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Comparative Public Policy (L2052)

15 credits, Level 5

Autumn teaching

Why do public policies differ from country to country? How can we explain these differences? Why are some governments more successful than others in solving specific policy problems? These are the key questions you'll explore in this introductory module on comparative public policy.

The module is divided into two parts:

• Theoretical framework: You'll examine theoretical issues related to public policy analysis, including the stages of the policy process and the main theories that explain cross-national and temporal differences in public policy.
• Policy analysis: You'll apply these theories to specific policy areas such as:
  • welfare and social policy
  • pension policy
  • family policy
  • labour market policy
  • immigration policy
  • education policy

For each policy area, you'll examine the roles of various actors, interests, and institutions in the policy process, as well as the influence of broader structures and ideas in policy making.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 20 hours of contact time and about 130 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.