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Crawford School of Public Policy · ANU College of Law, Governance and Policy
This course is available for on-campus & remote (online) learning. All students participate in interactive, real-time classes. In this course students examine the role of evidence, knowledge production and politics in policy analysis. Particular emphasis is placed on equipping students with skills to critically evaluate common techniques used for policy analysis, such as modelling, impact evaluation and cost benefit analysis. Students begin with an overview of the logic and rationale for commonly used techniques, before moving on to consider the practical, political and epistemic considerations necessary to effectively contextualize these (and similar) techniques. Through applied exercises students will gain skills in interpreting and evaluating the appropriateness and applicability of evidence in policy analysis.
Policy analysis practice reflection (1000 words)
Learning outcomes 1, 4, 5
Report evaluating potential forms of evidence (1500 words)
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3
Take-home exam (2000 words)
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
The standard workload for a 6 unit course is 130 hours including class time and independent study.
None Preliminary Reading Argyrous G (ed) (2009) Evidence for policy and decision-making: a practical guide, University of New South Wales Press, Sydney. Cairney P (2016) The politics of evidence-based policy making, Palgrave MacMillan, London. Meltzer R and Schwartz A (2019) Policy analysis as problem solving: a flexible and evidence-based framework, Routledge, New York. Moran M, Rein M and Goodin RE (eds) (2006) The Oxford handbook of public policy, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Parkhurst J (2016) The politics of evidence: from evidence-based policy to the good governance of evidence, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon. Radin BA (2019) Policy analysis in the twenty-first century: complexity, conflict and cases, Routledge, New York, NY.