PAP-20306 Studying Governance: Key Concepts and Leading Authors

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

Dutch

Assumed knowledge on:

Basic Social Science or PAP-10306

Contents:

Classics can be very fascinating for understanding actual discussions in governance. Bureaucracy cannot be understood without Weber, Machiavelli is still very present in political leadership and powerplay and since Lindblom, Griffith and Kingdon we know that rationality is a too narrow concept for understanding policymaking and implementation. This course provides an historical overview of the study of public administration and policy in the context of societal developments. Students will get acquainted with main concepts and leading authors of politics and government; of public management and organisation; of policy and steering and of law and regulation. In working groups we will read some of these old and modern classics and students will prepare presentations on them.

Learning outcomes:

After the course, students are able to:
- identify and reproduce main themes and theoretical concepts of public administration and policy;
- analyze the historical linkages between theoretical concepts and societal developments;
- understand actual discourses in government and governance;
- do close reading of classic books; - find references in the domain of public administration and policy.

Activities:

Lectures, self study, literature study, group work, presentations, workshops.

Examination:

Written exam, literature report.

Literature:

N. Nelissen, P. de Goede en M. van Twist, Oog voor het openbaar bestuur, een beknopte geschiedenis van de bestuurskunde, 2004 Selection of books.