2008 Handbooks

Who really holds power in the process of policy change? Are experts taking over policy development? Can the most marginal in the community influence policy? This course examines how social policy is developed through social and political institutions. We consider the contributions of experts, bureaucratic agencies, politicians and the private sector to the making of social policy as well as the capacity for policy clients and social actors to influence decision-making. We also look closely at the role of past policies in shaping policy development and factors shaping 'policy learning', which include public opinion and international policy transfer.

The course investigates a range of Australian and international policy experiences in the area of family income support, pension reform, public health care and labour market programs, and addresses major sociological questions about knowledge and power in policy development.