Policy Reflection/ Policy, Governance and Justice
This task requires students to write a reflection/ analysis of two topics of following two questions:
What should be the role of the government in people’s live?
Identifying issue in the policy cycle.
Policy and Governance in Australia*
Adopt the position of a politician who identifies with one of the ideologies discussed in the lecture and respond to the question: What should be the role of the
government in people’s lives?
Your response should consider the Australian context specifically. In your response consider this question in relation to political, social, and economic issues facing
our society.
You may want to consider some of the key issues identified by Alan Fenna that prompt different responses from different ideological positions to further develop your
discussion (available on blackboard).
Required Reading:
– Maddison, Sarah, Richard Denniss. 2009. “State or Market 1: Ideology and public policy” An Introduction to Australian Public Policy: Theory and Practice.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 39-56
Other readings that may be helpful for tutorial activity:
– (brief excerpt from:) Fenna, Alan. 2005. Australian Public Policy. 2nd ed. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Longman
– Political Compass activity: respond to a series of questions and see where the tool puts you on the two-dimensional axis of political views
The Policy Cycle and Identifying Issues
You are living in a share house with three people. One of the housemates moves interstate. You are looking to replace the housemate but want to make sure that the
house continues to be peaceful and cooperative. Consequently, you have decided to come up with a policy to assess any potential housemates and to operate the
household.
In your response, clearly identify the issues that would inform your policy. Explain how you identified which issues would inform your share-house policy and relate it
to the process of how issues are identified in a policy process as explored in the lecture and your reading.
You do not have to write a detailed sharehouse policy, but you need to clearly outline the issues and how/why they have been identified as informing the hypothetical
policy development
Required Reading:
– Althaus, Catherine, Peter Bridgman and Glyn Davis. 2013. “A Policy Cycle”. The Australian Policy Handbook. 5th ed. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin. 32-44 (If
you are using the 4th ed (2007): p 32-42).
– Althaus, Catherine, Peter Bridgman and Glyn Davis. 2013. “Identifying Issues”. The Australian Policy Handbook. 5th ed. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin. 43-56
(If you are using the 4th ed (2007): p 43-56)
Other readings that may be helpful for tutorial activity:
– Redfern Legal Centre and Inner Sydney Tenants’ Advice and Advocacy Service. n.d. “Living in A Share House” Share Housing Survival Guide (NSW).
Living in a share house
– Youth Central. n.d. “5 Tips for Living in a Share House”. http://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/housing-accommodation/sharehousing/5-tips-for-living-in-a-share-
house
Each question requires 500 words.
Purpose/Learning Objectives:
This task will require students to reflect on and respond to two tutorial topics. It will encourage critical thinking and engagement in collaborative tutorial
discussions and activities
This assessment relates to Learning Outcomes 1, 2, and 3:
1. describe the policy cycle and prepare policy documents with a social justice orientation (Discipline Knowledge; Communication and Collaboration)
2. explain and analyse issues that relate to the development of policy in the Australian and Queensland governments (Discipline Knowledge; Professional Ethics;
Critical Thinking and Basic Research Skills)
3. compare and contrast alternatives to establish whether they are effective or even valid policy options (Critical Thinking and Basic Research Skills; Problem
Solving)
Task:
This task requires students to write a reflection/ analysis of two topics from tutorials during the first few weeks of semester. For each of these weeks the student
will write a 500-word response to the tutorial topic and actively participate in the relevant tutorial.
Students are expected to write a draft of their response in advance of the relevant tutorial and to bring it with them to prompt discussion in the tutorial. Following
the tutorial the student can revise their response before submitting it by the due date.
A list of the potential topics to respond to is available on Blackboard: “Tutorial Workbook Topics 2016”.
Academic Sources:
You are required to reference the textbook and/or other resources provided from the relevant week. You can chose to reference other sources but this is not required.
All sources must be correctly cited in text and a correctly formatted reference list must be provided using Harvard style. In text citations do count to the word
limit, but the reference list does not.
Suggested layout/structure:
The format may differ from week to week depending on the activity. However, it is expected that in most cases each 500 word response will cover the following:
• A clear statement of your argument/ position/ analysis as an introduction.
• A discussion of the issue. This generally will require a clear statement and analysis of points that support your position. It is suggested that you reference
here to support this discussion. Here you can demonstrate you understand key concepts from the lecture/ readings relevant to this week.
• A summary of the discussion that may include a restatement of the position, or a suggestion for a policy outcome, or similar.
Ensure you are fully responding to the particular question and addressing any specific requirements explained in the task description.
Reference List
Your reference list should be in Harvard format, be single spaced and listed alphabetically. Do NOT divide into type of source (i.e books, journal articles, web
sources). Your reference list should be titled as such and be tidily presented. The reference list is not included in the word count.
