93465 - GOVERNANCE E POLITICHE PUBBLICHE

Learning outcomes

L’insegnamento intende fornire una conoscenza avanzata dei più importanti approcci allo studio delle politiche pubbliche, con particolare attenzione all’analisi dei processi decisionali, degli assetti interorganizzativi, delle relazioni tra diversi livelli istituzionali, e dei rapporti tra attori pubblici e privati. Al termine del corso, lo studente sarà in grado di: •identificare e distinguere le principali tradizioni di ricerca nell’analisi delle politiche pubbliche e nello studio delle dinamiche di governance ai diversi livelli; •analizzare criticamente i processi decisionali che si sviluppano attorno alla ricerca di soluzioni a problemi di rilevanza collettiva; •contestualizzare i problemi e le criticità del settore pubblico in un confronto con il settore privato.

Course contents

The course aims to provide students with the theoretical, conceptual and methodological tools for the analysis of public policies and for interpreting their change, paying particular attention to the networks of public and private actors involved in decision-making processes.

In the first part of the course the main analytical perspectives for the study and interpretation of policy decisions will be discussed, as well as the classifications that are useful for the analysis of governance structures (public-public, public-private, multilevel). The different models of decision rationality, the stakes of the actors and the resources available to them, as well as the configurations that may develop in the course of decision-making processes will be addressed. Particular attention will be paid to the characteristics of the decision-making context and the influence this can have on shaping actors' strategies and their interactions.

The second part of the course will instead be devoted to deepening the theoretical and conceptual elements learned in the first part with reference to two central problems in policy studies and of great relevance in the current public debate, namely the processes of policy change and complex decision-making in times of crisis. The two topics will be framed and discussed with the aid of practical cases drawn from recent research on the Italian case, focusing on the reforms envisaged in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and on the policies for the management and containment of the pandemic emergency.

Readings/Bibliography

Compulsory readings

Textbook: B. Dente, Le decisioni di policy, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2011 (all chapters)

Mandatory readings IN ADDITION TO THE TEXTBOOK (available in electronic format on Virtual)

1. Simon H. (1991), “The apple”, in Models of my life, the MIT Press, pp. 180-188.

2. Lindblom Ch. (1959), “The Science of Muddling Through”, Public Administration Review, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 79-88

3. Peters G. (2002), “Governance: a garbage can perspective”, Wien: Institut für Höhere Studien (IHS).

4. Eisenhardt K.M. (1997), “Strategic Decisions and All that Jazz”, in Business Strategy Review, Vol. 8, N. 3, pp 1-3

5. Pritoni A. (2019), Politica e interessi. Il lobbying nelle democrazie contemporanee, Bologna, Il Mulino (solo cap. 1)

6. Boerzel T. (1998), “Organizing Babylon. On the different conceptions of policy networks”, in Public Administration, Vol. 76, pp. 253–273.

7. Mayntz R. (1999), “La teoria della governance. Sfide e prospettive”, in Rivista Italiana di Scienza Politica, n. 1, pp. 3-21.

8. Galanti M.T. e Lippi A. (2018), “Il policy advice tra relazioni e forme di legittimazione, in Rivista Italiana di Politiche Pubbliche, n. 3, pp. 319-332.

9. Bitonti A., Montalbano G., Pritoni A. e Vicentini G. (2021), “Chi detta l’agenda? Le dichiarazioni pubbliche dei gruppi di interesse sul Recovery Fund”, in Rivista Italiana di Politiche Pubbliche, n. 3, pp. 459-488.

10. Profeti S. e Baldi B. (2021), “Le regioni italiane e il PNRR: la (vana) ricerca di canali d’accesso all’agenda”, in Rivista Italiana di Politiche Pubbliche, n. 3, pp. 431-458.

11. t’Hart P. et al. (1993) “Crisis decision making. The centralization theory revisited”, in Administration and Society, Vol. 25, n. 1, pp. 12-45.

12. Boin A. e Lodge M. (2021) “Responding to the COVID-19 crisis: a principled or pragmatist approach?”, in Journal of European Public Policy, vol. 28 n. 8, pp. 1131-1152

13. Capano G. e Toth F. (2022), “Thinking outside the box, improvisation, and fast learning: Designing policy robustness to deal with what cannot be foreseen”, in Public Administration, DOI: 10.1111/padm.12861

14. Galanti M.T. e Saracino B. (2021), “Inside the Italian Covid-19 task forces”, in Contemporary Italian Politics, vol. 13 n. 2, pp. 275-291.

N.B. As this course is hosted within a Master's degree, it is intended to be an advanced course in public policy analysis, and therefore presumes a basic knowledge of the main concepts of the discipline. For those who have not already taken a basic course in public policy during their three-year degree studies, independent reading of the following text is strongly recommended:

Luigi Bobbio, Gianfranco Pomatto, Stefania Ravazzi, Le politiche pubbliche. Problemi, soluzioni, incertezze, conflitti, Mondadori, 2017.

Teaching methods

The course includes both lectures and collective discussion of the topics covered in class, as well as (particularly in the second part) exercises and teamwork under the guidance of the teacher.

Class attendance is strongly recommended.

Assessment methods

The exam is written. It consists of 4 open-ended questions and it lasts max 60 minutes. Course program is the same independently of class attendance.

Evaluation will take into account: a) the knowledge of course topics; b) the capacity to use properly the methodological and theoretical instruments presented during the course; c) the ability to master an appropriate scientific language with reference to social sciences in general and public policies in particular.

Evaluation grid:

18-22: sufficient preparation and ability to analyse, sufficient knowledge of the topics covered by the course, formulation of answers in correct language;
23-26: technically adequate preparation and ability to analyse, good knowledge of the topics covered by the course, adequate knowledge of specific terminology
27-29: very good preparation and ability to analyse, thorough knowledge of the topics covered by the course, mastering of specific terminology;
30-30L: excellent preparation and ability to analyse, in-depth knowledge of the topics covered by the course, ability to integrate answers with own knowledge and elaboration, mastering of specific terminology.

Depending on the class numbers, some supplementary evaluation methods - based on teamwork or individual papers - might be agreed with students regularly attending class.

Teaching tools

Powerpoint presentations (available before each class); videos; newspaper articles.

Office hours

See the website of Stefania Profeti