Бакалавриат
2025/2026
Политический анализ
Лучший по критерию «Новизна полученных знаний»
Статус:
Курс обязательный (Политология и мировая политика)
Где читается:
Санкт-Петербургская школа социальных наук
Когда читается:
3-й курс, 1, 2 модуль
Охват аудитории:
для своего кампуса
Преподаватели:
Стремоухов Денис Александрович
Язык:
английский
Кредиты:
5
Контактные часы:
56
Course Syllabus
Abstract
This mandatory course examines the policy process in different political and geographical contexts. The course considers how policy problems are identified and framed, and how interventions are formed and evaluated. Through lectures and interactive seminars based on core literature, policy material and a project exercise, students learn and apply key concepts in policy studies, get first knowledge of the policy cycle from initiation to implementation and evaluation, and examine the actors, interests and institutions (domestic and external) that shape policy processes and outcomes. Different traditions in policy analysis and normative aspects of the policy process are critically examined, including Russia-specific factors of policymaking. The course consists of two parts. The first part concentrates on the main theories and models of the policy process and discusses their implications for applied policy analysis. The second part deals with the topics lying on the intersection of Policy Studies and Policy Analysis such as evidence-based policymaking and policy transfer. This is not an easy course, so students are strongly recommended to organize their schedule in advance and be ready for a significant amount of readings.
Learning Objectives
- The goal of the course is to teach students to analyze the policy process with the use of different theories as well as to give them a basic understanding of policy evaluation methods and principles.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- engages with normative aspects of policy design, including strategies to mainstream rights, evidence-based, and gender- and conflict-sensitive approaches
- identifies policy problems and critically engage with them with various analytical tools and methods
- understands key concepts in policy studies and apply them to/in specific problems/contexts
Course Contents
- Introduction: why are we here?
- What are public policies and why do (not) we want to analyze them? What are public policy problems?
- The Policy Cycle approach to public policy studies
- Punctuated Equilibrium Theory
- Multiple Streams Framework
- Advocacy Coalition Framework
- Policy Transfer and Diffusion
- Evidence-Based Policy-Making or Policy-Based Evidence-Making?
- Prospective policy evaluation
- Policy Implementation: Bureaucracy and Compliance
- Qualitative and Quantitative Policy Evaluation
- Policy Legitimation: stakeholders’ engagement, input and output legitimacy
- Policy-making in Russia
- Policy paper presentations
Assessment Elements
- Policy paperDuring the course, students are to prepare a team project — a policy paper advising a governmental or non-governmental body on a topic of the students’ choice. Papers define a clear policy problem (policy failure), are characterized both by empirical and analytical rigor, and provide persuasive policy recommendations on the chosen topic. The paper must analyze the background of a certain policy decision (why and how the government decided to do what it did), why the status quo is problematic, and what can be done to solve the problem). The work on the project wiil feature the preparation of the text, presentation of the results to the instructor and classmates, and the fulfillment of three low-stake written assignments "Checkpoints" aimed at ensuring the continuing work on the policy paper throughout the course and connecting it with the course material. The teams will be formed randomly by the instructor. The use of AI tools for generating the text of the paper is not allowed.
- TestThere will be two tests covering the material of the preceding lectures and seminars. The tests will include multiple-choice questions as well as open questions. The dates of the tests will be announced in advance.
- Peer reviewAfter the policy paper draft is submitted, each student is randomly assigned a policy paper by another team for review. In the review, they must acknowledge the strengths, point out the weaknesses of the paper, and outline suggestions on how the text can be improved. There are no specific requirements regarding the form of the review. Students should rely on the policy paper grading criteria as well as the course materials for guidance on what elements might be assessed. Students are expected, among other things, to pay attention to quality of policy problem description, quality of evidence and sources, quality of prospective evaluation, logical structure of the paper, appropriateness of framing and style. Students are expected to write at least 1,500 characters with spaces. If the threshold is not met, the review automatically receives a grade of 1.
- In-class participationStudents are expected to attend each seminar and participate regularly in discussions. The instructor evaluates participation based on the quality of answers, evidence of engagement with the assigned readings and homework, and the overall level of involvement in class activities.
- Final examThe exam is a test with 20 closed and 3 open-ended questions. It is a BLOCKING element.
Interim Assessment
- 2025/2026 2nd module0.2 * Final exam + 0.2 * Test + 0.25 * Policy paper + 0.15 * Peer review + 0.2 * In-class participation
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Cairney, P. (2016). The Politics of Evidence-Based Policy Making. New York: Palgrave Pivot. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1203451
- Thissen, W. A. H., & Walker, W. E. (2013). Public Policy Analysis : New Developments. New York: Springer. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=537663
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Shapiro, S. (2016). Analysis and Public Policy. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1194861