This course offers critical reflection on the design and evaluation of public policy, drawing on both moral/political philosophy and the philosophy of science.
The first half of the course concerns general issues in assessing the impact of policy interventions and serves as a philosophical critique of the contemporary ‘evidence-based policy’ movement: What are the arguments for/against alternative measures of policy success or social wellbeing? What is the relevant notion of causation when it comes to attributing outcomes to particular policies, and what counts as good evidence of causal influence? How should risky policies be compared, especially where the risks and benefits of the various policies are distributed ‘unevenly’ across the population?
The second half of the course considers more specific constraints/aims of policy, often with reference to particular policy areas. Topics will vary but may include:
• In what contexts, if any, is government paternalism appropriate?
• What is the significance of personal responsibility in the distribution of shared resources?
• Is there a right to privacy?
• What are our rights to freedom of expression?
• How should we respond to minority under-representation in public institutions?
• Is there a collective right to deny citizenship to others, i.e., to control immigration?
• Is statistical discrimination (e.g. racial profiling) ever justified?
• How can/should citizens and their representatives access scientific knowledge pertinent to policy?
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Understand
and articulate key philosophical issues pertaining to the design and evaluation
of public policy
- Engage with
and critically evaluate (in essay form) philosophical arguments concerning
moral/political philosophy and philosophy of science that are pertinent to
policy-making
- Engage in well-reasoned, justified and articulate discussion and debate.
Indicative Assessment
1 x 2500-word essay (45%) (Learning Outcomes 1 and 2)
1 x 2500-word essay (45%) (Learning Outcomes 1 and 2)
Tutorial participation (10%) (Learning Outcomes 1 and 3)
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 35 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 24 hours of lectures and 11 hours of tutorial and tutorial-like activities.
b) 95 hours of independent student research, reading and writing supported by WATTLE recordings and lecture notes.
Preliminary Reading
Cartwright, N. and Hardie, J. (2012) 'Evidence-Based Policy: A Practical Guide to Doing it Better'; Kitcher, P. (2011) 'Science in a Democratic Society'; Douglas, H. (2009) 'Science in Policy-Making: Objectivity, Values, and Risk'; Stiglitz, J.E., Sen, A. and Fitoussi, J. (2010) 'Mismeasuring Our Lives: Why GDP Doesn't Add Up'; Wolff, J. (2011); Sunstein, C. (2002) 'Beyond the Precautionary Principle'; Wolff, J. (2011) 'Ethics and Public Policy: A Philosophical Inquiry'; Feinberg, J. (1971) 'Paternalism'; Mill, J.S. 'On Liberty'; Scanlon, T. (1972) 'A Theory of Freedom of Expression'; Parfit, D. (2000) 'Equality or Priority?'; Segall, S. (2009) Health, Luck and Justice, Princeton University Press; Wellman, C.H. and Cole, P. (2011) 'Debating the Ethics of Immigration'; Kymlicka, W. (1995) 'Multicultural Citizenship'.
Majors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $3120 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $4800 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3218 | 24 Feb 2020 | 02 Mar 2020 | 08 May 2020 | 05 Jun 2020 | In Person | N/A |
