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SPOL41210

Academic Year 2026/2027

Dynamics of Policymaking (SPOL41210)

Subject:
Social Policy
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Soc Pol, Soc Wrk & Soc Justice
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Dr Anastasia Ershova
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This course offers an engaging learning opportunity for students interested in understanding policymaking processes in the national and supranational arenas. It underlines the crucial role domestic factors play in shaping policymaking dynamics in the supranational arena and vice versa. Engaging closely with the leading contributions in the field, students will learn how institutions, political elites, interest groups, and the public define the course of policies in the multilevel governance setting. We will pinpoint the factors that structure delegation choices and will investigate when domestic contestation enables supranational actors and highlights the roots of noncompliance with policies. The final weeks of the course will examine the role of expertise and scientific advice in policymaking as well as sources of policy reforms. . This “step back” will allow students to reflect on what they have learned throughout the term and identify how scientific knowledge and advice contribute to policymaking processes.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:

Understand the interactions of national and supranational levels of governance and actors in the policymaking process.

Engage with the leading contributions and findings in the field.

Critically examine competing perspectives and identify the underlying mechanisms.

Identify appropriate sources of empirical evidence.

Assess and compare strengths and drawbacks of theories/approaches /evidence/methods




Indicative Module Content:

This module will run for the first time from Spring 2026. A detailed course outline and curriculum content will be provided in advance of the first lecture.

Preliminary outline:
- Introduction: Why study policymaking?
- Agenda-setting
- Domestic constraints on supranational politics.
- Advocacy/lobby success and policymaking
- Responsiveness of policymaking
- Delegation of powers: legitimacy, policy uncertainty, and agency controls.
- Implementation and Roots of noncompliance.
- Scientific advise
- Reforms and Authority shifts.

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

76
Autonomous Student Learning

100
Lectures

12
Small Group

12
Total

200

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The course is delivered as a mixture of lectures and seminar- style classes relying on group-work, in class discussion and other in-class learning activities. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) techniques are applied throughout.

Policy on the use of AI will be updated prior to the the module commencement in Spring 2027.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Final paper must up to 3000 words. All paper are to be written as individual assignments Week 14 Graded Yes
70
 Yes
Individual Project: A research proposal of 1000-1500 words to be submitted at the beginning of Week 8. Week 8 Graded Yes
20
 Yes
Participation in Learning Activities: Contributions to the in-group discussions engagement with in-class activities. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 14, Week 15 Graded No
10
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

For each of the assignments, students will be provided with feedback which includes the assignment grade and some comments. These will be circulated electronically to students.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Fri 11:00 - 12:50
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