Politics of Policymaking: Global Perspec

Open to First-Year MPA Only. Policymaking—the process by which political actors make decisions on a range of policy issues—is strongly influenced by context. This course creates a better understanding of how policymaking in developing and developed countries is shaped by specific forms of government, state institutions, actor constellations, political competition, and the way policy processes are informed by data and lived experiences.

The first part of the course introduces students to different political systems, actors, and approaches to understanding politics. This will enable students to analyze the contexts, determinants, and outcomes of political processes. The analytical foundations include approaches of mainstream and intersectional policy analysis, varieties of democracy and autocracy and the role of external donors, such as donors and international organizations. The second part of the course focuses on concrete ways to make, negotiate, and influence policies. This includes discussions on a toolbox for policymaking, evidence-based and participatory policymaking, social movements, policy innovation, and advocacy.

In addition to providing participants with the conceptual foundations of politics and policymaking, the course teaches students a set of policy tools that students can apply throughout their careers in government, think tanks, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector. A centerpiece of these skills is policy memo writing, in which students will learn to conduct concise, evidence-based policy analysis that diagnoses a policy problem, evaluates potential solutions, and conducts analysis of the relevant political institutions and actors. Other policy tools include the use and design of indicators, polls, public participation plans, and stakeholder mappings.

Besides the material covered in the lectures, students will also attend a weekly recitation section. Recitation sections will help students develop the skills necessary for policy analysis, or involve the discussion of case studies to explore key concepts related to the lecture.

By the end of the course, students will have a better understanding of how public policy is made and implemented in a range of countries, enhanced skills, and tools to design policies and be able to actively participate in policymaking processes in a variety of roles.