INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC POLICY

This course is included in the "attività formative di base" (basic educational activities) of the degree in Scienze della Società e del Servizio sociale. These activities provide students lens for understanding the main features and dynamics of contemporary societies. In particular, this course intends to provide these lens through a basic knowledge of the public policies analysis and of its application into the field of social policies.
The course has the objective of introducing students to the concepts and tools of public policies analysis.
Course aims at providing students with both theoretical and practical tools for interpreting public policies. It also aims at providing students with the skills of recognizing the process through which the policy-making process develops (actors, tools, governance, decision making, implementation, evaluation).

Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course students will know and will comprehend:
- the specific terminology of public policies and how it applies to the policy process;
- the main research issues and problems of the analysis of public process even in a diachronic perspective.
- the main elements and characteristics of welfare policies in Italy with reference also to the life cycle of the policies (agenda setting, designign, decision making, implementation, evaluaton).

Applying knowledge and understanding
After the course students will be equipped to:
-correctly use the terminology of public policies in the actual policy-making processes which are analysed;
- simulate the the application of different approaches when they have to cope with a specific policy problem;
- recognize the different phases of the policy-process as regards social policies evolution.

Evaluating skills
Students will learn to develop basic hypothesis of evaluation of social policies (they learn how to build indicators) using the analysis of public policies' tools.

Communication skills
Students will reach skills related to:
- communicating the development of a public policy, its critical phases and crucial moments using a correct terminology:
- interacting with other students: discussing about the issues of the course.
- giving a presentation to the class about a work group (not mandatory)

Learning skills
Students will learn how to critically use textbooks (and their references) and other materials on uploaded on moodles: this is important for making connections among different approaches and different contexts.

Students should know the main issue of sociological thought. Moreover, they should have basic knowledge of the functioning of Italian state. It is important that students have already taken the examinations of sociological theories and of public and admnistrative law.

The course will be devoted to present theoretical framing of public policy analysis. Many cases studies will be predented and students are required to participate in class exercises and exercises that will be proposed as work at home (and then corrected in class).
The main issues are the following:
The concept of Public policy and the most relevant dimensions in order to analyse public, i.e. actors, resources, decision-making arena, policy tools.
The policy-making process: Agenda, Problem-setting, decision making, Implementation, Evaluation.
Policy and Politics: policy determines politics?

Bobbio L., Pomatto G. e Ravazzi S. (2017), Le politiche pubbliche. Problemi, soluzioni, incertezze, conflitti, Mondadori Università, Milano. Chapters 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9.
Riccardo Viale, Laura Macchi (a cura di), 2021, Analisi comportamentale delle politiche pubbliche, Il Mulino, Bologna (chapters I, III, V, VI).
Ferrera M. 2019 (terza edizione), Le politiche sociali, Il Mulino, Bologna (chapter 1: L'analisi delle politiche sociali e del welfare state).

Learning is evaluated through a written exam: 5 open questions with 20 lines for answering in 75 minutes. Three questions aim at evaluating knowledge about fundamental concepts of the course (included in the textbooks) and, through questions with a cross-cutting approach, they aim also at evaluating the actual understanding of these concepts. Two questions aim at evaluating the capacity of applying knowledge and understanding: students will analyse two case studies (public policies) and they have to highlight the policy tools, the indicatori for evaluating output and outcome of that policy, the target group and the possible definitions of the policy problem.

About 60% of the lessons are lectures: professor will explain the main topics and concepts of the course. About 40% of the lessons are devoted to exercises on actual public policies problems and processes. Active participation in exercises offers the opportunity to enhance one's communication skills. It is mandatory to register on the Moodle platform.

Italian

Ca' Foscari applies Italian law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) for support and accommodation services available to students with disabilities or with specific learning disabilities. If you have a motor, visual, hearing or other disability (Law 17/1999) or a specific learning disorder (Law 170/2010) and request support (assistance in the classroom, technological aids for carrying out exams or exams individualized, accessible format material, notes retrieval, specialized tutoring to support the study, interpreters or other) contact the Disability and DSA office disabilità@unive.it.

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Natural capital and environmental quality" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development