With the current challenges facing the European political project, there is no better moment to reconsider what Europe means. However, instead of looking at...

Writing from the Other Europe (SEEE0020)

With the current challenges facing the European political project, there is no better moment to reconsider what Europe means. However, instead of looking at Europe through the traditional centres of political power (Brussels, Paris, Berlin), this module looks at Europe from the perspective of cultures of east-central Europe – from Belgrade, Budapest and Brno. Through lesser-known masterpieces of contemporary European literature and film, we will examine different ‘geopoetic’ concepts of Europe (Eastern Europe? Central Europe? A ‘kidnapped West’?), challenge the ‘east-west divide’, and explore the impact of communism and its aftermath on culture. Through this, we will approach a more nuanced understanding of what Europe is.

The making and implementation of public policy is fundamentally political. The people who design laws, who vote on them in legislatures, who negotiate the...

The Politics of Public Policy (PUBL0098)

The making and implementation of public policy is fundamentally political. The people who design laws, who vote on them in legislatures, who negotiate the implementation of them in bureaucracies, who sell them to the public, all operate within political environments which shape their behaviour. Policy analysis cannot be considered purely in terms of programme evaluation and public administration, but rather must also focus on which policies can be implemented in the face of political constraints. This module introduces students to key models of the politics that affect policy formation and delivery. Drawing on theories of political economy, the module addresses how specific political institutions shape and constrain the policymaking process. Students will study the key normative frameworks that help to inform policy choices; the social dilemmas that are common to many public policy challenges, such as externalities, and collective action and coordination problems; and a series of challenges faced by political actors intending to implement good governance, including features of the political process that affect incentives (such as electoral and legislative institutions), and more fundamental issues that can lead to suboptimal outcomes (such as information problems and commitment problems). Students will learn some of the key analytical skills required for rigorously analysing the politics of public policy, including basic game theory and decision theory. The module has a strongly applied focus, and students will use the models that are covered in the materials to understand key issues in contemporary policymaking.

 