Prospectus

nl en

Public Institutions*

Course
2017-2018

Admission requirements

None

Description

Institutional analysis in its various forms is increasingly prominent in public administration research and helpful for understanding current governance challenges. It is widely recognized that solving collective problems and organizing social life is not limited to the actions of government. Contemporary governance systems are characterized by a variety of actors – public and private, local and international, formal and informal. Furthermore, actors operate in a complex institutional setting. What are institutions, how do they change, and what effect do institutions have on the behaviour of actors? These are the key questions in this course. We will examine the main ‘variations’ of governance, such as networks and regulatory governance, collaborative and participatory governance, global governance, and ‘good governance’. We will explore the contribution of institutional analysis for understanding these current governance challenges.

Course objectives

  1. Have an understanding of the concept of governance and challenges facing organizations functioning in the public domain
  2. Have an understanding of how institutional opportunities and constraints shape how individuals and organizations deal with governance challenges
  3. Understand and be able to apply frameworks of governance to real-world issues.
  4. Be able to draw policy implications from theories and communicate results in a way that is relevant to policymakers.

Timetable

On the Public Administration front page of the E-guide you will find links to the website and timetables, uSis and Blackboard.

Mode of instruction

This course makes use of lectures and in-class discussions.

Course Load

  • Total study load: 140 hrs.

  • Contact hours: 24 hrs (7 weeks x 3hrs per week + 3 hrs exam)

  • Self-study hours: 118 hrs (7X14 hrs weekly preparation; 18 hrs exam preparation)

Assessment method

Written examination with short questions and essay questions (60% of the final grade).
Two written individual assignment (each 20% of the final grade).

The written examination can be retaken in case of a grade lower than 5.5.

Blackboard

Blackboard page is available one week before the course starts.

Reading list

Academic papers to be downloaded through university library. More information on Blackboard.

Registration

Use both uSis and Blackboard to register for every course.

Register for every course and workgroup via uSis. Some courses and workgroups have a limited number of participants, so register on time (before the course starts). In uSis you can access your personal schedule and view your results. Registration in uSis is possible from four weeks before the start of the course.

Also register for every course in Blackboard. Important information about the course is posted here.

Contact

TBA