Social Security Administration

Recommended Prerequisites

English reading proficiency.

Teaching Methods

Seminar. In some sessions the topics in the syllabus will be presented, and in the remaining sessions student work will be discussed.

Besides examining the normative framework and relevant court decisions, the course takes seriously relevant sociological, economic and organizational elements. Students who work in the Administration will be encouraged to present cases originating from the practical experience.

Learning Outcomes

Combining Administration Science and Law, the course aims to enable students 1) gain a clear and appropriate idea of social security firmly grounded in the theory, the dogmatics and the framework commonly used by both international and national organizations; 2) understand the manifold complexity of social security administration as exemplified by the Portuguese social security system; 3) examine social security governance, underlying principles (e.g., responsibility, transparence, participation) and policy areas (information technologies, for instance); 4) get acquainted with interinstitutional and internormative networks, with a special focus on the role played by international dimensions and the EU; 5) a check on some experiences of reform in the social security administration sector.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

I. Between administration science and Law: some perspectives

II. A few concepts

1.Administration: a pluridimensional view;
2. Social security.
III. The organization of Social Security

1. The organization of Social Security under a national, international and supranational cooperative framework; 2. Chief concepts and theories of administrative organization; 3. Models of welfare States; 4. Models of benefit administration

IV. Complexity of Social Security Administration (with special consideration of the Portuguese case)

1. Complexity(ies): concepts; 2. Complexity typology(ies); 3. Complexity and environment; 4. Teleological complexity; 5. (Sub)Systemic and organizational complexity; Regulatory and benefit complexity; Governance of administration systems.

V. Internationalization and Europeanization of Social Security

VI. Assessing and discussing some proposed reforms: learning with others.

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Research work: 100.0%

Bibliography

BAKIRTZI, E.; SCHOUKENS, P.; PIETERS, D.,  Case studies in merging the administrations of social security contribution and taxation, European Institute of Social Security, 2010.

CONCEIÇÃO, Apelles, Segurança social: manual prático, Coimbra, 2014 (texto relevante do ponto de vista descritivo / relevant for the purpose of depicting the issues at stake)

HEMERIJCK, Anton, Changing welfare states, Oxford, 2013.

LOUREIRO, João Carlos, Direito da segurança social: entre a necessidade e o risco, Coimbra, 2014 (com indicações que transcendem uma abordagem meramente jurídica / contains indications beyond the legal approach)

MADUREIRA, César; ASCENSIO, Maria (Org.), Handbook de Administração Pública, Lisboa, 2013 (especialmente importante para pistas no quadro das Ciências da Administração / especially recommended for hints in the Administration Science sphere)

MILLAR, Jane (ed.), Understanding social security: issues for policy and practice, Bristol, ²2009.