This seminar is the second part of the introductory module of the Master programme “Comparative Public Governance”. Building on the definition and foundations of comparative public governance provided in the first part of the introduction module taught in Twente, this course deepens and widens the analysis of key challenges of comparative public governance. It addresses current and future challenges for which solutions have to be found not only at the global and European, but also at the national, regional and local levels.
The seminar revolves around a range of “wicked problems” that challenge the problem-solving capacity of governance arrangements at various levels. These challenges include, inter alia, climate change, poverty and social inequality, political polarization, several aspects of the digital revolution, or various kinds of morality policies. What makes these issues particularly challenging is that they are marked by high degrees of complexity, high levels of uncertainty, and pronounced political conflicts over appropriate solutions.
The first part of the course will discuss conceptual approaches to understand how public governance is challenged by such problems. The second part then turns to group research projects. Each of these projects focuses on one particular challenge. Students are expected to do research on how these challenges are tackled politically. Which actors at which levels of governance are involved in the governance of these challenges? What policy solutions are currently produced? How effective are these policy solutions? What could be done to increase the effectiveness of the policy solutions? To what extent do (inside or outside) actors contest the legitimacy of the governance arrangement? Group projects will be done in two stages. First, groups will develop a research design. They will clarify conceptual issues and determine which theoretical approaches they will use. On this basis, they will formulate their research questions and outline their empirical strategies. Second, groups will focus on their empirical work. Based on their results, they will discuss how their material answers their research questions and what theoretical implications their results have. Both the research designs and the final results of these research projects will be presented and discussed in class.
Requirements
In order to pass the seminar, students are required to participate in one of the research groups, write two essays of 1,500 words each, and a seminar paper of 6,000 words, which will be based on the results of the research projects. The final grade will be calculated from the points received for the essays (1/6 and 1/6) and the points received for the seminar paper (2/3).
- Lehrende/r: Oliver Treib