This course tackles the big questions of economic growth, inequality and sustainability. It shows how frameworks and insights from economics and political science can be applied to these questions, and it encourages students to apply those frameworks and insights to real-world problems to produce technically sound and politically attractive policy advice. Through a mix of survey and guest lectures, interactive case workshops and the writing of case papers, the course exposes students to the key policy debates of our time, and helps them to improve their analytical and writing skills. 

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Developed disciplinary and cross-disciplinary understanding of major challenges facing policymakers;
2. Understood key analytic frameworks, techniques and insights from economics, environmental management, and political science; and
3. Worked effectively in multidisciplinary teams to analyse major policy problems

Research-Led Teaching

A detailed course schedule will be provided in the first week of lectures. The semester is divided up into three blocks. Each block runs for four weeks. The first two weeks are for lectures. The third and fourth week is for seminars. Lectures and seminars are on Thursdays, but in weeks 2, 6 and 10, there are also lectures on the Friday. Consultations are on Mondays or Tuesdays.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Theme 1: GROWTH Topic 1A: Growth – importance, patterns, determinants Is economic growth important? Why? What are the “stylized facts” of economic growth? What are the determinants of economic growth?
2	Topic 1B: Politics and growth What are the political underpinnings of successful development? Compulsory readings World Bank 2017, “Elite bargaining and adaptation”, Chapter 7 in Governance and the law, World Development Report, World Bank Group.
3	Topic 1C: Democracy and growth Can you get rich without being democratic? Compulsory readings Acemoglu, D and Robinson, J 2012, “Understanding prosperity and poverty”, Ch 15 in their book, Why nations fail: the origins of power, prosperity, and poverty, Random House. Boldrin, M, Levine, D and Modica, S 2012, “A review of Acemoglu and Robinson’s Why Nations Fail”, full version of review published by Huffington Post. Jones, W. forthcoming, "Consolidating peace and legitimacy in Rwanda", in Bizhan, N. (ed.) State fragility: case studies and comparisons.
4	Theme 2: INEQUALITY Topic 2A: Introduction to inequality What is inequality? How do we measure it? Should we be worried by it? Is there a trade-off between growth and inequality? Is inequality bad for democracy? Compulsory readings Mankiw, NG 2013, "Defending the one percent", Journal of Economic Perspectives 27(2), pp. 21-34. Atkinson, A 2015, “Setting the scene”, Ch. 1 in his Inequality: what can be done?, pp. 9-16 only, Harvard University Press.
5	Topic 2B: Organ donations Should the government provide incentives to encourage people to donate organs? Should people be free to buy and sell organs? How do these issues relate to thinking about inequality? Compulsory readings Satel, S and Viard A. 2017, "The kindest (tax) cut: a federal tax credit for organ donations", Tax Notes, June 12.
6
7	Theme 3: ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES Topic 3A: The environment and growth Are environmental problems worsening or improving? What measures can we use to assess overall progress? What do they say? Is economic growth good or bad for the environment? What sort of environmental problems do developing countries face? Should developing countries care about the environment? Compulsory readings Arrow, K et al 1995, “Economic growth, carrying capacity and the environment”, Science, Vol. 268, 28 April, pp. 520-521.
8	Topic 3B: International problems and solutions What makes a problem international? What strategic problems confront us when we deal with an international issue? Can treaties help us solve those problems? What does the theory say and what does the evidence suggest? What other tools are there apart from treaties?
9	Topic 3C: Tackling marine plastic pollution What are the key features of marine plastic pollution, and what are the most promising solutions? What can be learnt from the way we have tackled other environmental problems that can help us when we think about marine plastic pollution? Compulsory readings Hare, W., Stockwell, C., Flachsland, C, and Oberthur, S. 2010, “The architecture of the global climate regime: a top-down perspective”, Climate Policy, vol. 10, pp. 600-614. Rayner, S. 2010, “How to eat an elephant: a bottom-up approach to climate policy”, Climate Policy, vol. 10, pp. 615-621

Tutorial Registration

You will be allocated to a seminar group and a debating team after the first lecture. You will also be allocated to an consultation for the first essay. If your grade is below 60% for the first essay, you will be allocated to a consultation for the second essay. If your grade is below 60% for the second essay, you will be allocated to a consultation for the third essay.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Essay 1	40 %	31/03/2021	15/04/2021	1,2,3
Essay 2	40 %	05/05/2021	20/05/2021	1,2,3
Case essay 3	40 %	09/06/2021	31/07/2021	1,2,3
Debate	10 %	*	*	1,2,3
Class tests	0 %	*	*	1,2,3
Seminars	5 %	*	*	1,2,3
Consultation	5 %	*	*	1,2,3

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using 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. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

As noted above, failure to turn up to a seminar or a required consultation (or to prepare properly for a consultation with an abstract and outline) will result in the loss of 5 percentage points per incident.

Assessment Task 1

Essay 1

1500 words (excluding 150-word abstract and reference list). Due Wednesday 31 March at 11:55pm. This essay will either be worth 40% if it is better than the second essay or 10% if it is worse than the second essay. Note: the lower essay will only be given a weight of 10% if it is judged that a genuine effort has been made and if the low score is not due to penalties for plagiarism. Otherwise, both essays will receive equal weight. Essay topics for all three essays will be released in the first week of semester.

Assessment Task 2

Essay 2

1500 words (excluding 150-word abstract and reference list). Due Wednesday 5 May at 11:55pm. This essay will either be worth 40% if it is better than the first essay or 10% if it is worse than the first essay. Note: the lower essay will only be given a weight of 10% if it is judged that a genuine effort has been made and if the low score is not due to penalties for plagiarism. Otherwise, both essays will receive equal weight. Essay topics for all three essays will be released in the first week of semester.

Assessment Task 3

Case essay 3

1500 words (excluding 150-word abstract and reference list). Due Wednesday 9 June at 11:55pm. This essay will be worth 40% of your final grade. Essay topics for all three essays will be released in the first week of semester.

Assessment Task 4

Debate

Weeks 4, 8 or 12. All students will be randomly allocated to a 4-person debating team. They will be required to participate in a debate in either Week 4, 8 or 12. Marks will be based equally on individual and team performance. More details will be provided in the first week once class numbers are clearer. Performance in the debate will be worth 10% of your final score.

Assessment Task 5

Class tests

There are three class tests, covering referencing, citing, and summarising. These will be marked, but will not count to your final grade.

Assessment Task 6

Seminars

Failure to turn up to a seminar will result in the loss of 5 percentage points per incident. Students unable to attend the consultation for personal reasons or a clashing work commitment or examination need to provide a signed letter from a doctor or supervisor or evidence of the exam. No other reasons for non-attendance will be entertained. Attendance at exams is not monitored.

Weeks 3, 4, 7, 8 and 11, 12

Assessment Task 7

Consultation

Failure to turn up to a required consultation without an abstract submitted to Wattle will result in the loss of 5 percentage points per incident. All students must turn up for a consultation on the first essay (Monday March 29 or Tuesday March 30). Any student scoring less than 60% in the first essay must turn up for the second consultation having already submitted an abstract on Wattle (Monday May 3 or Tuesday May 4). Any student scoring less than 60% in the second essay must turn up for the third consultation (Monday June 7 or Tuesday June 8) having submitted an abstract on Wattle. Students unable to attend the consultation for personal reasons or a clashing work commitment or examination need to provide a signed letter from a doctor or supervisor or evidence of the exam. No other reasons for non-attendance will be entertained.

Students required to have a consultation will be allocated a consultation time. Other students are welcome to request a consultation. Students who request a consultation are required to submit an abstract on Wattle prior to the consultation.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

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.

Hardcopy Submission

Essays need to be submitted through Wattle.

Late Submission

Penalties relating to lateness of submissions

No submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date will be permitted.Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item.

Penalties relating to length

The three essays which students need to write have a word limit of 1500 words. This total includes footnotes, in-text citations, tables, graphs, and appendices, but does not include the list of references at the end of the paper not does it include the abstract (which is required and which has its own limit of 150 words). Students are expected to write to the word limit. Any paper which is longer than 1,650 words or shorter than 1,350 words (that is, 10% shorter or longer) will result in a penalty of 5 percentage points per 50 words (or part thereof) over or under. The penalty is out of the total possible mark, and does not depend on the mark you actually obtain.

Remarks concerning essays

1. The essay must begin with an abstract that must be no more than 150 words.

2. Requests for extensions on assignments are to be directed to your case workshop leader, not the course convenor.

3. If you are unhappy about the mark you have received, please in the first instance see the person who marked your essay.

4. You must provide the word count for both your abstract and your essay (excluding the abstract and reference list).

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students