Comparative Public Policy is aimed at achieving two related goals. First it aims to enhance students' knowledge of the variations in design, implementation and evaluation of public policies across countries while simultaneously challenging students to think critically about the similarities and differences. Second, it provides students with an opportunity to analyse public policies from a comparative perspective utilizing the frameworks that have been studied.

The course is a comparative examination of public policy and political-economic processes in developing countries but also draws on the experiences of industrial countries such as the United Kingdom , the United States of America and those of the Asia-Pacific Region. The course progresses through four themes - the conceptual framework, explaining policy choice, globalisation and policy change and policies in comparison. These themes provide the conceptual foundation for, as well as engage students in, comparative analysis. The course focuses on contemporary policies such as public sector, local government and social security/pension reform but also provides for comparative examination of recurrent issues such poverty alleviation and environmental policy. The policy transfer concept is an important analytic framework for this course.

Readings for each topic are divided into two sections. Core Reading denotes reading that is an essential accompaniment to lectures and tutorials. Supplementary Reading denotes materials that will assist better essay writing. Since this is a policy course students are advised to acquaint themselves with relevant Ministry Papers, policy proposals and other government publications. A comparative perspective also requires that students engage in wide reading drawing on several sources such as academic journals, magazines and newspapers. The government series section in the main library is also a good source for government publications.

Plagiarism

At the opposite end of the trouble spectrum is plagiarism. Plagiarism involves presenting someone else's words or ideas without giving proper credit. Therefore, you obviously plagiarize (a) if you present someone else's words as though they were your own (by seeming to summarize or paraphrase when in fact you quote directly) or (b) if you present someone else's ideas without giving proper credit (by failing to document at all). Punishment depends on the extent of the offense. But you should realize this: any plagiarism violates academic integrity, so anything beyond the most minor, accidental plagiarism will usually result in a zero grade for a paper, with no chance to rewrite.

• Education Policy Reform
  
• Local Government Reform
  
• Disaster Management Policy