Public Policy

Recommended Prerequisites

Reading ability in Portuguese, English, and Spanish.

Teaching Methods

The course combines theoretical exposition with guided discussion, linking core concepts to concrete examples. Classes include structured presentations and the analysis and debate of real and current policy cases, encouraging active participation, critical thinking and the practical application of knowledge to public sector contexts.

Learning Outcomes

The Public Policy course aims to introduce students to the key concepts, models, and stages of the public policy process. The course seeks to develop an initial yet critical understanding of how policies are formulated, implemented, and evaluated, while recognising the objectives of public interventions, the actors involved, and the main challenges that influence their effectiveness.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Introduction to public policy: key concepts, evolution and the role of the State. Types and categories of public policies. Actors, institutions and multi-level governance. Problem definition, agenda-setting, policy formulation and instruments. Budgeting, policy priorities and resource allocation. Implementation: models, administrative capacity and coordination. Monitoring, impact and policy evaluation: methods and evidence. Economic foundations of public intervention. Public choice theory. State failures and challenges to public action. Current trends: digitalisation, data use and public-sector innovation.

Head Lecturer(s)

João José Nogueira Almeida

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Attendance: 5.0%
Synthesis work: 20.0%
Research work: 35.0%
Frequency: 40.0%

Bibliography

Anderson, J. E. (2015). Public policymaking (8th ed.). Cengage. Capella, A. C. N. (2018). Formulação de políticas públicas. ENAP. Dye, T. R. (2017). Understanding public policy (15th ed.). Pearson. Harguindéguy, J. B. (2013). Análisis de políticas públicas (1.ª ed.). Tecnos. Hill, M., & Varone, F. (2021). The public policy process (8th ed.). Routledge. Howlett, M. (2023). Designing public policies (3rd ed.). Routledge. Kingdon, J. W. (2014). Agendas, alternatives, and public policies (2nd ed.). Pearson. Knill, C., & Tosun, J. (2020). Public policy: A new introduction (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury. Secchi, L. (2019). Análise de políticas públicas. Cengage.