Independent study course for graduate students in Political Science.

Independent study course for graduate students in Political Science.

Independent study course for graduate students in Political Science.

This course examines the rules, both formal and informal, that govern the relationships among actors in the policy process in a variety of setting and jurisdictions, in the context of competing interests and multiple priorities. It considers the factors that affect the development and evolution of those rules, and how different institutional frameworks meet the tests of democracy, conflict management, effective governance and accountability, and capacity to respond to policy changes. Required of all first year MPP students.

This course covers the principles and techniques of microeconomics theory that are most useful in analyzing economic aspects of public policy. It considers economic incentives and organizations; models of economic behaviour; the operation of markets; the price system and how it works; the consequences of market failures and interventions in markets; and policy objectives and instruments. Students will explore current economic research relevant to key areas of public policy, and will have an opportunity to apply economics to policy issues such as taxation, subsidy programs, education and health policy, and labour markets. Calculus is not required, but a good grasp of algebra is necessary. Required of all first year MPP students.

This course examines the workings of the aggregate economy. It aims to understand the key determinants of business cycle fluctuations and of development and long-run growth. Focus is on current economic research on the determination of macroeconomic variables such as output, employment, prices, and the interest rate — in the short, medium and long-runs, and addresses a number of policy issues. In addition, it covers the role of employment, productivity, trade and fiscal deficits, inflation, interest rates. The emphasis of the course is on the impact of government policies on the macroeconomy. Required of all first year MPP students.

This course provides students with contemporary analytical frameworks and techniques useful for implementing public policy and managing organizational performance to achieve policy objectives. It examines how public organizations realize their distinctive competencies within an evolving context in which the role of government is being redefined, and how these competencies are enhanced through appropriate management of people, capabilities, networks, and resources. The course may include comparative analysis of public organizations in different jurisdictions and contexts, and with different mandates. Required of all first year MPP students.

The policy process takes place in the context of complex social environments, often characterized by competing values and beliefs. Factors to be considered include the interplay between public values and expectations, and public policy; the implications of cultural diversity and demographic changes, and understandings of ethical principles of conduct in pubic organizations. Required of all first year MPP students.

This course provides students with contemporary analytical frameworks and techniques useful for implementing public policy and managing organizational performance to achieve policy objectives. It examines how public organizations realize their distinctive competencies within an evolving context in which the role of government is being redefined, and how these competencies are enhanced through appropriate management of people, capabilities, networks and resources. The course may include comparative analysis of public organizations in different jurisdictions and contexts, and with different mandates. Required of all first year MPP students.

This course will introduce students to both quantitative and qualitative methods in program evaluation for public policy. Students will gain an understanding of when and how to use various methods of program evaluation and will be exposed to both theoretical concepts and case studies. Required of all first year MPP students.

The public policy challenges of the 21st century require policy-makers to see issues from multiple perspectives — not only from the perspective of the state, but also from the perspective of others, whose actions will be essential to the achievement of collective goals. They also need a view that spans sectors, to understand how actions taken in one policy sector have impacts in others, and how certain big challenges, such as safety and risk assessment, and big objectives, such as improving health status or prosperity, require complementary actions to be taken in many sectors. Meeting these challenges requires skills not only of analysis and evaluation, but also of negotiation, contracting, conflict resolution and consensus building, as well as an appreciation of how actions taken in different policy arenas are themselves inter-connected. Required of all second year MPP students.

This seminar provides students with new ways of thinking about critical issues in public policy and policy implementation. Led by academic instructors, each seminar will meld theory and practice through the participation of visiting fellows or guest lecturers drawn from the senior ranks of the public service or others in public life. Specific topics will change periodically, drawing on the School’s research on critical issues in Canada and internationally, on students’ need to acquire a practical understanding of management and leadership challenges in a complex public policy context where the issues cut across sectors, disciplines, and interests.

This seminar provides students with new ways of thinking about critical issues in public policy and policy implementation. Led by academic faculty, each seminar will meld economic theory and practice. Specific topics will change periodically, and by course section, drawing on the School's research on critical issues in Canada and internationally, on students' need to acquire a practical understanding of management and leadership challenges in a complex public policy context where the issues cut across sectors, disciplines, and interests. Required of all second year MPP students.

The capstone course requires students to apply the skills, analytic approaches, and policy knowledge that had been acquired during the MPP program to individually develop a coherent policy agenda to improve the social and economic well-being of Canadians. The Capstone project gives students the opportunity to think through a policy challenge from beginning to end — from the problem identification stage to the implementation stage — so, students can demonstrate their abilities in multiple aspects of policy analysis at the end of their two-year program. The content and assignments of the course are meant to provide both breadth of knowledge, across policy areas, and depth of knowledge in one area of particular individual interest. Required of all second year MPP students.

Students in the 20-month MPP program are required to complete a policy internship (between the first and second year of study, or as otherwise tailored to meet the needs of the student and of the placement setting). Under faculty supervision, the internship allows students to apply their knowledge to significant problems in the public, private or non-profit sectors, and provides students the opportunity to develop and enhance skills in areas of professional interests. The internship course helps clarify their career direction, gives perspective on classroom learning, and assists students in gaining experiences and establishing networks of great value for securing employment after graduation. Required of all MPP students.

This course focuses explicitly on the implications of ongoing developments in the international political economy for the processes and substance of policy-making. This is a core elective courses for second year MPP students.

The goal of this course is to challenge MPP students to view public policy through an urban lens. Together, we explore the complex relationship between cities and public policy — revealing how policy shapes cities, and cities shape policy — and come to appreciate that urban governance goes well beyond municipal government.

To inspire students to pursue policy careers focused on cities, the course is organized around field trips hosted by MPP alumni across the Greater Toronto region. Students will have opportunities to interact and network with policy professionals in local, regional, and provincial governments working on a broad range of urban policy challenges. Students will also engage with practitioners in the non-profit sector by contributing original research to a real-world project led by United Way Greater Toronto.

The goal of this course is to introduce students to statistical methods for the analysis of panel large-scale data. Topics include introduction to panel data and panel design, data management, and data visualization tools for panel data, statistical modeling of panel data including growth curve models, multilevel linear models, and generalized linear mixed models.

Ethics and The Public Interest provides a range of frameworks, drawn from a variety of cultural perspectives, for analyzing and managing the complex ethical dilemmas that public officials confront. It is a course in politically-informed moral reasoning. "Politically informed" means that this is not a course in pure moral theory. The political realities that policy-makers face, the constraints imposed by interests, resources and power, and the possibilities afforded by coalitions, compromise and bargaining, will be very much a part of the discussion. This is a core elective course for second year MPP students.

Various descriptions related to public policy and policy-making. Topics will change from year to year depending on the instructor and course emphasis.

Various descriptions related to public policy and policy-making. Topics will change from year to year depending on the instructor and course emphasis.

Various descriptions related to public policy and policy-making. Topics will change from year to year depending on the instructor and course emphasis.

Various descriptions related to public policy and policy-making. Topics will change from year to year depending on the instructor and course emphasis.

Various descriptions related to public policy and policy-making. Topics will change from year to year depending on the instructor and course emphasis.

Various descriptions related to public policy and policy-making. Topics will change from year to year depending on the instructor and course emphasis.

This course explores the complexity of government policymaking, highlighting the role of economic and political analysis in public policy. It examines the rationales for, and the limits to, government intervention and identifies policy levers available to government actors in a dynamic political context. We will examine substantive and procedural issues in a range of major policy areas such as trade, security, redistribution, energy and the environment, health, immigration, and Indigenous peoples' issues.

This course provides students an opportunity to pursue in-depth analysis and independent research through one-on-one interaction with an MPP faculty member. The course will involve readings in the area selected, to be discussed during regular meetings with the faculty supervisor. (While there is no thesis in the MPP program, the reading course allows students to pursue independent research leading toward a major research paper on the topic of their choice.)

Various descriptions related to Canadian public policy and Canadian policy-making. Topics will change from year to year depending on the instructor and course emphasis.

Making public policy can involve exercising a great deal of power over citizens. In a democracy, this exercise of power is constrained politically. There also are, or at least should be, moral constraints on public policy makers. Given that Canada is marked by pluralism of cultures, religions, and values, making public policy is not a matter of simply applying commonly shared ethical beliefs to questions of public policy. Instead, a subset of moral questions apply particularly to public policy questions. In this course, we will explore the reasons for this constraint, some key moral questions applicable to public policy, and ways people have tried to answer those questions. Students will develop competence in examining public policy from a moral perspective and writing in the format of public policy analysis. This is a core elective course for second year MPP students.