University of Alberta School of Business Department of Strategic Management and Organization
SMO 639 - Lec X50
The Process of Making Public Policy
Instructor: Rodney E. Schneck Office: 1-27C Business Building Office Phone: 780 492-0564
Winter Term 2017 Classroom: BUS 4-16 Mondays: 6:30-9:30 pm Office Hours: Before and after class and by appointment
COURSE OVERVIEW
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION [SMO] 639, The Process of Making Public Policy, fundamentally centres on the process of making public policy and investigates the questions of how public policy is made in a democratic and capitalistic society. In essence, this course focuses on the theory and practice of decision and policy making within the modern public sector. In so doing, SMO 639 will have four basic orientations:
1. It will be eclectic; readings have been selected with a view to expose the students to a variety of disciplines, orientations, conceptual schemes and major interpretations.
2. It will focus on the making of public policy in a Canadian context.
3. We will examine the making of public policy in an environment of economic, political, social and technological change. This creates a policy context of great uncertainty and complexity.
4. As well as examining the process of making public policy, we are interested in discussing the essential differences and similarities between the public and private sectors.
COURSE FORMAT:
The course will be run as a seminar. Students are expected to read and study all required materials.
Emphasis will be placed on reading and discussion.
TEXTBOOKS:
Miljan, Lydia. Public Policy in Canada: An introduction, 6th ed. Oxford University Press, 2012.
Donald J. Savoie, What is Government Good at?, Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2015.
A set of readings assembled in a custom course readings package.
ASSESSMENT:
There are two elements in the assessment process:
1. A take home project of 10-15 pages (to be discussed in class) – 50%
2. Class contribution and discussion – 50%
OFFICE HOURS I am willing to meet students individually or in groups on any matters relating to the course. Arrange time with the instructor.
COURSE OUTLINE & READINGS
SESSION I: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
Pre-reading to be read before class begins on January 9th: Miljan, Public Policy in Canada, pp. 2-26.
SESSION II: THE NEED FOR PUBLIC POLICY
Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pieron, “Making America Great Again: The Case for the Mixed Economy,”
Foreign Affairs, May/June, 2016, pp. 69-90
Mariana Mazzucato, “Governments Should Make Markets, Not Just Fix Them,” Foreign Affairs, January/February 2015, pp.61-79.
Lawrence H. Summers, “The Age of Secular Stagnation,” Foreign Affairs, March/April 2016, pp.2-9.
John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge,”The State of the State,” Foreign Affairs, July/August 2014, pp 118-132.
“The Return of the Machinery Question,” The Economist, June 25th, 2016. Pp 3-16
SESSION III: THE TECHNOLOGICAL CONTEXT OF PUBLIC POLICY: THE DIGITAL AGE
Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen, The New Digital Age, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013, pp. 3-31
“The Third Great Wave”, The Economist, October 4th, 2014, pp. 3-18.
“The Signal and the Noise,” The Economist, March 26th, 2016, pp 3-16
Erik Brynjolfsson, Andrew McAfee, and Michael Spence, “The New World Order”, Foreign Affairs, July/August, 2014, pp. 44-53.
SESSION IV: THE TECHNOLOGICAL CONTEXT OF PUBLIC POLICY: THE DIGITAL AGE
“Hi, Robot: Work and Life in the Age of Automation,” Foreign Affairs, July/August, 2015, pp.2-33.
Andrew McAfee and Eric Brynjolfsson “Human Work in the Age of Automation: Policy for the Age of Automation,” Foreign Affairs July/August, 2016, pp. 139-150.
Joshua Cooper Ramo, “The Age of Network Power,” in Joshua Cooper Ramo, The Seventh Sense. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2016, pp. 31-57.
Henry Kissinger, “Cyber Technology and World Order” in World Order, New York: Penguin Press, 2014, pp.341-360.
SESSION V: THE CANADIAN CONTEXT OF PUBLIC POLICY
Miljan, Public Policy in Canada, pp. 51-84.
Donald J. Savoie, What is Government Good At?, pp. 3-138.
SESSION VI: THE CANADIAN CONTEXT OF PUBLIC POLICY
Donald J. Savoie, What is Government Good At?, pp. 139-280.
SESSION VII: THE PROCESS OF MAKING PUBLIC POLICY
Giandomenico Majone, “Agenda Setting,” Ch. 11 in Michael Moran, Martin Rein and Robert E. Goodin, eds., The Oxford Handbook of Public Policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006, pp.228-250.
Lawrence Susskind, “Arguing, Bargaining, and Getting Agreement,” Ch. 13 in Michael Moran, Martin Rein and Robert E. Goodin, eds., The Oxford Handbook of Public Policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006, pp.269-295.
Victor R. Fuchs, “The Economic Perspective,” Ch. 1 in How We Live, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1983, pp.1-14. 293 pp. total. [Course package readings]
Donald F. Kettl, “Public Bureaucracies,” Ch. 19 in R.A.W. Rhodes, Sarah A. Binder and Bert A. Rockman, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Political Institutions, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006,
pp.366-384.
SESSION VIII: THE PROCESS OF MAKING PUBLIC POLICY
Miljan, Public Policy in Canada, pp.87-120.
Donald J. Savoie, “Looking Elsewhere for Policy Advice,” in Donald J. Savoie, Breaking the Bargain: Public Servants, Ministries and Parliament, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2003, pp. 103-131.
Jan Jorgensen and Henry Mintzberg, “Emergent Strategy for Public Policy,” Canadian Public Administration, vol. 30, no. 2, 1987, pp.214-229.
Thomas Homer-Dixon, “Earthquake” in Thomas Homer-Dixon, The Upside of Down. Toronto: Alfred A.
Knopf, 2006, pp. 101-128.
SESSION IX: THE PROCESS OF MAKING PUBLIC POLICY
Daniel Kahneman, Dan Lovallo and Oliver Sibony, “Before you make big decisions”, Harvard Business Review June 2011, pp. 50-60.
Dan Lovallo and Daniel Kahneman, “Delusions of Success”, Harvard Business Review, July 2003, pp. 56- 63.
Charles Roxburgh, “Hidden Flaws in Strategy”, McKinsey Quarterly, Issue 2, 2003, pp. 36- 39.
Jeffrey Pfeffer, “Power Play”, Harvard Business Review, July – August 2010, pp. 85-92.
John Kay, “The Advantages of Oblique Decision-Making,” in John Kay, Obliquity, New York: Penguin Press, 2010, pp. 187-210.
SESSION X: Theories of Decision Making
Herbert A. Simon, “Alternative Versions of Rationality,” Ch.1 in Herbert A. Simon, Reason in Human Affairs.
Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1983, pp.03-35.
Herbert A. Simon, “Rational Processes in Social Affairs,” Ch. 3 in Herbert A. Simon, Reason in Human Affairs. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1983, pp. 75-107
Charles E. Lindblom, “The Science of Muddling Through.” Public Administration Review, Vol. 19, 1959, pp.
79-88.
Erwann Michel-Kerjan and Paul Slovic, editors. “Subways, Coconuts and Foggy Minefields,” Ch.3 [by Robin M.Hogarth] in The Irrational Economist, Public Affairs, 2010, pp.21-29.
John Kay, “The Advantages of Oblique Decision-Making,” in John Kay Obliquity, New York: Penguin Press, 2010, pp. 187-210.
SESSION XI: A FEW DIVERSE IDEAS ABOUT THE PUBLIC
Dan Ariely, “Lessons from the Bible and Leeches,” segment from The Upside of Irrationality, Harper, 2010.
Pp. 288-295.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb, “Prologue”, in Nassim Nicholas Tabel, The Black Swan, New York: Random House, 2007, pp. xvii-xxviii.
Dan Gardner, “The Unpredictable World,” In Dan Gardner, Future Babble, Toronto: McCelland and Stewart, pp. 29-57.
Karl E. Weick, “Small Wins: Redefining the scale of social problems,” American Psychologist, Vol.39, January 1984, pp.40-49.
Dan Ariely, “The High Price of Ownership: Why we overvalue what we have,” Ch. 7 and “Keeping Doors Open: Why options distract us from our main objective,” Ch. 8 in Predictably Irrational: The hidden forces that shape our decisions [revised and expanded edition], pp. 127-138 and pp. 138-
153.2009, HarperCollins.
SESSION XII: POLICY FIELDS
Miljan, Public Policy in Canada, pp.124-207
SESSION XIII: POLICY FIELDS
Miljan, Public Policy in Canada, pp.211-311.
Charles McMillan and Jeffery Overall, “Wicked Problems: Turning Management Upside Down,” Journal of Business Strategy, Vol 37. No 1, 2016, pp 34-42.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
“The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the
provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at www.ualberta.ca/secretariat/appeals.htm) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.” (GFC 29 SEP 2003)
UNIVERSITY POLICY ON COURSE OUTLINES:
“Policy about course outlines can be found in Section 23.4(2) of the University Calendar.” (GFC 29 SEP 2003)
