Course coordinator
Dr Michael Gavin
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- 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 deals with the contributions of economic analysis to public policy and governance. The main rationale is to help students better understand how mainstream economists think and how they advise governments and other organisations involved in public policy and broader governance issues. After completing this course students should be able to more fully understand the language and major concepts of mainstream economic analysis as applied to governance and public policy. The course also engages in a critical evaluation of such contributions.
POLS7406 considers the relationship between economic analyses and public policy.ﾠ The ideas of economists have often been politically influential so POLS7406 considers how mainstream economists think about public policy and why/how they influence policymaking and policy institutions. After introducing some basic economic concepts, the course will explore how these apply to real policy issues. Students will explore how markets work (and fail), why governments intervene, and how economic ideas influence the direction of economic policy across several areas including economic growth, inflation, unemployment, taxation, and finance.
Course requirements
Assumed background
This course does NOT assume students have any familiarity with economics.
Course contact
Course staff
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
The in-person version of this course comprises 11 two-hour seminars. These sessions are recorded and posted on BlackBoard for external students to listen to when they wish. Any external students who are able to attend those in-person classes are very welcome to come along (either regularly or occasionally). There is no need to contact me beforehand, just turn up! Classes are 6-8pm on Monday evenings in room S603 - Social Sciences Building.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to help students better understand how mainstream economists think and how they advise governments and other organisations involved in public policy and broader governance issues.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Critically evaluate key economic concepts as they apply to policy making.
LO2.
Communicate clear and persuasive arguments about the merits of an economic approach to particular policy contexts.
LO3.
Leverage theoretical frameworks and case studies to evaluate current global economic issues.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiz | In class quizzes (weeks 5, 7, & 11) | 24% Each quiz is worth 8% of your final grade. |
24/03/2025 7/04/2025 12/05/2025 |
| Essay/ Critique |
Essay (2500 words)
|
40% |
30/05/2025 5:00 pm |
| Presentation, Poster | Poster presentation (week 12) | 22% |
19/05/2025 |
| Participation/ Student contribution | Seminar participation | 14% |
3/03/2025 - 26/05/2025 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
In class quizzes (weeks 5, 7, & 11)
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 24% Each quiz is worth 8% of your final grade.
- Due date
24/03/2025
7/04/2025
12/05/2025
Task description
Quizzes (written in class, on paper) take place at the end of the seminar. Quizzes in weeks 5, 7, and 11 will be on material from weeks 2-5, 5-7, and 8-11, respectively. Quizzes will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions. Questions will be based on weekly readings. Unless due to exceptional circumstances, if a student misses a quiz, they will receive a grade of 0 for that quiz.
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
Students will hand in their quiz to Dr. Gavin.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Essay (2500 words)
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
30/05/2025 5:00 pm
Task description
Students will write a 2,500 essay on a topic of their choice. The essay should focus on one economic policy issue in one country. How do economists view the issue? Does the policy largely follow the economic view? Why or why not?
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.
Hurdle requirements
Students will meet with Dr. Gavin and/or Ms. Mushtaq for a 5-minute discussion regarding their essay. The intent is to judge how well the student understands their own essay. Students must receive a pass in the hurdle assessment to pass this course. Students who do not receive a pass for hurdle assessment can only receive an overall grade of 3 or less for the course. Students who receive an overall score of 3 in the Course are eligible to apply for a supplementary assessment.Submission guidelines
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.
Poster presentation (week 12)
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Presentation, Poster
- Weight
- 22%
- Due date
19/05/2025
Task description
In week 12, students will participate in a poster session presenting their essay. In addition to being stationed at your poster discussing your research and answering questions, students will have the opportunity to mingle and learn about other students’ essays.
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
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Seminar participation
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution
- Weight
- 14%
- Due date
3/03/2025 - 26/05/2025
Task description
Seminar participation is not just about making smart comments or getting answers to questions right; it is also about airing ideas, asking questions, and contributing to a productive classroom discussion. Participation in each seminar is worth up to 2 marks each week. Your best seven seminars will be used towards your participation mark.
If you cannot attend the seminar due to a valid reason (i.e. exceptional circumstances / illness supported by relevant documentation), please contact me prior to the seminar by email and you may be allowed to complete substitute work in lieu of seminar participation. If your request is approved, you will submit an agreed-upon piece of assessment before the next seminar.
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
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
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 notﾠaddress 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 studentﾠaddresses the question poorly and showsﾠvery little evidence of reading. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: The student makes an effort to establish a single major argument for the essay andﾠemploys some research which is correlated with the argument. Makes a visible effort to achieve adequate grammar, spelling and punctuation. Evidence of attempting to achieve a recognisable narrative flowﾠappears throughout the assignment. The studentﾠaddresses the question and shows evidence of required research and a basic grasp of the issues at hand. However,ﾠfalls 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 makes a reasonable effort to provide evidence to support a visible argument andﾠemploys an adequate research base to support the argument. Achieves a reasonable, if not completely coherent standard of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. A recognisable narrative flow is sustained throughout the essay. The studentﾠanswers 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 studentﾠprovides suitable evidence to support an argument andﾠemploys a comprehensive research base that directly relates to the topic, though it may not completely support the argument. Achieves decent levels of competence in grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The studentﾠanswers 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 studentﾠdemonstrates a very good grasp of the chosen topic andﾠprovides a considerable amount of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The studentﾠemploys 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 narrative flow. The studentﾠanswers 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 studentﾠdemonstrates a highly sophisticated grasp of the topic andﾠsucceeds in addressing the question by providing a high level of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The studentﾠemploys an extensive and well organised research base to structure evidence in support of the argument andﾠachieves impeccable levels of grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The studentﾠanswers 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.
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
The course reading list can be found in the Learning Guide on Blackboard.ﾠReadings are at the end of each weekly topic in the Learning Guide.
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 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Seminar |
Introduction |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Seminar |
Thinking like an economist I We will explore core economic principles such as opportunity cost, marginalism, diminishing returns, and efficiency. These foundational ideas form the basis of how economists interpret and evaluate policy choices. |
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Seminar |
Cancelled Class cancelled due to university closure. |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Seminar |
Thinking like an economist II We will continue to explore core economic principles, including gains from trade, the role of incentives, and numerical concepts such as GDP, exchange rates, among others. |
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Seminar |
Markets and market failure We will look at how markets emerge from individuals’ decisions coordinated through price signals and explore why some markets fail, including the provision of public goods, natural monopolies, or externalities. |
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Seminar |
The economic role of the state We will focus on why governments provide public goods, correct negative externalities, and manage risk. These perspectives highlight various approaches to the balance between state intervention and market forces. |
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Seminar |
Economic growth We will highlight the importance of long-term growth in raising living standards, consider how to measure it, and question whether maximizing growth should be a central policy goal. |
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Seminar |
Inflation and unemployment We will examine the Phillips curve, discuss wage determination based on marginal productivity, and discuss whether low-skilled labor should inevitably be paid less. These topics illustrate how inflation and unemployment reflect broader tensions in economic policy. |
Mid-sem break (21 Apr - 27 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-semester break No class this week |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Seminar |
Taxation We will investigate why tax levels often remain historically high despite calls for lower government intervention. We’ll also evaluate the distributional impacts of various tax policies. |
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Seminar |
Labor day (no class) No class this week |
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Seminar |
Banking and finance We will discuss fundamental principles of banking, consider the global financial crisis as a case study in systemic risk, and reflect on how financial regulation intersects with public policy. |
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Seminar |
Poster presentation Students will showcase their research projects through a conference-style poster presentation. |
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Seminar |
Contemporary challenges TBD |
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.