10607 Public Policy in an Era of Globalization

Credits: 4 intermediate credits in Public Policy or in Political Science

Prerequisites: Government and Politics in Israel, and two of the following courses: Introduction to Public Administration, Public Policy, Introduction to Local Government

The workshop is based on a reader edited by Guy Ben-Porat.

In recent decades, globalization has become a popular word to describe political, economic and cultural development. The actual meaning of the concept, however, remains vague. The purpose of this workshop is to explain the impact of globalization on different aspects of social and political life and its theoretical and practical consequences for public policy in Israel and elsewhere.

The first part of the workshop explains what globalization is through different models and theories. The second part presents the welfare state model, its strengths, weaknesses and crises. The third part engages with the changing relations of state, capital and labor and the implications for the welfare state. The fourth part examines changes in the democratic structure, citizen involvement and the possibility of shaping public policy. The fifth, final part, presents global and local challenges to contemporary public policy.