Politics and Public Policy

This paper introduces the politics of democratic policymaking, with the aim of laying the foundations for empirically substantiated and critical evaluation of the actions of governments. It is structured in two parts.

Part one, in Michaelmas term, introduces conceptual and theoretical tools that can help us make sense of how governments in different countries respond to social and economic pressures. We will explore, in turn, the interests, ideas, and institutions that shape the behaviour of key actors in public policymaking.

Part two, in Lent term, is an opportunity to delve deeper into some specific policy issues. We will analyse four policy challenges that are of pressing importance in the 21st century, in a series of guest lectures and seminars delivered by experts from the Bennett Institute for Public Policy. 

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