08641 - Analysis of Public Policies

Learning outcomes

The student must acquire the theoretical knowledge relating to the structuring of the policy cycle: from the design phase to that of implementation and evaluation of a policy, deepening the main tools for the analysis of public policies relating to the knowledge of the network of actors, of the phases of policy processes, styles. A first theoretical introduction will be followed by an in-depth study of the main public policies (health, migration, education etc...) aimed at strengthening critical skills and deepening analytical skills.

 

 

 

Course contents

Over the last twenty years, public policies have acquired a crucial role in contemporary societies and acted pervasively on activities that directly impact citizens. The course aims to provide students with the analytical tools necessary to reconstruct a policy process and understand the factors that influence policy design processes and policy outcomes. Some fundamental concepts of public policy analysis will be analyzed in depth: policy styles, paradigms, the policy cycle. Attention will be focused on the actors of the policies, on the tools used in the implementation of the same and on some theories relating to the analysis of policies. The policy process will then be analyzed through the segmentation into phases with which it is usual to classify the evolutionary steps; the agenda setting, the formulation, the decision-making process, the implementation, the evaluation (with the support of the text by Bobbio, Pomatto, Ravazzi).

In the second part, the concepts and analytical tools will be applied to a specific policy sector chosen by the student (the text by Capano and Natalini).

At the end of the course, the student should have acquired: a) knowledge of the main tools for analyzing public policies (actors and networks of actors, phases of policy processes, policy styles); b) analyze the main public policies (health, migration, education) and critically evaluate the policy reform processes through the reconstruction of the policy process based on direct or indirect sources and the collection of qualitative and quantitative data

Readings/Bibliography

Readings (mandatory)

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

Gilberto Capano, Alessandro Natalini, Le Politiche Pubbliche in Italia, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2020

Other readings (not mandatory)

Bruno Dente, Le decisioni di policy: Come si prendono, come si studiano, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2011

Antonio La Spina , Efisio Espa, Analisi e valutazione delle politiche pubbliche, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2020

Michael Howlett, M. Ramesh, Come studiare le politiche pubbliche, Analisi e valutazione delle politiche pubbliche, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2003

Andrea Lippi, La valutazione delle politiche pubbliche, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2007

Lewanski Rodolfo, Governare l’ambiente, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1997

Teaching methods

The "Y" mode will provide 36 hours of online teaching and the subsequent organization of the work with seminars in person or online.
In order to develop learning in line with the theories of active learning, i.e. of active participation by students, the lessons will be organized as follows:

a) Module A:


the segment is aimed at acquiring the fundamental concepts of the discipline and will be carried out online following the didactic strategy of the "peer instruction", ie students will be asked to familiarize themselves with the textual resources of the bibliography indicated, assigning a specific topic of the course before the online lesson ; the online lesson will open with specific conceptual questions that will engage students to reflect on the contents. If the results of the discussion bring a percentage of correct answers lower than 50%, we will return to specific concepts to reinforce them. If the results of the discussion are positive, an "au pair" discussion phase will be launched aimed at strengthening analytical skills. At the end of the online lesson, a "one-minute paper" will be submitted to motivate students to reflect on the day's lesson and give feedback to the teacher on what was the most important thing learned during the day or what aspects still need to be explored. 


b) Module B:


the segment provides for the subdivision into  groups. During the  lessons, some policies will be analyzed with a seminarial approach aimed at developing an applicative analysis to a case study developed by the students

For foreign students, knowledge of the Italian language is required to follow the lessons and study the texts. To take the assessment tests, it is possible to use the English language.

Assessment methods

Intermediate exam: written exam with questions aimed at verifying what has been learned in the first part of the module in order to verify the pedagogical goals: knowing the theories that can be used in public policy analysis, the categories of actors and the tools in use; the phases of the policies and their characteristics; acquire a thorough understanding of the models and categories of decision analysis; application of conceptual and analytical tools for specific policies.

Final exam: elaboration of a case study on one of the policies discussed during the course.

 

Final Exam for the students not involved in the working groups: exams with questions (books Bobbio/Capano).

Teaching tools

Power Point files and teaching materials will be made available on the site (NB: these files are in no way a substitute for the texts and are not sufficient to face the evaluation).

Office hours

See the website of Paola Coletti