HSRV216-25S1 (C) Semester One 2025

Introduction to Public Policy and Policy Analysis

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 17 February 2025
End Date: Sunday, 22 June 2025
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 2 March 2025
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 11 May 2025

Description

This course introduces concepts of and approaches to public policy analysis and evaluation. The course examines the interaction of expertise, society, and public policy and clarifies the intricacies of the policy process in light of technological and social change.

How do governments address real-world problems such as health crises, climate change, and social inequity? Public policy broadly refers to government goals, decisions, and actions/inactions made on behalf of the public to address perceived issues, and policy analysis entails examining and evaluating the available options. This course introduces students to public policy and policy analysis, with a brief overview of power and rationality, colonialism, institutions, theories of policy change, citizen participation, policy learning, and more. Over the term we will devote particular focus to Aotearoa/New Zealand, Australia, and small pacific states.

Learning Outcomes

  • Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to

  • Comprehend core concepts and major approaches of public policy and policy analysis;
  • Recognise public policy as both an applied field and academic discipline;
  • Understand how colonialism is interwoven with policy-making;
  • Describe the relationships between actors, institutions, and public policy processes;
  • Articulate the values and interests that underpin policy views;
  • Conduct policy research and issue analysis;
  • Apply policy tools and concepts to real-world issues;
  • Discern the differences between public policy in Aotearoa/New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and
     Australia;

Prerequisites

Any 15 points at 100 level from HLTH, HSRV, or
POLS; or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA, or
Schedule V of the LLB, or
the Schedule V of the BCJ, or
the Schedule V of the BCom.

Restrictions

Timetable 2025

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 09:00 - 11:00 Rehua 009
17 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Wednesday 09:00 - 10:00 Rehua 009
17 Feb - 6 Apr
28 Apr - 1 Jun

Timetable Note

Students must attend both lectures

Course Coordinator

For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences Head of Department

Course coordinator: Dr Lin Mussell
https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/arts/contact-us/people/lin-mussell.html

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Written assessment 35%
Final exam 35%
In-class participation 10%
Midterm exam 20%

Textbooks / Resources

Reading materials will be available on Learn and at the university library. The following textbook will be used in this course:

Cairney, P. (2019). Understanding Public Policy: Theories and Issues. 2nd Ed. Bloomsbury

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $894.00

International fee $4,100.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .

All HSRV216 Occurrences

  • HSRV216-25S1 (C) Semester One 2025
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