In Public Policy you will be introduced to the language, actors, and ideas needed to understand how policy shapes everyday life. You will begin by clarifying what policy is and why policy literacy matters. Your understanding will then be grounded in Australia’s liberal democratic context, including discussion of the constitutional limits on government and the responsibilities of federal and state governments. This is followed by considering how institutions such as parliament, cabinet, and the public service distribute power and make decisions. You will develop a working vocabulary for engaging in policy debates. 

The course explores policy in practice through the Australian Policy Cycle. Evidence in policymaking, weighing quantitative and qualitative approaches and examining how ‘evidence-based policy’ plays out in constrained, complex, and contested environments is examined. You will consider three dominant themes: advocacy, power, and evidence. Formal and informal avenues for influence, from submissions to inquiries, to street level discretion in service delivery will be inquired into. 

In the final part of the course, you will apply the tools developed, mapping stakeholders, clarifying competing frameworks, and addressing key issues at the centre of various contemporary policy debates.