COURSE INFORMATION Course Title: ECONOMICS AND POLITICS OF PUBLIC POLICY

Code	Course Type	Regular Semester	Theory	Practice	Lab	Credits	ECTS
PIR 465	C	1	3	0	0	3	6

Academic staff member responsible for the design of the course syllabus (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature)	NA
Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	Avdi Smajljaj , Wednesday 13:30-16:30
Second Lecturer(s) (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	NA
Teaching Assistant(s) and Office Hours:	NA
Language:	English
Compulsory/Elective:	Elective
Classroom and Meeting Time:	E 312
Course Description:	This master level course applies both normative and positive theories of public policy to specific policy areas, including social as well as regulatory policies, and to current topics such as national security and terrorism, and secondary credit markets (i.e., the mortgage and credit crash). Topics covered in designated class sessions include issues in education (and day care); cash and in-kind transfers to the poor; health care; social security; crime and illegal drugs (and terrorism); environmental regulation and natural resources; risk, safety and (maybe) advertising regulation; and other policy issues of specific interest to those in the class.
Course Objectives:	The course aims to equip students with theoretical knowledge and scientific skills to deal with public policies. It introduces students to public policy making cycle from the perspective of economics and political sciences, as well practical knowledge how public policy making is a result of political struggle.

COURSE OUTLINE

Week	Topics
1	Introduction to the course
2	Public policy making process
3	Rationality and methodological individualism, preference aggregation and manipulation
4	Public goods and the collective action problem
5	The public choice of redistribution, welfare spending and the size of the public sector
6	Information, mass media and public policy
7	Electoral rules and policy outcomes
8	Midterm exam
9	Political agency: institutions and political accountability
10	Organization of legislatures and legislative procedures
11	Interest groups
12	Political leadership
13	The origins and effects of political institutions
14	Political agency: bureaucracy

Prerequisite(s):	N/A
Textbook:	Shepsle, K.A. 2010. Analyzing Politics: Rationality, Behavior, and Institutions. W.W. Norton & Company Mueller, D.C. 2003. Public Choice III. Cambridge University Press Dunleavy, P. 2016. Democracy, Bureaucracy and Public Choice: Economic Approaches in Political Sciences. Routledge McNutt, P. A. 2002. The Economics of Public Choice. Aldershot Birkland, T.A. 2010. An Introduction to the Policy Process: Theories, Concepts and Models of Public Policy Making. M.E. Sharpe
Other References:	-
Laboratory Work:	N/A
Computer Usage:	N/A
Others:	No

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

1	Understand economic principles in public policy making.
2	Identify politics in all the steps of public policy making process.
3	Approach public policy making from the perspective economics and politics
4	Assess the role of agents in public policy
5	Comprehend interest creation and articulation in public policy making process

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES (Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution)

No	Program Competencies	Cont.
Master of Science in Political Science and International Relations Program
1	Having and using advanced knowledge and comprehension supported by textbooks including actual knowledge in political sciences and international relations literature, materials and the other scientific resources.	5
2	Analyzing data, ideas and concepts of current political issues and international relations, determining complex events and topics, making discussions and developing new suggestions in accordance with researches.	4
3	Having knowledge and thought about actual topics and problems together with their historical, social and cultural aspects.	5
4	Introducing those who are interested in politics and international events with the topics of Political Science and IR and teaching clearly the problems and the types of solutions.	5
5	Improving skills of working together with the main social science disciplines and other disciplines which are related to Political Science and International Relations.	5
6	Improving critical thinking and skills in making research independently.	5
7	Developing solutions about the problems and conflicts which are common in national and international arena.	5
8	Improving skills for leadership and research and analyze capacity of those who is responsible with national and international ones.	5
9	Knowing any foreign language enough to communicate with colleagues and understand actual researches and articles.	5
10	Gaining IT skills to use computer and technology) in order to reach actual knowledge.	5
11	Gaining skills to follow societal, scientific and ethic values during collecting, interpreting, conducting of data related to social and political developments.	1
12	Having consciousness about human rights and environment.	5
13	Gaining the skills to follow actual developments and pursue long-life learning.	5

COURSE EVALUATION METHOD

Method	Quantity	Percentage
Midterm Exam(s)	1	25
Project	1	30
Final Exam	1	35
Attendance		10
	Total Percent:	100%

ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)

Activities	Quantity	Duration(Hours)	Total Workload(Hours)
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours)	16	3	48
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice)	16	2	32
Mid-terms	1	15	15
Assignments	1	20	20
Final examination	1	35	35
Other			0
Total Work Load:			150
Total Work Load/25(h):			6
ECTS Credit of the Course:			6