Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Politic Sc & Internat Studies
This course examines the strengths and limitations of a comparative approach to the analysis of public policies. It evaluates different methodological approaches used in the comparison of policies between and within countries, and critically assesses the potential for policy transfer. Selected policy areas of current or ongoing concern in contemporary political systems are used to illustrate the types of lessons that can be drawn from comparison. The course equips students with the ability to critically evaluate comparative policy studies and to engage effectively in current debates over policy directions.
This course introduces students to 'comparative public policy' both as a field of study and as a method of policy analysis. The course combines academic theory with practical application and aims to develop (a) students’ ability to conduct effective and rigorous comparative public policy analyses, and (b) students' ability to communicate the findings of comparative analyses in a clear and succinct manner in a Policy Briefing Note. More specifically, the course seeks to equip students with methodological and conceptual tools to explain differences and commonalities in public polices across and within countries, and to assess the extent to which policy-makers can learn from policy experiences in other nations or jurisdictions.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
The course comprises 12 seminars, commencing in week 1
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to introduce students to comparative policy analysis, and to encourage a reflective, critical and practical appreciation of the conceptual frameworks that have been used to compare policies across countries and policy areas.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Have a clear understanding of the field of comparative public policy in both theory and practice.
LO2.
Have a clear understanding of the methodological approaches employed in comparative policy analysis.
LO3.
Interpret comparative policy studies, recognising differences in social, cultural and political contexts.
LO4.
Undertake critical comparative policy analysis informed by comparative theories and methodologies, drawing on appropriate sources of evidence.
LO5.
Communicate results of comparative policy analysis in written and spoken forms, both individually and as a member of a team.
LO6.
Develop an appreciation of the benefits and limitations of comparative policy analysis and the potential for policy transfer to advance current practices.
Assessment
Assessment summary
Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
---|---|---|---|
Participation/ Student contribution, Reflection |
Seminar participation
|
20% |
29/07/2024 - 14/10/2024 |
Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Policy learning memo (1500 words) | 30% |
28/08/2024 2:00 pm |
Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation |
Peer feedback exercise (500 words)
|
10% |
19/09/2024 2:00 pm |
Essay/ Critique | Comparative Case Study (3,500 words) | 40% |
25/10/2024 2:00 pm |
Assessment details
Seminar participation
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Written
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution, Reflection
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
29/07/2024 - 14/10/2024
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
10 marks are allocated for class attendance and participation (you may miss 2 seminars without penalty). To receive one mark, students should:
(a) Attend the seminar in person
(b) Read the articles listed for that week in preparation for the seminar
(c) Participate actively in group discussions about course topics and themes.
A further 10 marks are allocated for students to lead a group discussion activity. Further information regarding this aspect will be provided via the course Blackboard page. However, in short, students will be required to:
(a) Prepare an activity for students on their table of roughly 10 minutes in duration, building on the course readings for the week. This should include either slides or a handout for students, to be submitted as part of the assessment.
(b) In the week following the activity, students will submit a 500-word reflection on what they learned from the activity and how they feel it could be improved for next time. These are due within one week of your activity.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submit written reflection and slides/handout via Turnitin.
Submission:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
If students are unable to complete their activity in class, they can organise a short meeting with the course coordinator to discuss what they had planned to do in class.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Policy learning memo (1500 words)
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
28/08/2024 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
Your task is to put yourself "in the shoes" of a (government) policy advisor. You have been asked to write a short briefing note that identifies lessons from a successful or failed policy for Australia, from another country. You are free to choose the country and the policy, but may want to consider a policy that has attracted scholarly and/or media attention.
Students will be provided with a specific guidance on the format and content via the subject Blackboard – a key aspect of the task will be precisely reproducing this format. However, in broad terms the memo will need to address the following elements:
- Background on the policy and its relevance to Australia
- An analysis of why the policy succeeded or failed
- The implications for your chosen policy area in Australia (e.g. is this a policy that should be adopted? Or in case of policy failure, do similar risks exist here?). These should be presented as specific recommendations.
- A discussion of potential barriers to implementing these recommendations (such as the views of stakeholders, or perhaps a need to significantly adapt the policy to Australian conditions).
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submission:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Peer feedback exercise (500 words)
- Team or group-based
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
19/09/2024 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
This assessment is a preparation exercise for the final case study assignment. However, it will also test the ability to provide helpful feedback to colleagues.
The task requires students to do two things in preparation for the class in Week 9.
(1) Prepare a detailed plan for the final assignment
(2) Prepare a short presentation (~5 minutes) based on this plan, to present a partner in class (you will be allocated a partner by your course coordinator). You should discuss your selection of cast studies, the main arguments of the paper and the evidence you have collected or plan to collect.
In class, when your partner is presenting, your role will be that of the friendly critic, aiming to ask questions and provide comments that will help to improve your partner's presentation. Following the class, you will be required to put together 400-500 words of written feedback and suggestions for your partner, based on your understanding of comparative public policy. You will send this to your partner and also submit it as an assessment to the Blackboard. This written feedback is the assessable component of the assessment.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submission:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
If you are not able to make it to class in Week 9 (for a valid reason, such as illness), an alternative will be offered by the course coordinator – this may involve either a written version or pairing up with other students who were not present in class. Please email the course coordinator directly.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Comparative Case Study (3,500 words)
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
25/10/2024 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
Comparative Case Study
Your task in this case study is to compare and contrast different policy responses used by governments in two different jurisdictions to deal with the same policy challenge. The two cases may be from two different countries or from two different jurisdictions within the same country (e.g. states, regions, provinces, local government areas) and may cover a challenge in any specific policy area (e.g. health care, education, defence, urban planning, energy).
You should aim to choose two cases in which there is at least some difference in the approach, or in the outcomes of the approach – cases that are mostly very similar are unlikely to make for very interesting comparisons. At the same time, be wary of comparing "apples with oranges" – cases in which there is little basis to compare because they are so different. Don't worry if this is not yet clear, as we will talk much more about the basis for valid comparisons in the early weeks of the course!
Your comparative analysis should focus on two important aspects:
(1) Why did your two cases take the approach that they did? If each jurisdiction took a different approach, how can we explain this?
(2) What were the outcomes? And does one approach appear to have been more effective than the other? Why might this be the case?
Note also that ~300-500 words of your assignment should be dedicated to discussing how you integrated the feedback from the Peer Feedback exercise into your assignment. This should be included at the beginning of the assignment in a clearly labelled section.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submission:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
Grade | Description |
---|---|
1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student does not establish a viable or relevant question, does not address the question, shows no evidence of reading and minimal comprehension of the issues at hand. |
2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student provides a poor question, addresses the question poorly and shows very little evidence of reading. |
3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: The student presents an adequate question, makes an effort to establish a single major argument for the essay and employs some research which is correlated with the argument. The student makes a visible effort to achieve adequate grammar, spelling and punctuation. Evidence of attempting to achieve a recognisable narrative flow appears throughout the assignment. The student addresses the question and shows evidence of required research and a basic grasp of the issues at hand. However, falls short of satisfying all basic requirements for a Pass. |
4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student establishes a question, makes a reasonable effort to provide evidence to support a visible argument and employs an adequate research base to support the argument. Achieves a reasonable, if not completely coherent standard of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. A recognisable line of argument is sustained throughout the essay. The student answers the question and shows evidence of adequate research and a degree of understanding of the issues at hand. |
5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student provides a good question, suitable evidence to support an argument and employs a comprehensive research base that directly relates to the topic, though it may not completely support the argument. Achieves reasonable levels of competence in grammar, spelling, punctuation and the development of key ideas. The student answers the question in a direct, well supported fashion and shows evidence of some wide reading and a reasonable understanding of the issues at hand. |
6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates a very good grasp of the chosen topic and provides a considerable amount of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The student employs a reasonably extensive and well-organised research base to structure evidence in support of the argument and achieves a high level of competence in grammar, spelling, punctuation and the progression of ideas and argument. The student answers the question in a direct, reasonably sophisticated fashion, employs wide research and shows a sound understanding of the issues at hand. |
7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates a highly sophisticated grasp of the topic and succeeds in addressing the question by providing a high level of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The student employs an extensive and well organised research base to structure evidence in support of the argument and achieves impeccable levels of grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The student answers the question in a direct and elegant fashion, employs significant research and shows a deep understanding of the issues at hand. |
Additional course grading information
Grades will be awarded on the following basis:
1.ᅠFailᅠ 1 - 19%
2. Failᅠ 20 - 44%
3. Failᅠ 45 – 49%
4. Passᅠ 50 - 64 %
5. Creditᅠ 65 - 74 %
6. Distinctionᅠ 75 - 84 %
7. High Distinctionᅠ 85 - 100 %
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Word Length Penalty
Unless otherwise indicated, in the case of written submissions with a specified word count, you are given a +10% leeway on the upper word limit. If your written submission is over this leeway limit, it will attract a 10 percentage point penalty. For example, if your essay is 1,500 words, you may write up to 1,650 before attracting a word count penalty. If your essay exceeds the upper word limit, it will attract a 10% word count penalty. Therefore, if your essay is worth 40 marks, you will lose 4 marks from your allotted grade. Unless specified, penalties only apply to exceeding the word length, not for failure to write a sufficient amount.
Students should note:
• The Author-date in-text referencing system will count toward the word length;
• References in the Footnote referencing system will not count toward the word length. If you are using footnotes, any content included in footnotes beyond the specific text reference will count towards the word length.
Marking Criteria/Rubric
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Essay Guide
The School of Political Science and International Studies Essay Guide can be downloaded from the School’s Student Support webpage.
The Guide sets out guidelines you should follow in preparing written assignments.
Essay Writing Assistance
The School of Political Science and International Studies schedules regular “drop-in” sessions designed to provide one-on-one advice and assistance in essay planning and writing.
There is no need to make an appointment and you are encouraged to bring your essay with you.
The day and time of these sessions will be finalized at the beginning of each semester and published on the Student Support webpage.
Student Services
Student services offer a variety of short courses during the semester which will help you improve your study, research and writing skills and thus your academic performance in this course.
Library Resources
UQ Library offers training in software, assignment writing, research skills, and publishing and research management.
The University’s library holdings for Political Science and International Studies are primarily located in the Central Library.
There is a help desk in the Library. Students are also welcome to contact the BEL/HASS Librarians for assistance.
Email: librarians@library.uq.edu.au
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
---|---|---|
Week 1 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Seminar |
Course Introduction SEMINAR 1 introduces students to the course aims, intended learning outcomes, and course requirements. Once this is has been discussed, we will explore some philosophical questions that might arise in comparative public policy research (e.g. is reality knowable? How might comparisons help us understand the 'reality' of public policy?). Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 2 (29 Jul - 04 Aug) |
Seminar |
Faith in 'objective' comparative research SEMINAR 2 introduces students to the 1950s behavioural revolution in the social sciences, which increased faith among social science researchers in scientific methods and, in turn, in their ability to explain and resolve societal issues. We will also explore the strengths and weaknesses of the different kinds of comparative methods identified in the early comparative politics literature. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 3 (05 Aug - 11 Aug) |
Seminar |
Competing policy frames and 'narratives Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 4 (12 Aug - 18 Aug) |
Seminar |
Comparative Politics (CP) and Comparative Public Policy (CPP) SEMINAR 4 introduces students to the 'comparative politics' (CP) and 'comparative public policy' (CPP) literatures. We will discuss some of the key approaches and methods that aid us in comparing political and policy systems, as well as specific policies and policy outcomes. Whereas CP focuses on differences across countries, CPP focus on differences across policy sectors and across different levels of government. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 5 (19 Aug - 25 Aug) |
Seminar |
Policy Learning and Policy Transfer SEMINAR 5 briefly recalls the key concepts used in CPP literature (e.g. 'policy diffusion', 'lesson-drawing', 'policy learning', 'policy-transfer', 'best practice') and considers, with help of case studies, how policy analysts use these concepts in their attempts to ascertain 'policy success' and 'policy failure'. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 6 (26 Aug - 01 Sep) |
Seminar |
Transnational Networks & Policy Convergence SEMINAR 6 considers how informal (transnational) policy networking activity often contributes to policy convergence, with the same policy solutions being adopted and implemented in different countries. As we will see, convergence can lead to policy success, but also policy failure. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 7 (02 Sep - 08 Sep) |
Seminar |
Policy making in multilevel governance settings In SEMINAR 7 we examine the increasingly complex, multi-layered policy 'landscape' which contemporary policy-makers have to navigate. As we will see, complex (national, regional or global) multi-governance systems can be a help or hindrance for those pursuing policy innovation. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 8 (09 Sep - 15 Sep) |
Seminar |
Comparing European Integration & American Federalism In Seminar 8, we first consider how European Union (EU) membership has enabled EU member-states to coordinate policy, and to secure ambitious policy objectives. We will then compare EU policymaking to the United States, where federalism provokes competition and coordination challenges even within one nation. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 9 (16 Sep - 22 Sep) |
Seminar |
a) Case studies in health policy and b) peer feedback exercise In SEMINAR 9, we will consolidate what we have learned so far by applying the different approaches to several case studies in health policy, including in relation to vaccination and universal health care. In the second half of the seminar, we will undertake our peer assessment exercise in preparation for the case study assessment. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Mid Sem break (23 Sep - 29 Sep) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
********** MID SEMESTER BREAK ********** No Seminar this week ****************************************** |
Week 10 (30 Sep - 06 Oct) |
Seminar |
State Capacity Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
***KING'S BIRTHDAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY*** NO SEMINAR THIS WEEK. Use the additional time to work on your final assignment. |
Week 12 (14 Oct - 20 Oct) |
Seminar |
Comparative Public Policy: New Research Themes Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 13 (21 Oct - 27 Oct) |
Seminar |
Revision Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.