Sign up for the course via STADS-self-service: 1st - 15th May 2016

ONLY for students enrolled 1st September 2016: Please register via STADS-self-service between 1st and 31st August 2016.

Knowledge • Knowledge at highest international level about the political dynamics, institutional structures and decision-making processes in international organisations, particularly the European Union. There will be focus on how these actors contribute to the functioning of public administration in a globalized context; • Knowledge about theories that contribute to the understanding about institutions and decision-making processes in a multi-level context; • Knowledge about the political, policy and legal aspects of decision-making and administration in a multi-level context; • Knowledge about the relation between public and private actors and institutions in transnational implementation; • Knowledge about how statistics can shed light on a public policy issue.

Skills • Critically reflect about how different institutions and actors contribute to cross-border problem-solving; • Use legal and policy documents and sources at different levels to shed light on a concrete policy problem or to understand a policy change; • Skills to interpret different statistical sources and basic statistical tests in the subject area of the course.

Competencies • Be able to apply theories about institutions and actors in the subject area of IPAP; • Find and select among different statistical sources and databases in order to be able to shed light on a policy problem; • Apply basic statistical tests to the subject area of the course; • Analyse international policy and law documents and their significance for administration at different levels in member states;

The course analyses how different organisations (from national, regional and international) are both actors and institutions depending on decision-making and policy context. The course discusses different institutional theoretical approaches, which are applied to different decision-making settings where the student is required to apply both qualitative analysis in terms of policy and legal analysis, and quantitative analysis in the form of basic statistical analysis.

There are three inter-related pillars in the course. The first pillar outline different institutional theories and discuss the role of actors within a multi-level context, especially focusing on global and regional levels. These theoretical approaches will be applied in the latter part of the course to demonstrate how organisations are both actors and institutions depending on the context. The second pillar focus on qualitative analysis of policy and legislative documents produced within governance processes. The student will be required to read and critical analyse different policy documents. The third pillar puts emphasis on quantitative methods (statistics), where the student will be introduced to statistical databases, which the student will have to apply to selected issues.

Interactive lectures with class discussions, student presentations and exercises (including blended learning). You are expected to turn up prepared and participate in class discussions Additionally there will be a cross-course workshop with the other two IPAP mandatory courses

Lowndes, V. and M. Roberts (2013) “Why institutions matter: the new institutionalism in political science” Palgrave Macmillan

Peters, G. B. (2011) “Institutional theory in political science: the New institutionalism”. Continuum 3rd edition

Plus additional academic articles and books chapters; policy/legal documents and statistical databases 80-100 pages/class

Students of International Public Administration and Politics

Written assignment: Answer three questions (look at the course description in your study curriculum).

Written assignment: The questions for your examination will be sent out on the 2nd January at 10.00 a.m. and you must upload your assignment in https://eksamen.ruc.dk before January 6th at 10.00 a.m.