THE EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG. Course Outline

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1 THE EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG Course Outline Part I Programme Title : Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Global and Hong Kong Studies Programme QF Level : 5 Course Title : Politics, Public Administration and Policies in Hong Kong Course Code : SSC3232 Department : Social Sciences / Asia and Policy Studies Credit Points : 3 Contact Hours : 39 Pre-requisite(s) : Medium of Instruction: English Course Level : 3 Part II The University s 4Cs Learning Framework and seven Generic Intended Learning Outcomes (GILOs) represent the attributes of ideal EdUHK graduates and their expected qualities respectively. Learning outcomes work coherently at the University (GILOs), programme (Programme Intended Learning Outcomes) and course (Course Intended Learning Outcomes) levels to achieve the goal of nurturing students with important attributes embodied in the 4Cs. The 4Cs are: - Character and moral responsibility - Competence and professional excellence - Cultivation of wisdom and intellectual engagement - Civic-mindedness & social responsibility The seven GILOs are: 1. Problem Solving Skills 2. Critical Thinking Skills 3. Creative Thinking Skills 4a. Oral Communication Skills 4b. Written Communication Skills 5. Social Interaction Skills 6. Ethical Decision Making 7. Global Perspectives 1. Synopsis This course is an advanced study of the politics, governance and policymaking process and the values underpinning them. It aims to equip students with an in-depth knowledge of the formulation, implementation and evaluation of public policies, while at the same

2 time enabling students to understand the dynamics and political actors involved in the policy process which shapes governance and regime legitimacy. The 13-week lectures will be organized into THREE major parts. It will start by a review of the evolving regime values, administrative structures and the interplay of both state and not-state actors in the development of Hong Kong from the colonial era to China s Special Administrative Region. Then it will proceed to the phases of conceptualization and applications. Classical concepts in politics and public administration will be explained and examined on how they can be adopted to understand Hong Kong politics and governance; the of public policy actions; and the development of policy cycle and stakeholders in policy implementation. To strengthen students understanding to the taught concepts, topical controversies over the governance of Hong Kong Special Administration Region (SAR) will be selected in the third part to lively explain the dynamics and actors of public policy processes. 2. Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs) Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: CILO1 CILO2 CILO3 CILO4 Understand the politics and public policies of Hong Kong from historical and contemporary perspectives; Comprehend the dynamics and complexity of public policymaking in Hong Kong and the rationales for government s policy actions; Critically assess the values and ethics underpinning the politics and public administration in Hong Kong; Articulate and defend your arguments on the governance agenda of Hong Kong. 3. Content, CILOs and Teaching & Learning Activities Course Content CILOs Suggested Teaching & Learning Activities Understanding the development of Hong Kong from historical and contemporary perspectives: What are evolving regime values and administrative structures of Hong Kong from colonial to SAR period? How did/do different actors shape the development of the territories and what were/ are their major concerns? CILO1 Lecture; class discussions.

3 Understanding the key concepts of Public Administration and Public Policy Process: What are Public and Private sectors? What are public policies? The Bureaucracy in Hong Kong, the regime and administrative values in the colonial and SAR Hong Kong; Why do we need government s intervention in the society? CILO1 Lecture; class discussions. Introducing and discussing the key values in politics and public administration and their application in HK: Traditional and emerging ideologies shaping public administration and policies; new understanding of the meanings of legitimacy, accountability and neutrality; new values and public management in public policymaking; cost effectiveness, efficiency, customer orientations and transparency in the processes of policy formulation and implementation The process of public policies in Hong Kong: agenda setting; formulation of policy proposals; policy implementation, policy evaluation and policy change; policymaking models; the actors in policy process; the role of bureaucracy and interest groups in public policymaking Selected Issues in the governance of Hong Kong CILO1, 2 CILO 1, 2, 3, 4 CILO 1, 2, 3, 4 Issue-based inquiries: lecture; current issues analysis; class discussions. Lecture; current issues analyses; class discussions; guest seminars by practitioners from the professional fields. Student-led presentations and Seminars.

4 4. Assessment Assessment Tasks Weighting ( %) CILO Group Presentation on ONE of the taught topics on Public policies in Hong Kong. 20 % CILO 1-4 Group-based Written Essay developed from members verbal presentations and arguments. Participation in class discussions, lectures and tutorials. Individual written essay on ONE of the assigned topics of Hong Kong s public administration and policies. 30 % CILO % CILO % CILO Required Text(s) 6. Recommended Readings Principle Readings Anderson, James E. (2003). Public Policy-making. 5th Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Lindblom, Charles E and Edward J. Woodhouse (1993). The Policymaking Process. 3rd Edition. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall Scott, Ian (2005). Public Administration in Hong Kong: Regime Change and Its Impacts on the Public Sector. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish. Scott, Ian (2010). The Public Sector in Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. Rosenbloom, David et. (2002). Public Administration: Understanding Management, Politics and Law in the Public Sector. 5 th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill. Chan, Ming. K. (ed.) (2008). China s Hong Kong Transformed: Retrospect and Prospects beyond the First Decade. Hong Kong: City University of Hong Kong Press.

5 Further Readings Burns, John (2004). Government Capacity and the Hong Kong Civil Service. Hong Kong: Oxford University Press. Cheung, Anthony B. L. & Lee, Jane C. Y. (2001). Public Sector Reform in Hong Kong into the 21 st Century. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press. Cheung, Anthony B. L. (2005). Public Service Reform in East Asia: Reform Issues and Challenges in Japan, Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press. Henry, Nicholas (2001). Public Administration and Public Affairs. 8 th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. Howlett, Michael and M. Ramesh (1995) Studying Public Policy: Policy Cycles and Public Subsystems. Toronto: Oxford University Press. John Peter (1998) Analyzing Public Policy. London and New York: Pinter. Lam, Wai Man (eds.) (2007) Contemporary Hong Kong Politics: Governance in the post-1997 era. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. Lane, Jan-Erik (2000). The Public Sector: Concepts, Models and Approaches. 3 rd ed. London: SAGE Lau, S. K. (2002). The First Tung Chee-Hwa Administration, Hong Kong: The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press. Miners, Norman (1998). The Government and Politics of Hong Kong, 6th edition. Hong Kong: Oxford University of Press. Moran, Michael, Martin Rein, and Robert E. Goodin, (eds.) (2006) The Oxford Handbook of Public Policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Parson, Wayne (1995). Public Policy: An Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Policy Analysis. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. Peters, B. Guy (2001). The Politics of Bureaucracy. 5 th edition. London & New York: Routledge. Paul, Samuel (1991). Strengthening Public Service Accountability: A Conceptual Framework. Washington D.C.: The World Bank. 7. Related Web Resources

6 8. Related Journals 9. Academic Honesty The University adopts a zero tolerance policy to plagiarism. For the University s policy on plagiarism, please refer to the Policy on Academic Honesty, Responsibility and Integrity with Specific Reference to the Avoidance of Plagiarism by Students ( Students should familiarize themselves with the Policy. 10. Others