Political Science (POLI) 405

Overview

The purpose of this course is to enable students to explore and think critically about the fundamental changes that have taken place throughout bureaucracies in the Western world, and to enable students to evaluate these changes from a comparative perspective. It is also designed to enable students to think critically about the decolonization of public administration.

Outline

Unit 1: Old and New Public Management
Unit 2: Indigenous Administration and Representation
Unit 3: Culture, Democracy, and Equity
Unit 4: Collaborative Governance
Unit 5: Co-production
Unit 6: Public Management in the Digital Era
Unit 7: Data in the Digital Era
Unit 8: Ethics and Accountability
Unit 9: Comparative Public Administration
Unit 10: The Future of the Public Sector

Learning outcomes

After completing POLI 405, you should be able to

1. assess the strengths and limitations of key public sector reforms.
2. explain why decolonization of the public sector is essential.
3. explain why embedding diversity, representation, and intersectionality within public sector administrative systems is critical to achieving justice and equality.
4. analyze how democracy and the public sector intersect, and explain what the potential is for democratic decline in light of recent trends.
5. assess changes in the public sector from a non-Western perspective.
6. explain the challenges that the public sector faces in the digital era.

Evaluation

To receive credit for this course, you must submit all of the required course assignments and complete them to the satisfaction of your tutor. You must also achieve an overall course grade of D (50 percent) or better.

The following table summarizes the evaluation activities and the credit weights associated with them.

Activity	Weight
Assignment 1: GBA+ Certificate	5%
Assignment 2: Policy Memo Proposal	No grade
Assignment 3: Policy Memo	20%
Assignment 4: Research Essay Proposal	5%
Assignment 5: Plagiarism Test	10%
Assignment 6: Research Essay	30%
Assignment 7: Take-Home Test	30%
Total	100%

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.

Materials

This course either does not have a course package or the textbooks are open-source material and available to students at no cost. This course has a Course Administration and Technology Fee, but students are not charged the Course Materials Fee.

All course materials are available online through the Digital Reading Room (DRR).

Challenge for credit

Overview

The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.

Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

Evaluation

To receive credit for the POLI 405 challenge registration, you must complete all required components and achieve an overall grade of at least D (50 percent).

Activity	Weight
Written Assignment 1	5%
Written Assignment 2	15%
Exam	80%
Total	100%

Challenge for credit course registration form

Important links

• Academic advising
• Program planning
• Request assistance
• Support services