Are you unhappy about the direction of public policy? Would you like to influence the decisions that shape public policy? This module is designed to improve your understanding of how this can be done by exploring the nature of public policy, contemporary theories of policy making, political strategies that can be used by governments to get their preferred policies through with minimum political damage, and political strategies that can be used by actors outside government, such as firms, NGOs and thinktanks, to influence policy decisions.

On successful completion of the module a student will be able to:

Describe and evaluate the content of public policy in a number of areas, and describe, understand and evaluate major contemporary theories of policy-making, strategies used by governments to implement their preferred policies while avoiding significant political damage, and strategies used by actors outside government to influence policy decisions.

Lectures and seminars. Lectures are designed to provide orientating information. Seminars are designed to enable students to integrate information into their understanding of politics and public policy via debate, the exchange of ideas, and collaborative work.

Identification of information relevant to the task at hand; identification and assimilation of key points in a text; logic tracing and identification of logical errors; systematic application of theory to the analysis of empirical phenomena; use of explicit criteria to evaluate public policies; presentation of conclusions orally and in writing; independent working; constructive collaboration with peers.

Assessment by a single 4000 word essay is designed to require students to research, describe, analyse and evaluate the content and political dynamics of public policy. Oral and written feedback will be given.