This module introduces students to the study and practice of policy advice. Graduates of MPA and public policy degrees frequently become producers or users of policy advice in their careers. This module seeks to help students prepare for this role. It familiarises students with foundational scholarship on policy analysis, for instance: how do you define a policy problem? How do you construct policy options to address a policy problem? How do you define the criteria used to assess which policy options should be pursued? And how do you assess which policy options might, in the future, most successfully address a policy problem?

Foundational insights into the scholarship and practice of policy analyses are complemented by insights into the theory and practice of policy communication and the politics surrounding policy advice.

Next to scholarship and case analyses, the module exposes students to real-world policy advisors and helps students develop the requisite analysis and written and oral communication skills for professional policy advice roles.

The module is particularly suited for students interested in domestic (national, regional or local) policy advice rather than global public policy issues, and for students with prior public policy work experience.
*This module is open to MPA, EMPA, MSc and MA students from the Department of Political Science, and, with instructor permission, to students from other Departments.

global justice|international ethics|political theory|political philosophy

This course examines the main theories and some of the key topics in contemporary international ethics. The first part of the course is devoted to an analysis...

This course examines the main theories and some of the key topics in contemporary international ethics. The first part of the course is devoted to an analysis and discussion of the main theories of global justice, such as cosmopolitanism and statism. The second part focuses on a selection of pressing ethical challenges in the contemporary international arena, such as the duties of the wealthy towards the global poor, the justifiability of immigration restrictions, and the distribution of climate change burdens. The final part of the course explores questions of global governance, such as the normative desirability and practical feasibility of global democracy.

Teaching Delivery:

The lecture will provide an overview of the week’s topic and the literature that surrounds it. In the seminar, you will discuss the topic in depth with your peers. You will be expected to read around three articles or chapters for each seminar.

By the end of the module, you should: 
(i)    have a clear grasp of the contemporary literature on global justice; 
(ii)    be able to construct sustained normative arguments about global justice, and be able to defend them against opposing arguments and perspectives;
(iii)    be able to make links between theoretical ideas and empirical information, with particular reference to existing global issues and institutions.