STV9032 – SCANCOR- New avenues in the study of public governance: Turbulence, robustness and organizational theory
Course content
Climate change, economic crises, migration and terrorism are among the many public problems that challenge public governance in modern societies. Many of these problems are spanning political and administrative systems, causing evolving challenges for governments world-wide, and making sustained public governance particularly challenging. Yet it might also pave the way for novel forms of governance – through networks and through multilevel systems. Since public governance mainly takes place through public organizations, like ministries, regulatory agencies and international organizations, this course has three objectives: First, it aims to discuss how turbulence and crisis affects public organizations in contemporary democracies. Secondly, it aims to discuss the concept of governance robustness and conditions for sustained public governance. Finally, we aim to outline and discuss an organizational-institutional approach to public governance. On doing so, the course will offer a systematic introduction to various forms of public governance and provides a discussion of various mechanisms that contribute to shape robust public governance. Yet, rather than launching a full model for explaining policy formulation and policy implementation, the course focuses on how various organizational characteristics of the governmental apparatus might systematically enable, constrain and shape public governance processes, thus making some policy choices more likely than others. Finally, the course also aims to offer ways of bridging the theory-practice divide by outlining contours of a design theory of public governance.
The course is structured in three interconnected modules:
Module I: On turbulence and crisis
Module II: On robustness and resilience
Module II: Organization theory and sustainable public governance
Learning outcome
Students should attain a comprehensive overview of the concept of governance, turbulence, and robustness, both with respect to the concept’s theorizing and its appearances in public organizations. Students should also be able to apply concepts to empirical cases and to outline research strategies used in studies of governance.
Admission
To take part in this course you have to be enrolled in a PhD-programme. Applicants from one of the SCANCOR partner universities are prioritized.
Application deadline: 30 April 2023
Teaching
The course will take place as a three-day intensive seminar and will be a mix of predominantly lectures and interaction during the lectures. The students will also be required to prepare a draft paper for the course, present it, and comment on (at least) one other draft.
Instruction will comprise:
- Workshop given as in-person teaching.
- Student presentations of research papers.
- Individual written feedback on each student’s research paper.
Lecturer
Prof. Jarle Trondal, Department of Political Science and Management, University of Agder, ARENA Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo, and University of California, Berkeley
Schedule
June 5 – June 7, 2023
Location: University of Oslo, Blindern campus, Room 947, Eilert Sundts hus (9th floor)
Compulsory activities
- Read the literature (approximately 1000 pages) in advance of the course
- Attend lectures and seminars
- Prepare a presentation for the seminar
- Submit a paper of 6000 – 8000 words on a topic relevant for the course. The paper will be graded “pass” (deadline for handing in final paper to be announced later)
Examination
Students will be assessed based on a research paper submitted after the course (~6000-8000 words).