Welcome to the Democratic Governance and Policymaking course! In this course, you will learn that all citizens collectively desire public goods such as justice, peace, and welfare, but beyond their individual means. A state is a politically organized society to fulfill citizens’ public good needs. Politics is an activity in pursuit of the collective interests of the citizens. Policymaking is a collective action to identify, adequately provide, and equitably allocate desired public goods. However, arriving at a collective choice on who gets what, when, and how much, and who decides and how, faces joint action problems. This often leads to a policy gap between citizens’ preferences and policy provision, resulting in a loss of well-being. Governance in policymaking is about providing stewardship to these collective efforts through institutional mechanisms to minimize the policy gap. Democracy in governance is about the active participation of citizens, directly or indirectly, at all stages of policymaking.
This course aims to provide an applied appreciation of the role of citizen participation in effective policymaking. As it attempts to do so, it juxtaposes democratic principles with empirical evidence to gain insights into what works, what does not, and why in the practice of democratic governance.
The course is structured as follows. Module one describes the context leading to the policy gap. Modules two to four examine the institutional arrangements for policymaking in democratic governance. Modules five and six explain how democratic governance can reduce the policy gap. Module seven concludes with approaches for measuring democratic governance and its determinants.
In this module, you will examine the evolution of society from a simple homogeneous unit to a complex heterogeneous state. The module also analyzes how heterogeneity can lead to multi-peaked preferences for the public good needs and the collective action problems in aggregating such preferences into a collective choice for policymaking.
What's included
10 videos3 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
10 videos•Total 61 minutes
Course Introduction•3 minutes
Understanding Society: Its Needs and Structures•7 minutes
Collective Needs as Public Good Needs•7 minutes
Collective Choice for Public Good Needs•6 minutes
Understanding Politics•6 minutes
State as a Politically Organized Society•6 minutes
Government as an Organization and Agent of the State•6 minutes
Policymaking as Collective Action for Collective Choice •7 minutes
Collective Action Problems in Policymaking •7 minutes
Policy Gap as a Consequence of Collective Inaction •6 minutes
3 readings•Total 70 minutes
Course Overview•10 minutes
Essential Reading: Why Governance in Policymaking •30 minutes
Recommended Reading: Why Governance in Policymaking •30 minutes
4 assignments•Total 87 minutes
Graded Quiz: Why Governance in Policymaking •60 minutes
Society, Collective Needs, and Public Goods•9 minutes
Emergence of State to Fulfil Public Good Needs•9 minutes
Policymaking, Collective Action Problems, and Policy Gap•9 minutes
Governance, Democracy, and Collective Action
Module 2•4 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you will conceptualize governance as a social mechanism designed to provide stewardship to the collective action by the citizens. Lastly, it explains how institutionalizing the rules (of the game) and their enforcement enables collective action for public goods.
What's included
10 videos2 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
10 videos•Total 61 minutes
What Is Governance?•6 minutes
What Is Democracy in Governance?•7 minutes
Rationale for Democratic Governance•6 minutes
Scope for Democratic Governance in Policymaking•6 minutes
Legitimacy: Input, Procedural, and Output•5 minutes
Responsiveness to Citizens’ Preferences•5 minutes
Accountability to All Affected•5 minutes
Evolution of Institutions•6 minutes
How Do Institutions Facilitate Collective Action?•6 minutes
Institutional Arrangements for Policymaking•7 minutes
2 readings•Total 60 minutes
Essential Reading: Governance, Democracy, and Collective Action•30 minutes
Recommended Reading: Governance, Democracy, and Collective Action•30 minutes
4 assignments•Total 90 minutes
Graded Quiz: Governance, Democracy, and Collective Action•60 minutes
Democracy as a Form of Governance•9 minutes
Democratic Governance in Policymaking•12 minutes
Institutions for Democratic Governance in Policymaking•9 minutes
Deliberative Democratic Governance in Policymaking
Module 3•4 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you will be introduced to deliberative participation and its guiding and regulatory principles. You will be able to understand how deliberative participation can enable collective action for collective choice in a policymaking context. The module provides an empirical framework that can be used to develop approaches to make participation more deliberative ex-ante and evaluate the deliberative quality of participation, ex-post.
What's included
10 videos2 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
10 videos•Total 70 minutes
Conception of Deliberation in Democratic Governance•6 minutes
Reciprocity in Deliberations•6 minutes
Publicity in Deliberations•6 minutes
Civic Management and Civic Integrity in Deliberations•6 minutes
The Antecedent Rules for Deliberative Participation•7 minutes
The Procedural Rules for Deliberative Participation•7 minutes
Deliberating Effectively in Participation•6 minutes
Deliberative Participation and Successful Collective Action•9 minutes
Deliberative Participation and Effective Governance•9 minutes
Limitations of Deliberative Participation•8 minutes
2 readings•Total 60 minutes
Essential Reading: Deliberative Democratic Governance in Policymaking•30 minutes
Recommended Reading: Deliberative Democratic Governance in Policymaking•30 minutes
4 assignments•Total 90 minutes
Graded Quiz: Deliberative Democratic Governance in Policymaking•60 minutes
What Constitutes a Democratic Deliberation?•12 minutes
Deliberative Participation in Policymaking Institutions•9 minutes
Outcomes and Limitations of Deliberative Participation•9 minutes
Representative Democratic Governance in Policymaking
Module 4•3 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you will gain an understanding of the need for representation in democratic governance through four questions, that is, represent what, represent whom, who can represent, and how should representation happen. The module concludes with a brief analysis of how the nature of representation can bear upon the effectiveness of public policy.
What's included
8 videos2 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 57 minutes
Need for Representation in Democratic Governance•7 minutes
Represent Whom? •6 minutes
Represent What and How? •6 minutes
Who can Represent? •6 minutes
Free, Fair, and Competitive Manner •6 minutes
Periodic and Regular Elections​•7 minutes
Median Voter Theorem •10 minutes
Limitations of Representative Participation•8 minutes
2 readings•Total 60 minutes
Essential Reading: Representative Democratic Governance in Policymaking•30 minutes
Recommended Reading: Representative Democratic Governance in Policymaking•30 minutes
4 assignments•Total 84 minutes
Graded Quiz: Representative Democratic Governance in Policymaking•60 minutes
What Constitutes a Democratic Representation? •12 minutes
How Should the Representation Happen? •6 minutes
Outcomes and Limitations of Representative Participation•6 minutes
Policymaking in Multi-Order Democratic Governance
Module 5•4 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you will examine the rationale for multi-order democratic governance from different perspectives. You will be able to critically analyze the political economy challenges in policymaking in such a context, and how these challenges may influence policy effectiveness.
What's included
8 videos2 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 75 minutes
What Constitutes Multi-Order Governance? •10 minutes
Forms of Multi-Order Governance•9 minutes
Economic Rationale•12 minutes
Political Rationale•8 minutes
Sociological Rationale•10 minutes
Does Multi-Order Governance Improve Development Outcomes? •9 minutes
Does Multi-Order Governance Strengthen Civil Society? •9 minutes
Political Economy of Policy Effectiveness in Multi-Order Governance•9 minutes
2 readings•Total 60 minutes
Essential Reading: Policymaking in Multi-Order Democratic Governance•30 minutes
Recommended Reading: Policymaking in Multi-Order Democratic Governance•30 minutes
4 assignments•Total 84 minutes
Graded Quiz: Policymaking in Multi-Order Democratic Governance•60 minutes
Understanding Multi-Order Governance•6 minutes
Rationale for Multi-Order Democratic Governance •9 minutes
Challenges in Policymaking in Multi-Order Democratic Governance •9 minutes
Does Democratic Governance Reduce Policy Gap: An Empirical Test
Module 6•3 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you will empirically test the supposition that democratic governance improves policy effectiveness by reducing policy gaps. Toward this, you will be intrigued to ask the research question: whether and how deliberative participation in policymaking institutions improves the provision of local public goods. Later you will find evidence in a throughput study of the local governments of India.
What's included
8 videos1 reading5 assignments
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 74 minutes
Local Governments of India •9 minutes
Problematization of Inadequacy in Local Public Goods •8 minutes
Study Design and Research Methods•11 minutes
Better Preference Formation Through Better Information •9 minutes
Better Preference Communication Through Better External Political Efficacy •8 minutes
Better Preference Collectivization Through Better Sense of Community•11 minutes
Better Preference Conversion into Public Goods Output Through Better Rule of Law•11 minutes
Better Preference Capture and Its Conversion to Public Good Outputs •7 minutes
1 reading•Total 30 minutes
Essential Reading: Does Democratic Governance Reduce Policy Gap: An Empirical Test•30 minutes
5 assignments•Total 84 minutes
Graded : Does Democratic Governance Reduce Policy Gap: An Empirical Test•60 minutes
Study Context•9 minutes
Does Better Participation Lead to Better Policy Formulation? •9 minutes
Does Better Participation Lead to Better Policy Implementation?•3 minutes
Does Better Participation Lead to Better Provision of Local Public Goods?•3 minutes
Determinants of Democratic Governance and Approaches to Measure Them
Module 7•3 hours to complete
Module details
This module is motivated by the question: what explains the effectiveness of democratic governance? It starts with a critical analysis of popular composite measures of the quality of democratic governance. Following this, it seeks to find answers to the question, in two broad categories of determinants: Attributes of the community, and attributes of the citizens.
What's included
8 videos2 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 69 minutes
Measures of Democratic Governance and Their Limitations•11 minutes
Civic Culture•11 minutes
Political Economy Factors•9 minutes
Social Structure•9 minutes
Exit, Voice, Loyalty, and Neglect (EVLN) Framework•7 minutes
Economic Reasons•9 minutes
Psycho-social Reasons •10 minutes
Course Wrap-Up•1 minute
2 readings•Total 60 minutes
Essential Reading: Determinants of Democratic Governance and Approaches to Measure Them•30 minutes
Recommended Reading: Determinants of Democratic Governance and Approaches to Measure Them•30 minutes
4 assignments•Total 81 minutes
Graded Quiz: Determinants of Democratic Governance and Approaches to Measure Them•60 minutes
Approaches to Measure Quality of Democratic Governance•3 minutes
Social Determinants of Effective Democratic Governance•9 minutes
Citizen Participation: Who Participates, Who Abstains, and Why?   •9 minutes
Build toward a degree
This course is part of the following degree program(s) offered by O.P. Jindal Global University. If you are admitted and enroll, your completed coursework may count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.Âą
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Build toward a degree
This course is part of the following degree program(s) offered by O.P. Jindal Global University. If you are admitted and enroll, your completed coursework may count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.Âą
ÂąSuccessful application and enrollment are required. Eligibility requirements apply. Each institution determines the number of credits recognized by completing this content that may count towards degree requirements, considering any existing credits you may have. Click on a specific course for more information.
O.P. Jindal Global University is recognised as an Institution of Eminence by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. It is also ranked the No. 1 Private University in India in the QS World University Rankings 2021. The university has 9000+ students across 12 schools that offer 52 degree programs. The university maintains a 1:9 faculty-student ratio.
It is a research-intensive university, deeply committed to institutional values of interdisciplinary and innovative learning, pluralism and rigorous scholarship, globalism, and international engagement.
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