University of Essex

GV924-7-SP-CO:
The Politics of Public Policy

The details

Year: 2024/25

Department: Government

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Spring

Level: Postgraduate: Level 7

Status: Current

Start date: Monday 13 January 2025

End date: Friday 21 March 2025

Credits: 15

Last updated: 16 October 2024

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): (none)

Key module for

MPP L43012 The Essex MPP,
MPP L43024 The Essex MPP,
MPP L430EB The Essex MPP,
MPP L430JS The Essex MPP,
MA L14312 Economics with Public Policy,
MSC L2P312 Politics, Communications and Data Analytics

Module description

This module introduces the main political arenas and actors that shape public policy in democratic states and beyond.

Students will analyse and debate political conflicts around policymaking in the core arenas of democratic government including elections, parliaments, governments, the bureaucracy, and the judicial system. They will examine the public policy role of interest groups and civil society and explore policymaking beyond and outside of formal governmental arenas as well as in non-democratic states.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:

To introduce the main political actors and institutions involved in policy making and to scrutinise their interplay.

To debate theoretical and analytical perspectives on political conflicts around public policy.

To examine the drivers and mechanisms of policy making beyond and outside of formal governmental arenas and the relations between the state and private interests and among public institutions.

To acquire and practice the application of analytical skills to analyse specific policy processes.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

Demonstrate a comprehensive awareness of a wide range of political arenas, actors, and institutions that shape public policy.

Demonstrate fluency in theoretical building blocks of how policies are made.

Demonstrate analytical skills to examine specific policy processes and conflicts theoretically and empirically.

Demonstrate the ability to research, analyse, and present policy case studies independently.

Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

The module will be delivered via:

One 2-hour seminar per week.

Bibliography

Larson, J. et al. (no date) ‘How We Analyzed the COMPAS Recidivism Algorithm’. Available at: https://www.propublica.org/article/how-we-analyzed-the-compas-recidivism-algorithm.
‘AI and Data Science for Public Policy’ (no date).
Kearns, M. and Roth, A. (2020) The ethical algorithm: the science of socially aware algorithm design. New York, New York: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=5905172.
Bittle, J. (2024) Great Displacement. New York: Simon & Schuster. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?pq-origsite=primo&docID=7195609.
WALSH, K.C. (2012) ‘Putting Inequality in Its Place: Rural Consciousness and the Power of Perspective’, American Political Science Review, 106(3), pp. 517–532. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055412000305.
Jacobs, N. and Munis, B.K. (2023) ‘Place-Based Resentment in Contemporary U.S. Elections: The Individual Sources of America’s Urban-Rural Divide’, Political Research Quarterly, 76(3), pp. 1102–1118. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/10659129221124864.
‘Making AI Less "Thirsty”: Uncovering and Addressing the Secret Water Footprint of AI Models’ (no date).
Andersen, J.J. and Sørensen, R.J. (2022) ‘The zero-rent society: Evidence from hydropower and petroleum windfalls in Norwegian local governments’, Journal of Public Economics, 209. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2022.104650.
‘Benefit sharing from hydropower watersheds: Rationales, practices, and potential’ (no date).
From Satellite to Village, Turning Data into Action (no date). Available at: https://www.globalwaters.org/us-global-water-strategy-stories/satellite-village-turning-data-action.
Stack, K. (2018) ‘The Office of Management and Budget: The Quarterback of Evidence-Based Policy in the Federal Government’, The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 678(1), pp. 112–123. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716218768440.
Autor, D.H. (2015) ‘Why Are There Still So Many Jobs? The History and Future of Workplace Automation’, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 29(3), pp. 3–30. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.29.3.3.
Jean, N. et al. (2016) ‘Combining satellite imagery and machine learning to predict poverty’, Science, 353(6301), pp. 790–794. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaf7894.
Lubell, M., Feiock, R.C. and De La Cruz, E.E.R. (2009) ‘Local Institutions and the Politics of Urban Growth’, American Journal of Political Science, 53(3), pp. 649–665. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5907.2009.00392.x.
McCarroll, E. (2020) ‘Weapons of mass deportation: Big data and automated decision-making systems in immigration law’, Georgetown Immigration Law Journal, 34(3). Available at: https://www.law.georgetown.edu/immigration-law-journal/in-print/volume-34-number-3-spring-2020/weapons-of-mass-deportation-big-data-and-automated-decision-making-systems-in-immigration-law/.
Bircan, T. and Korkmaz, E.E. (2021) ‘Big data for whose sake? Governing migration through artificial intelligence’, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 8(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00910-x.
Beduschi, A. (2021) ‘International migration management in the age of artificial intelligence’, Migration Studies, 9(3), pp. 576–596. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/migration/mnaa003.
Nikolova, E. and Marinov, N. (2017) ‘Do Public Fund Windfalls Increase Corruption? Evidence From a Natural Disaster’, Comparative Political Studies, 50(11), pp. 1455–1488. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0010414016679109.
Dunn, A.G., Mandl, K.D. and Coiera, E. (2018) ‘Social media interventions for precision public health: promises and risks’, npj Digital Medicine, 1(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-018-0054-0.
How AI-powered maps help improve vaccination campaigns and rural electrification (no date). Available at: https://tech.facebook.com/artificial-intelligence/2019/4/ai-powered-maps-help-vaccination-campaigns.
Baron, J. (2018) ‘A Brief History of Evidence-Based Policy’, The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 678(1), pp. 40–50. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716218763128.
Bowers, J. and Testa, P.F. (2019) ‘Better Government, Better Science: The Promise of and Challenges Facing the Evidence-Informed Policy Movement’, Annual Review of Political Science, 22(1), pp. 521–542. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-polisci-050517-124041.
Bogenschneider, K. and Corbett, T. (2021) Evidence-Based Policymaking?: Envisioning a New Era Of Theory, Research, and Practice. Second Edition. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/892315.
Haspel, M. and Knotts, H.G. (2005) ‘Location, Location, Location: Precinct Placement and the Costs of Voting’, The Journal of Politics, 67(2), pp. 560–573. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2508.2005.00329.x.
DANIEL ESTY, REECE RUSHING (2007) ‘The Promise of Data-Driven Policymaking’, Issues in Science and Technology, 23(4), pp. 67–72. Available at: https://www-jstor-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/stable/43314516.
Chetty, R. et al. (no date) ‘The Opportunity Atlas: Mapping the Childhood Roots Of Social Mobility’. Available at: https://www-nber-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/papers/w25147.
Asher, J., Banks, D. and Scheuren, F.J. (eds) (2008) ‘Using Population Data Systems to Target Vulnerable Population Subgroups and Individuals: Issues and Incidents’, in Statistical Methods for Human Rights. New York, NY: Springer New York, pp. 273–328. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/reader.action?docID=336717&ppg=291.
Tirole, J. (2021) ‘Digital Dystopia’, American Economic Review, 111(6), pp. 2007–2048. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20201214.
Corduneanu-Huci, C., Dorsch, M.T. and Maarek, P. (2021) ‘The politics of experimentation: Political competition and randomized controlled trials’, Journal of Comparative Economics, 49(1), pp. 1–21. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jce.2020.09.002.
Das, S. (2020) ‘(Don’t) leave politics out of it: Reflections on public policies, experiments, and interventions’, World Development, 127. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104792.
Hjort, J. et al. (2021) ‘How Research Affects Policy: Experimental Evidence from 2,150 Brazilian Municipalities’, American Economic Review, 111(5), pp. 1442–1480. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20190830.
Drèze, J. (2020) ‘Policy beyond evidence’, World Development, 127. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104797.
LEE, N. (2022) ‘Do Policy Makers Listen to Experts? Evidence from a National Survey of Local and State Policy Makers’, American Political Science Review, 116(2), pp. 677–688. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055421000800.
Banuri, S., Dercon, S. and Gauri, V. (2019) ‘Biased Policy Professionals’, The World Bank Economic Review, 33(2), pp. 310–327. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhy033.

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam	Description	Deadline	Coursework weighting
Coursework	Critical Writing Reaction Paper 1	07/02/2025	25%
Coursework	Critical Writing Reaction Paper 2	28/02/2025	25%
Coursework	Pre Analysis Plan Peer Assessment	14/03/2025	10%
Coursework	Pre Analysis Plan Paper	21/03/2025	40%

Exam format definitions

Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Dr Nicole Baerg, email: nicole.baerg@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff: Dr Nicole Baerg

Contact details: Please contact govpgquery@essex.ac.uk

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: Yes

Available to Outside Option: No

Available to Audit: Yes

External examiner

Name: Dr Adrian Florea

Institution: University of Glasgow

Academic role: Senior Lecturer in International Relations

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording: No lecture recording information available for this module.

Further information

Department website: Government

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The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.

Module Directory

GV924-7-SP-CO:The Politics of Public Policy