second mandate of Introduction to Public Policy as POLI 4240/5240 is to provide an
intensive introduction to public policy studies for graduate and senior undergraduate level
students in political science and related disciplines. Many of the points about the relevance of
public policy studies already drawn to the attention of professional students hold here as well,
and need not be repeated.
It is worth stressing, however, that Introduction to Public Policy attempts to set out
theoretically significant concerns about public policy as a sub-field of political science. The aim
here is to increase your knowledge of public policy.
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Because public policy in this context is linked to political science, we must here aspire to
explanation. It is a prerequisite to prediction, and prediction lies at the heart of the scientific
study of politics, i.e., political science. Accordingly, you will find in this course a rigorous
discussion of policy as both dependent and independent variable, following Richard Simeons
classic analysis from 1976.


2.0 CONTENT:
Thecontent of this course addresses the learning goals of those whose primary interest is
increased knowledge in policy, and those whose primary interest is use of knowledge in policy.
The first section is given over to an examination of policy definitions and professional policy
approaches. It introduces the major theoretical controversies, methodological approaches and
practical problems associated with the study and practice of public policy in the 21
st
century.
In Section 2, the course takes up the theme of the state in a changing world, after the 1997
World Bank report. What is the appropriate role of the state in the first decade of the 21
st

century? Here concepts of the reinvented, or reinvigorated, or re-engineered state became
very popular in the 1990s. Do they have substantive meaning, and if so, what is it? What kind of
policy capacity and competencies on the part of individual public servants are needed to ensure
that the state becomes and stays a competent actor in society?
The role of the state cannot be discussed meaningfully without reference to the choice of
instruments, or what the American literature tends to refer to as the things governments do.
(Meeghan, 2001). Generic policies (MacRae and Whittington, 1997: 115) refer to broader types
of alternatives, each applicable to a class of concrete policy problems, such as the use of
auctions, taxes and subsidies, price controls, regulation/deregulation, and government supply of
goods. Analysts have an array of these instruments at their disposal. Policy work involves
customizing these instruments to fit particular situations. (Patton & Sawicki, 1993:11) This
section also explores the evaluation criteria that must be applied in any choice of instrument,
including effectiveness, efficiency, political feasibility, administrative feasibility, and equity.
Section 3 of the course undertakes a more systematic search for explanation of policy
phenomena and for greater capacity in dealing with essential policy relationships. With respect to
policy phenomena, the issue is why governments do what they do. Why is it that governments
adopt the policies that they do, or do not? Why are some instruments chosen, and others left
aside? Why, for example, did the Harper government fasten on a $100 a month payment to
parents as a way of addressing the day care issue, while the Martin government had promised to
create many more daycare places instead? Answering these questions requires that we give
attention to the determinants of public policy.
Exploring determinants not gives us not only a better understanding or knowledge of public
policy in terms of science, but also better equips us to participate in policy management
processes. For example, understanding the role of interest groups as a determinant, not only
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increases our understanding of the complexity of policy choice, but prepares us to manage
external relationships much more effectively. Similarly, understanding the conventions and
modern day constraints on the roles of politicians and public servants under the Westminster
system prepares us much better to manage our vertical relationships effectively.
With respect to relationships, there are essentially three: the vertical, the external, and the
horizontal. Professional policymaking assumes that analysts are capable of managing
relationships along all three of these axes. Developing full capacity will take time and
experience, but professional school is an excellent place to begin the process.
Section 4 makes an equal effort to increase your capacity in policy design and implementation,
on the basis of a sound, critical understanding of strategic approaches in government. The history
of strategic decision-making has not been seen as a positive one, in Canada or elsewhere.
Strategic approaches to policy design became popular in the 1960s, along with the study of
public policy, but were largely seen to be failures by the 1980s, victims of the overwhelmingly
incremental tendencies of politics and bureaucracy. In this, they mirrored the experiences in the
U.S., where management guru Henry Mintzberg wrote in 1994 of The Rise and Fall of Strategic
Planning.
However, the notion of the death of strategic planning was, as with Mark Twains, always
greatly exaggerated. Interest in the strategic design of policy has been resurgent in
jurisdictions throughout the western world, as in the UK, which sees a strategic perspective as
inherent to modern policy development, and eastern Europe at the very least. In this course,
strategic design will be seen in the context of public policy as architecture.
As can readily be seen from this review, Introduction to Public Policy touches on many of the
functions of policy management identified by Andersen, at least at the level of an overview. It
also emphasizes the need to improve our understanding of why these functions are carried out in
the way that they are.
I am confident that those of you who are in public service or about to be will find that
understanding what governments do and why provides a good grounding for participating in
policy processes in the current decision-making climate within governments. I am also confident
that those of you who are students of public policy will find that the systematic study of public
policy practice and methods will provide a challenging and helpful dimension to your overall
study of political science or related disciplines.

3.0 SCHEDULE OF CLASSES:

The schedule of classes for Introduction to Public Policy is as follows:

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I. Studying Public Policy

1. September 8 Introduction
2. September 10, 15 Policy Studies: Outlining the Field

II. The Competent State and the Provision of Public Goods
3. September 17, 22 The Role of the State and Professional Policy-Making in the 21st Century
4. September 24, 29 Choosing Policy Instruments and Alternatives--Types and Dynamics
5. October 1, 6 Choosing Policy Instruments and AlternativesEvaluation Criteria
6. October 8, 15 Choosing Policy Instruments and Alternatives--Evaluation Criteria(cont)
7. October 8 Mid-term Examination Distributed
8. October 13 Thanksgiving Break
9. October 15 Mid-Term Examination Due

III. Understanding Policy Determinants; Negotiating Policy Relationships
10. October 20, 22 Culture, Ideology, and Ideas as Policy Determinants
11. October 27, 29 Managing Vertical & Horizontal Policy Relationships
12. November 3, 5 Managing Vertical & Horizontal Policy Relationships (cont)
13. November 10, 12 Interests & Stakeholders: Managing External Policy Relationships

IV. Process and Methods in Policy Development
14. November 17, 19 Strategic Approaches to Policy DesignPublic Policy as Architecture
15. November 24, 26 Policy Implementation in the 21
st
Century
V. Conclusion
16. December 1 Course Review and Evaluation
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4.0 FORMAT:
Introduction to Public Policy is meant to be a lecture-discussion class. It will feature a
presentation by the instructor, interspersed with seminar style discussion and break out sessions
to allow for case analyses and discussion in a smaller group setting. There is no specific mark for
participation, but contribution to the discussion, whether to make points or to raise questions, is
an excellent way of ensuring that you understand the material.

5.0 ASSIGNMENTS:
The assignments and grading procedure for this course are designed to encourage all those
enrolled to gain an understanding of the theoretical and practical dimensions of public policy as
reflected in the readings for each week.
To that end, each student will be responsible for preparing a research paper on a session of his or
her choice during the term. The paper is to be a minimum 20 page typed, double-spaced
discussion building on the major elements/themes/issues emanating from the readings for the
session. The paper can focus on specific cases or specific policy fields. Note, however, that the
readings for the sessions are only a start to covering the relevant material in this field.
Graduate level research papers of this length must have 10 citations or more. The paper
must follow the general conventions of scholarship for a formal written paper at the graduate
level. For example, all citations should be properly footnoted, and a bibliography of relevant
works prepared. In the first session of the class, a guide for the preparation of papers,
highlighting the major items on which your papers will be assessed, i.e. format, theme, content
and organization, will be presented. You should also consult the student handbook for additional
general guidance.
All research papers must be submitted by the date of the final examination. There will be no
extensions.
In addition to the research paper, there will be two examinations in this course. The first will be
a mid-term, take home examination held in the middle of the term. The second will be a final
examination held during the regular December examination period. The allocation of grades to
the assignments will be as follows:

Allocation of Grades
Research Paper 40%
Mid Term Examination 30%
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Final Examination 30%

TOTAL 100%
In terms of the final examination, you will be responsible for all lecture material, class
discussions, and reading material assigned in class.

6.0 READINGS:
There are two types of readings for this course.
1. Session notes are available on the internet through the Blackboard system at Dalhousie.
To access these notes, class participants will need to register for the course. The
necessary information can be found at http://webct.dal.ca/.
2. The reading list provides a small number of relevant articles and book chapters for each
session. A brief commentary on these readings is also provided on the web-site. These
readings represent the most significant developments in the literature with respect to the
subject matter of each session, and thus provide the foundation for the development of
research papers on that session. However, they will need to be supplemented with other
material of a primary or secondary nature.
All required readings will be available for purchase from Julias (Econo-copy), at 1525 Le
Marchant Street.
You will be responsible for covering and understanding all readings specifically mentioned in
class in time for the final examination.

7.0 OFFICE HOURS:
Office hours are Tuesday from 2:00--4:00 p.m.
Note: Students with permanent or temporary disabilities who would like to discuss classroom
or exam accommodations and other special needs are asked to come and see me as soon as
possible. You can meet me after class or during office hours.

8.0 ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND PLAGIARISM:
At Dalhousie University, we respect the values of academic integrity: honesty, trust, fairness,
responsibility and respect. As a Dalhousie student and a member of the academic community,
you are expected to abide by these values and the policies which enforce them.
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What is academic integrity?

Academic integrity is ensuring that any work you submit is your own and that you have given
appropriate acknowledgement to any sources that you consulted. Dalhousie University defines
plagiarism as the submission or presentation of the work of another as if it were one's own.
Plagiarism is considered a serious academic offence which may lead to the assignment of a
failing grade, suspension or expulsion from the University. (from Undergraduate Calendar
section on Intellectual Honesty).

Some examples of plagiarism are:
failure to attribute authorship when using a broad spectrum of sources such as written or
oral work, computer codes/programs, artistic or architectural works, scientific projects,
performances, web page designs, graphical representations, diagrams, videos, and
images;
downloading all or part of the work of another from the Internet and submitting as one's
own
the submission of a paper prepared by any person other than the individual claiming to be
the author
submitting work that has been completed through collaboration or previously submitted
for another assignment without permission from your instructor

How is plagiarism detected?
Professors and TAs are highly skilled at recognizing discrepancies between writing styles,
inappropriate citations, and obvious word-for-word copying. In addition, the Senate has affirmed
the right of any instructor to require that student papers be submitted in both written and digital
format, and to submit any paper to an originality check such as that performed by Turnitin.com.
Copies of student papers checked by this process will be retained by Turnitin.com.
What happens if I am accused of plagiarism?
Instructors are required to forward any suspected cases of plagiarism to the Academic Integrity
Officer (AIO) for the Faculty. You will be informed of the allegation by the AIO and a meeting
will be convened. You may contact the Dalhousie Student Advocacy Service who will be able to
assist you in preparing a defence. Until the case is resolved, your final grade will be an "INC". If
you are judged to have committed an offence, penalties may include a loss of credit, F in a
course, suspension or expulsion from the University, or even the revocation of a degree (for
more information see Academic Integrity website listed below).
How can I avoid plagiarism?
Give appropriate credit to the sources used in your assignment
o Use RefWorks to keep track of your research and edit and format bibliographies
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in the citation style required by the instructor -

http://www.library.dal.ca/How/RefWorks
If you are ever unsure about ANYTHING, contact your instructor or TA
Prepare your paper completely independently
Make sure you understand Dalhousies policies on academic integrity
Where can I turn for help?
Academic Integrity website - http://academicintegrity.dal.ca
o Links to policies, definitions, online tutorials, tips on citing and paraphrasing
Writing Center - http://writingcentre.dal.ca/
o Proofreading, writing styles, citations
Dalhousie Libraries - http://www.library.dal.ca/How/
Workshops, online tutorials,