Teaching the politics of policy analysis, aided by a blog

Paul Cairney

doi:10.24965/gapp.11146

Authors

Paul Cairney University of Stirling (United Kingdom) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9956-832X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24965/gapp.11146

Keywords:

Teaching, policy analysis, bounded rationality, blog, public administration

Abstract

When we teach policy analysis, we should focus not only on how to be a policy analyst but also how to situate the act of analysis within a wider political and policymaking context. There is the potential to achieve this aim: policy analysis texts focus on the individual and professional skills required to act efficiently and effectively in a time-pressured political environment, policy process research helps to situate this activity in a policymaking environment out of their control, and critical policy analysis prompts students to identify the inequalities of power that underpin policy practice and outcomes. However, students embody the concept of “bounded rationality” that is central to such studies: there is an overwhelming amount of information that they could encounter, and they have limited resources to learn. In that context, how can we help students to navigate the study of public policy well enough to make “good enough” choices about what and how to learn? I discuss the role of blog posts (and textbook materials) to foster that learning, and a mixture of coursework to help students reflect on the practical implications of what they learn.

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Author Biography

Paul Cairney, University of Stirling (United Kingdom)

Paul Cairney has been Professor of Politics and Public Policy, at the University of Stirling, since 2013. He received his PhD from the University of Strathclyde in 2000. His research focuses on theories of policy processes, applied to fields such as evidence-informed policymaking, UK and devolved policymaking, social and economic inequalities, and public health

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