93465 - GOVERNANCE E POLITICHE PUBBLICHE

Learning outcomes

L’insegnamento intende fornire una conoscenza avanzata dei più importanti approcci allo studio delle politiche pubbliche, con particolare attenzione all’analisi dei processi decisionali, degli assetti interorganizzativi, delle relazioni tra diversi livelli istituzionali, e dei rapporti tra attori pubblici e privati. Al termine del corso, lo studente sarà in grado di: •identificare e distinguere le principali tradizioni di ricerca nell’analisi delle politiche pubbliche e nello studio delle dinamiche di governance ai diversi livelli; •analizzare criticamente i processi decisionali che si sviluppano attorno alla ricerca di soluzioni a problemi di rilevanza collettiva; •contestualizzare i problemi e le criticità del settore pubblico in un confronto con il settore privato.

Course contents

The course aims to provide the theoretical, conceptual and methodological tools for analysing the production of public policies in contemporary societies and for interpreting their change, with particular reference to the networks of public and private actors involved in decision-making processes.


The first part of the course will discuss the main analytical perspectives for the study and interpretation of policy decisions and the classifications useful for the analysis of governance structures (inter-institutional, public-private, multi-level). The question of the actors' stakes and the resources available to them will be addressed, as well as the configurations that can emerge in the course of decision-making processes. Special attention will be paid to the characteristics of the decision-making context and how they can influence the actors' strategies and interactions.


The second part of the course will be dedicated to exploring in greater depth - also through group work and practical exercises - the characteristics, limitations, and opportunities of different governance configurations. The various forms (inter-institutional, public-private, and multi-level) will be framed and discussed with the support of practical cases drawn from recent research on the Italian context.

Readings/Bibliography

Required compulsory readings for the first part (the same for attending and non-attending students)

B. Dente, Le decisioni di policy, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2011 (chapters 1,3,4,5,6 and 7)

Mandatory readings IN ADDITION TO THE TEXTBOOK (available in electronic format on Virtuale.unibo.it)

· C. Pollitt e G. Bouckaert (2017), “Comparative public management reform: an introduction to the key debates”, in Public management reform: a comparative analysis into the age of austerity, Fourth edition, New York: Oxford University Press.

· S. Profeti (2011), "Governance", in M. Almagisti e D. Piana (a cura di), Le parole chiave della politica italiana, ROMA, Carocci.

· L. Bobbio (2016), “Se la governance esce di scena. Riflessioni sul caso italiano”, in Parolechiave, n. 2.

· L. Hooghe & G. Marks (2001), Types of Multilevel governance, EIOP papers.

· R. Feiock (2013), “The Institutional Collective Action Framework”, in Policy Studies Journal, n. 3.

· L. Bobbio (2000), “Produzione di politiche a mezzo di contratti nella pubblica amministrazione italiana”, in Stato e Mercato, n. 1.

· P. Rossi e M. Colombo (2019), “Non sarà un’avventura? L’innovazione delle partnership pubblico- privato e la co-progettazione dei servizi di welfare sociale”, in Stato e Mercato, n. 3.

· Galanti M.T. e Lippi A. (2018), “Il policy advice tra relazioni e forme di legittimazione, in Rivista Italiana di Politiche Pubbliche, n. 3.

· Pritoni A. (2019), Politica e interessi. Il lobbying nelle democrazie contemporanee, Bologna, Il Mulino (solo cap. 1)

  

Required compulsory readings for the second part (the same for attending and non-attending students)

· S. Profeti e B. Baldi (2021), “Le regioni italiane e il PNRR : la (vana) ricerca di canali d’accesso all’agenda”, in RIVISTA ITALIANA DI POLITICHE PUBBLICHE, n. 3

· M. Casula e S. Profeti (2024), “Not a black or white issue: choosing alternative organizational models for delivering early childhood services”, in Journal of Economic Policy Reform, n. 2.

· M. Orlandini (2013), “CO-PRODURRE SERVIZI DI WELFARE: SEMANTICHE ED ESEMPI PER IL CONTESTO ITALIANO”, in Sociologia e Politiche Sociali, n. 3.

· C. Ansell et al. (2026), “Between win–win and the manufacturing of consent: collaborative governance as a lightning rod in cannabis policy”, in Policy and Politics, n. 1.

· S. Sitton (2018), “L’abitare condiviso letto con la teoria dei commons: due possibili scenari di sviluppo”, in Rivista delle Politiche Sociali, n. 4.

N.B. As this course is hosted within a Master's degree, it is intended to be an advanced course in public policy analysis, and therefore presumes a basic knowledge of the main concepts of the discipline. For those who have not already taken a basic course in public policy during their three-year degree studies, independent reading of the following text is strongly recommended:

Luigi Bobbio, Gianfranco Pomatto, Stefania Ravazzi, Le politiche pubbliche. Problemi, soluzioni, incertezze, conflitti, Mondadori, 2017.

Teaching methods

The course includes both lectures and collective discussion of the topics covered in class, as well as (particularly in the second part) exercises and teamwork under the guidance of the teacher.

Class attendance is strongly recommended.

Assessment methods

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Students who attend at least 70% of the classes may choose to take the exam in two parts:

• A standard written exam on the first part of the course, held during the break between the first and second module: 3 open-ended questions aimed at assessing knowledge and understanding of the concepts and theories covered in the first module (weight on final grade: 60%)

• A final assessment at the end of the course based on the practical analysis of a case study (weight on final grade: 40%)

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS

For students who do not attend the course, or for those who choose not to take the split-exam option, the exam consists of a written test with 4 open-ended questions to be answered within a maximum of 60 minutes.

Evaluation will take into account: a) the knowledge of course topics; b) the capacity to use properly the methodological and theoretical instruments presented during the course; c) the ability to master an appropriate scientific language with reference to social sciences in general and public policies in particular.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISORDERS AND/OR TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT DISABILITIES

Please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

 

Evaluation grid:

18-22: sufficient preparation and ability to analyse, sufficient knowledge of the topics covered by the course, formulation of answers in correct language;
23-26: technically adequate preparation and ability to analyse, good knowledge of the topics covered by the course, adequate knowledge of specific terminology
27-29: very good preparation and ability to analyse, thorough knowledge of the topics covered by the course, mastering of specific terminology;
30-30L: excellent preparation and ability to analyse, in-depth knowledge of the topics covered by the course, ability to integrate answers with own knowledge and elaboration, mastering of specific terminology.

Teaching tools

Powerpoint presentations (available before each class); videos; newspaper articles.

Office hours

See the website of Stefania Profeti