Course Description

Transcription

1 PS : POLICY PROCESS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT City of Toronto Diploma in Public Administration Western University, Local Government Program Fall 2014 Instructor: Schedule: Gabriel Eidelman Class meets 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm on the following dates: Sept. 26 Metro Hall, Rm 310 Oct. 10 Metro Hall, Rm 302 Nov. 7 Metro Hall, Rm 308 Nov. 21 Metro Hall, Rm 308 Dec. 5 Metro Hall, Rm 308 Course Description This course introduces students to select aspects of the academic literature on the process of public policy making. Using case studies, you will learn how to apply theories and concepts from the policy literature to local government, with particular emphasis on policy making in Toronto. Topics covered include the stages of the policy process, the multiple streams approach to understanding public policy, and the role of political interests, institutions, and ideas as drivers of, and constraints on, policy making at the local level. By the end of this course, you will: Understand the factors that lead to different policy outcomes in different circumstances Appreciate the strengths and limitations of theoretical perspectives on the policy process Recognize the primary components of the policy process in everyday issues in local policy making. [Revised August 14, 2014] PS4902 (Fall 2014) 1

2 OUTLINE OF TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS Week 1 September 26 Introduction Morning Policy Making in Theory Afternoon Policy Making in Practice Week 2 October 10 The Role of Actors and Interests Morning Licences, Permits, and Ward-level Politics Afternoon Taxis, Street Food, and Regulatory Reform Week 3 November 7 The Role of Institutions Morning Land Use Policy and the Ontario Municipal Board Afternoon Multilevel Governance and Waterfront Revitalization Hand in Research Proposal Week 4 November 21 The Role of Ideas and Ideology Morning Transit Planning and Implementation Afternoon Traffic and the War on the Car Week 5 December 5 Student Presentations December 19 Hand in Research Paper REQUIREMENTS & EVALUATION Participation (25%): Based on contributions to class discussion, as measured by: (a) consistent attendance; (b) arriving prepared for class; (c) raising thoughtful comments and questions; (d) providing insight and analysis to the readings and discussions; and (e) bringing relevant news items or other materials to the attention of the class. Research Project (75%): a) Research Proposal (10%): A 3-4 page proposal outlining your intended research project, including a research question, brief background, methods, and sources. Due November 7. b) Research Presentation (25%): A brief, 10 minute presentation that outlines your preliminary research findings and stimulates comments and suggestions for improvement from your peers. Due December 5, the final day of class. c) Research Paper (40%): A final, page academic paper on your chosen topic. Detailed guidelines will be discussed in class and posted on the course website in early October. Due December 19. PS4902 (Fall 2014) 2

3 COURSE POLICIES Submitting assignments: All assignments must be submitted electronically via the following link: Once complete, you are encouraged to save the submission receipt for your own records. Note that I do not accept assignments by . Late assignments: The penalty for late assignments is 2% per day (including weekend days). A grade of 80% therefore becomes 70% in five days. The protocol for submitting late assignments is the same as above. If you foresee problems meeting submission deadlines please contact me as soon as possible; accommodations can always be made with adequate advance notice. Course Website: Readings, assignment descriptions, and course grades will be posted on the course website (OWL). Academic integrity: It is the responsibility of each student to be able to demonstrate the originality of his or her work. Failure to properly reference figures, concepts, and quotations that are not your own will result in academic penalties, as required by Western s policy on academic integrity. At a minimum, for every assignment, the sources of all data and ideas must be properly referenced using a standard academic referencing style such as Chicago, APA, or MLA. If you are unclear about what constitutes plagiarism or how to reference sources, please visit: READINGS All readings are available via the course website (OWL), and are best read in the order listed below. Students wishing to refresh their memories regarding the basic structures and functions of local government should review the following readings prior to the start of the course: Tindal, C. Richard, and Susan Nobes Tindal Selections from Municipal Governing Structures, in Local Government in Canada, 7th ed., pp , Toronto: Nelson. Siegel, David The ABCs of Canadian Local Government: An Overview, in Agencies, Boards and Commissions in Canadian Local Government, eds. Katherine A. Graham, Dale E. Richmond, and David Siegel, pp Toronto: Institute of Public Administration of Canada. Siegel, David Ontario, in Foundations of Governance: Municipal Government in Canada's Provinces, eds. Andrew Sancton and Robert Young, pp Toronto: University of Toronto Press. PS4902 (Fall 2014) 3

4 Week 1 - September 26: Introduction Morning Session - Policy Making in Theory Howlett, Michael, and M. Ramesh Policy Science and Policy Cycles, in Studying Public Policy: Policy Cycles and Policy Subsystems, 2nd ed., pp Toronto: Oxford University Press. Wu, Xun, M. Ramesh, Michael Howlett, and Scott Fritzen Public Managers and the Policy Process, in The Public Policy Primer: Managing the Policy Process, pp New York: Routledge. Afternoon Session - Policy Making in Practice Sancton, Andrew Policy-making, in Canadian Local Government: An Urban Perspective, 2nd ed., Chp. 12. Toronto: Oxford University Press. Henstra, Daniel Explaining Local Policy Choices: A Multiple Streams Analysis of Municipal Emergency Management. Canadian Public Administration 53(2): Week 2 - October 10: The Role of Actors and Interests Morning Session - Licences, Permits, and Ward-level Politics Valverde, Mariana City Bureaucrats and Village Elders: The Dysfunctional Dance of Local Governance, in Everyday Law on the Street: City Governance in an Age of Diversity, pp Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Afternoon Session - Taxis, Street Food, and Regulatory Reform David, Stephen Spencer Inside Toronto s Taxi Wars. The Grid, April 9. City of Toronto Toronto s Taxicab Industry Review: Final Report, pp (If you have the time, you are encouraged to read the whole report. Warnica, Richard New Toronto Taxi Licence Rules Put on Hold After Suit Argues Drivers' Widows Would Lose Ability to Earn Income. National Post, June 26. Rider, David Why Toronto's Street Food Program is in Shambles. Toronto Star, September 17. Cameron Hawkins & Associates Inc Review of Toronto A La Cart Pilot Project, prepared for the City of Toronto, pp (Again, if you have the time, you are encouraged to read the whole report.) Liu, Karon Market Forces. The Grid, May 9. Keenan, Edward The Excruciatingly Slow Road to Fast-food Trucks. The Grid, April 9. PS4902 (Fall 2014) 4

5 Week 3 - November 7: The Role of Institutions Morning Session - Land Use Policy and the Ontario Municipal Board Valverde, Mariana Law without Rights: Zoning, Poverty, and the Normative Family Home, in Everyday Law on the Street: City Governance in an Age of Diversity, pp Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Moore, Aaron The Politics of Toronto s Development Industry, in Planning Politics in Toronto: The Ontario Municipal Board and Urban Development, pp Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Afternoon Session - Multilevel Governance and Waterfront Revitalization Horak, Martin Multilevel Governance in Toronto: Success and Failure in Canada s Largest City, in Sites of Governance: Multilevel Governance and Policy Making in Canada's Big Cities, eds. Martin Horak and Robert Young, pp Montreal, QC: McGill-Queen's University Press. Eidelman, Gabriel Who s in Charge? Jurisdictional Gridlock and the Genesis of Waterfront Toronto, in Reshaping Toronto's Waterfront, eds. Gene Desfor and Jennefer Laidley, pp Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Week 4 - November 21: The Role of Ideas and Ideology Morning Session - Transit Planning and Implementation Levy, Edward J Introduction to Rapid Transit in Toronto: A Century of Plans, Progress, Politics, and Paralysis [web book], pp Lorinc, John The Political Movements Behind the Scarborough Subway. Spacing Magazine [online], May 28-June 3 (Special Investigation, Parts 1-5). Afternoon Session - Traffic and the War on the Car Grescoe, Taras The Toronto Tragedy, in Straphanger: Saving Our Cities and Ourselves from the Automobile, pp Toronto: HarperCollins Canada. Yuen, Jenny Toronto s War on Cars. Toronto Sun, May 17. de Place, Eric The 'War on Cars': A Brief History of a Rhetorical Device. Grist Magazine [online], January 7. Koehl, Albert There Is No War on the Car. Dandyhorse Magazine [online], December 24. PS4902 (Fall 2014) 5