Course Title: THEORY OF PUBLIC POLICY

Course number: JSM699, Fall Term 2022/2023

Course leader: Prof. Dr. Martin Potůček

Office hours: https://konzultace.fsv.cuni.cz

The volume of instruction: 2

Number of credits: 4

Lectures will be delivered in the room P 105 of the Pekařská 16, Prague 5, and/or mediated via Zoom Meeting

https://cesnet.zoom.us/j/94992581490?pwd=SUdVaGIvaXBwNXZkWThWUkk2Qlhjdz09

Meeting ID: 949 9258 1490

Passcode: 356779

Course materials are available on Moodle https://dl1.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=7794.

To apply, use your username and password for the Central Authentication Service of Charles University. If you do not have this information, please contact the university's IT department.

Consultations to be booked beforehand at https://konzultace.fsv.cuni.cz

Goals of instruction:

The course aims to introduce students to the study of public policy as a discipline, within a broader context of the development of contemporary societies; to exemplify public policy’s practical application and the ways public policy as a scientific discipline attempts to apprehend social problems and devise solutions thereof; to do so by defining the key terms, theories, and approaches of public policy; and to engage students in critical thinking and studying, systematic work with scholarly literature.

Registration prerequisites:

Enrolment in any study program, apart from students of the Master´s programs of Veřejná a sociální politika, Public and Social Policy, and International Economic and Political Studies. International visiting students are welcome as well.

Conditions for passing:

Students will have to pass the written examination (in English, Czech, or Slovak).

Final grading:

Evaluation points	Grade
46 – 50	A	Excellent (výtečně)
41 – 45	B	Very Good (velmi dobře)
36 – 40	C	Good (dobře)
31 – 35	D	Satisfactorily (uspokojivě)
26 – 30	E	Sufficiently (dostatečně)
25 or less	F	Fail (nedostatečně)

Lectures: Mondays, 15:30-18:20.

Day	Content
3 Oct	Lecture #1 Introduction to the course. A1 Public interests and public policy. A2 Values in Public Policy. Historical Institutionalism.
17 Oct	Lecture #2 A3 Governance. Corporatist Intermediation. Policy Networks. A4 Actors and Institutions. Actor-Centred Institutionalism.
31 Nov	Lecture #3 A5 Public policy instruments. Discursive institutionalism. Advocacy Coalition Framework. A6 Public Policy Process. The Stage of Problem Delimitation and Problem Recognition. Agenda Setting.
14 Nov	Lecture #4 A7 Policy Formulation and Decisionmaking. Veto Players. Multiple Streams Framework. A8 Policy Implementation. Theories of Bureaucracy. Principal-Agent Model.
28 Nov	Lecture #5 A9 Policy Evaluation. Rational (Public) Choice Theory. A10 How to Understand Public Policy
12 Dec	Final recapitulation, getting ready for the examination.

Basic sources in English

Potůček, M. et al. 2017. Public Policy. A comprehensive Introduction. Prague, Karolinum Press. This is the key textbook for this course. It is available free of charge for students of Charles University on the E-resources Portal of the Student Information System (SIS).

Howlet, M., Ramesh, M., Perl, A. 2009. 3rd edition. Studying Public Policy: Policy Cycles and Policy Subsystems. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Peters, Guy B.: 2015. Advanced Introduction to Public Policy. Northampton: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Potůček, M., LeLoup, L., Jenei, G. and Váradi, L. 2003. Public Policy in Central and Eastern Europe: Theories, Methods, Practices. Bratislava: NISPAcee.

Routledge Handbook of Public Policy. 2013. London and New York: Routledge.

Základní literatura v češtině

Potůček, M. a kol. 2016. Veřejná politika. Praha: C. H. BECK. Jde o základní učebnici pro tento kurs dostupnou v českém jazyce.

Potůček, M. a kol. 2005 (2. vyd. 2010). Veřejná politika. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství.

Veselý, A., Nekola. M. (eds.) 2008. Analýza a tvorba veřejných politik: Přístupy, metody a praxe. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství.

Notes on reading

· Further reading will be submitted during individual lecture presentations.

· Students are expected to follow the media covering policy problems on an ongoing basis.

Journals

Public Policy

Central European Journal of Public Policy (CEJPP): http://cejpp.eu/

Journal of European Public Policy: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rjpp20/current

Journal of European Social Policy: http://esp.sagepub.com/

Journal of Public Policy: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=PUP

Policy and Society: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/policy-and-society

Public Policy and Administration: http://ppa.sagepub.com/

Global Policy: https://www.globalpolicyjournal.com/

Policy Analysis

European Policy Analysis: http://www.ipsonet.org/publications/open-access/epa

Evaluation: http://evi.sagepub.com/

Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/fcpa20/current
Journal of Policy Analysis and Management: http://www.appam.org/publications/jpam/

Review of Policy Research: http://www.ipsonet.org/publications/journals/review-of-policy-research/

Governance, Public Administration

Gouvernement et action publique: http://www.cairn-int.info/about_this_journal.php?ID_REVUE=E_GAP

Governance: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1468-0491
International Review of Administrative Sciences: http://ras.sagepub.com/

Lex localis - Journal of local self-government: http://journal.lex-localis.press

NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy: http://www.nispa.org/journal.php

Public Administration: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)14