Electives (Please note that not all electives will be offered in any one semester.)

PP5136: Applied Public Sector Economics
This course is concerned with economic analysis of the public sector. It covers topics such as economic boundaries of the state; public choice theory; government budgeting systems and their implications; economic effects of various taxes; the role of user charges; fiscal incentives; government expenditure policies; tax and expenditure reform; as well as economics of multilevel government. The course also examines the privatisation phenomenon.

PP5201 Singapore: Global City, Global Risks
Over the past decade, Singapore has been repeatedly assaulted by a variety of global risks such as disease pandemics; financial crises and terrorism that spread quickly in an inter-connected world. This module examines how Singapore as an open global city has been acutely exposed to the negative flows of globalisation.

PP5202 'Soft' power in the Asia-Pacific
This module introduces students to the increasing importance of ‘soft’ power to International Relations in the Asia-Pacific region. It surveys the strategies and policies implemented by different states as they all seek, for their own national interests, to project their soft power. Countries surveyed include China, India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Indonesia.

PP5203 Behavioral Economics and Public Policy
Traditional economics, which is one of the key theoretical cornerstones of public policy, typically assumes that human behavior is rational, preferences are stable, and individuals are smart and unemotional. However, human behavior often deviates from standard assumptions due to psychological and social factors; analysis based on traditional economics can therefore misinform policies and lead to detrimental consequences. This course discusses behavioral regularities that are of potential importance for public policy. Students will be exposed to behavioral economic theory and its applications to public policy in the areas of savings, investment, healthcare, climate change, taxation, labor supply, and monetary policy.

PP5204 Evolving Practices of Governance in Singapore
Writing in The New York Times, Thomas Friedman encouraged policymakers to emulate the prevailing attitude in Singapore of ‘taking governing seriously and thinking strategically’. This module is a critical exploration of the basis and implications of such a claim, focusing on features of governance in Singapore that may be viewed as unique. To achieve this, such features – particularly Singapore’s systematic attempt to manage risks and complexity – are discussed in the context of influential theories and models of governance. To bridge theory and practice, the module is team-taught by a top civil servant and a political scientist, both Singaporean.

PP5205 Economic Policy in a Global Economy
In the current economic environment national policy must position countries to be competitive in a world economy. This module aims at conferring a better understanding of a world that is increasingly integrated through markets and informing the design of economic policies in such a world. The module is organized around three broad areas: Globalization & Economic Development, Trade and Factor Flows, and Macro Policy for the Open Economies of Asia.

PP5206: Politics and Policy in Southeast Asia
This course is designed to help students understand contemporary politics and policy in Southeast Asia in a comparative perspective. It will focus on the question of political stability and various government policies to achieve this goal. The policies include national integration, promotion of national ideology and values, promotion of political development and economic equity, and restrictions on political participation. The course will also introduce various theoretical frameworks in political science which explain the cause of conflict and their resolution with special reference to Southeast Asia.

PP5207 International Environmental Law & Policy
International law traditionally concerns itself with the relations between states, yet environmental problems transcend borders. International environmental law demonstrates how international norms can affect national sovereignty on matters of common concern. The course surveys international treaties concerning the atmosphere and the conservation of nature, and connections to trade and economic development. Institutions and principles to promote compliance and cooperation are also examined. The course will assist students in their understanding of international law-making. It would be of use to those interested in careers involving international law, both for the government and public sector and those in international trade and investment.

PP5208 Water Law, Governance and Management in Asia
This module is focused on legal, policy and financial aspects of urban water management and infrastructure development in Asia. It examines how water is governed at the local and national levels in selected Asian countries, and provides some background on the regional and international contexts. Water issues are by their nature interdisciplinary, encompassing a wide range of legal, policy, economic, social and environmental aspects. This module is designed for policy makers, regulators, investors and educators. It will provide them with the knowledge and skills relating to the legal and policy-related aspects of water governance and management.

PP5209 Exercising Leadership
This is a skills-based course that focuses on the interpersonal and intrapersonal dynamics that impact leadership. Participants are encouraged to clarify their own leadership direction and personal motives so they may make effective progress in pursuing their ambitions while avoiding typical areas of derailment. The classroom is used for both didactic learning, e.g., of diagnostic tools for analyzing interactions in case studies and in class, and for practicing new strategies of action. Other sources of learning include readings, lectures, plenary discussions, small group work, film, and cases provided by participants’ of their experience with leadership challenges.

PP5210 UN and Global Governance
The module will provide students with a thorough understanding of the structures underpinning contemporary global governance. This will include detailed study of the multilateral institutions, in particular of the UN and the WTO, that provide its principal bulwark. The manner in which key global players pursue their perceived national interests within these institutions would be examined. The ‘rise of Asia’ against the matrix of changing global power relations, and the accommodation of re-emerging China and India would be analyzed. The role of small powers and their contribution to shaping global values and actions would be studied. All along, public policy perspectives and angles would be emphasized.

PP5211 Analytical Issues in Money & Banking
This course links the fields of macroeconomic and financial policies. It provides coverage of economic principles that underlie the operation of banks and other financial institutions. The role of money in the economy and the impact of the central bank and monetary policy on the macroeconomy are emphasized, as is understanding the foreign exchange market and some basics of monetary theory and international finance. The focus of this course is on analytics.

PP5212 Financial Issues, Trade and Investment in Asia
This course is an introduction to selected aspects of Asian economic development and the region's interactions with the rest of the world. It will focus on developing simple analytical tools to understand key trends and macroeconomic, financial and trade policy issues that confront Asia in the world economy. Topics covered include sources of growth in the Newly Industrializing Economies (NIEs) in East Asia, the rise of China and India and their impact on the global trading system, foreign direct investment to Asia, currency crisis in Asia, Asia in the global financial system, and issues relating to Asian economic regionalism.

PP5213 Contemporary Financial Policy Issues in Emerging Asia
Asia's share of the world's GDP, which is currently little above twenty percent, is likely to double by 2030. This has drawn much attention to the dynamic emerging Asian region, especially to the economic giants China and India. This course explores different aspects of contemporary international economic issues in the region. Coverage will be broad, focusing on financial crises, reserve accumulation, capital flows and currency wars, on the one hand, and issues relating to foreign direct investment and developments in China and India, on the other.

PP5214: Ethics and the Public Official
The public official is constantly confronted with choices that have ethical dimensions. An obvious one is the attempt to influence officials’ decisions by corrupt means. However, ethical issues facing public officials are usually more subtle. They range from the way officials define their political mandate to how they think about policy options that profoundly affect the lives of others. This course will explore the range of ethical issues and choices that confronts public officials and develop skills in recognising and resolving them.

PP5215 Changes in Singapore Political Economy
This course is an overview of opportunities taken and the strengths obtained in the changes of the political economy of Singapore. It will cover Singapore from an East India Company settlement to its status as a Straits Settlement colony and then as a colony by itself, full internal self-government, merger with Malaysia and now an independent republic. Topics covered include how the political economy of Singapore coped with changes in the region, new commodities in the hinterland, population movements, global ideology, national aspirations, international finance, multinational corporations and economic volatility.

PP5218 Foresight Methods and Analysis
This course examines the intersection of Public Policy and Futures Studies. The course will develop an understanding of how anticipatory practices can support public policy. A methodological overview of futures research and studies and hands on knowledge of the Singapore Government’s Risk Assessment and Horizon Scanning (RAHS) system, as well as other futures research tools and methods are given. Case studies of policy-foresight programs will be comprehensively surveyed. A theoretical understanding of the convergence of public policy and futures studies is developed. Emerging issues in public policy (eGoveCitizen, Sino-global dynamics, alternative futures of globalization and policy) are explored.

PP5220: National Science and Technology Policy Analysis
This course examines the contribution of science and technology (S&T) to national economic development and identifies the public policy roles of government in science and technology. It develops the concepts and analytic techniques for formulating and evaluating public policy towards science and technology, and analyses alternative institutional structures and processes for policy implementation. Comparative case studies on actual national S&T planning systems as well as specific policy experiences in selected advanced industrialised countries and newly-industrialised economies will be examined and their lessons and relevance for Singapore discussed.

PP5222: Southeast Asia in International Relations
As the Asia-Pacific region grows in political and economic power and prominence, its role in international relations becomes more important. This course will provide a basic framework for analysing international relations, and use it to consider Southeast Asia's current and future role in the world.

PP5224: Negotiation and Conflict Management
This course considers theories and concepts in conflict and conflict resolution, and examines the processes of negotiation and mediation. It seeks to apply principles in conflict management and negotiation to specific case situations and cultural contexts. This course is experiential-based and students will have the opportunity to participate in negotiation and conflict management exercises, case discussions and practice sessions.

PP5226: Social Policy: Issues and Options
This course deals with social policy issues with special reference to Southeast Asian countries. The policies analysed include those relating to ethnicity, urbanisation, housing, migration, labour, poverty and its alleviation, education and health. The ideas of state responsibility to provide for basic needs and of a social safety net are considered.

PP5227: Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management
The environment - along with the closely linked issue of natural resource management - is a topic of growing concern throughout the world. Southeast Asia is no exception. The Asia-Pacific region contains forest, mineral and petrochemical reserves, the management of which is of great importance to the region and the world. This course deals with the economic principles and political issues involved in protecting the environment and managing natural resources effectively. This module is targeted at students who are interested in environmental policy and natural resource management.

PP5230: Strategic Management in Public Organisations
Organisations, including government agencies, must create value through the actions of people. Public policies are only ideas until they are implemented by real agencies facing real constraints. Managers have the unique responsibility of co-ordinating workers and creating an environment in which they will understand the work to be done, and learn to do it better and more efficiently. Managers use a variety of tools to accomplish this task (for example, personnel policy, budgeting, production and operations analysis). This course examines these tools in a series of case discussions and readings. This module is for those interested in learning strategic management skills.

PP5235: Development Policy in Southeast Asia
This course begins by examining the recent history of national development in the “Third World” and competing models of development. It reviews the importance of policy reform in many countries, and considers which policies and circumstances are likely to promote growth. It then examines the role of various sectors, such as agriculture, industry, social welfare, and suggests roles for the public and private sector in promoting development and providing basic services to its citizens. This module is targeted at students who are interested in development policy in Southeast Asia

PP5237: Strategies for Poverty Alleviation
This course aims to provide students with an understanding of how policy analysis can be applied to challenges of economic growth and poverty alleviation in Southeast Asia. The course discusses about the history of economic growth, and examines several theories of growth process. It will examine how government policy affects the pace and pattern of economic growth and levels of poverty. Students will develop a better understanding of how economic principles can be applied to a wide range of policy issues, and will practise applying those principles in class exercises and presentations.

PP5238: Urban Development and Policy
This course examines the development of urban areas and the public policies that lead to rational and effective urban structures and institutions. The course begins with an examination of the theories and principles that explain the existence of regions and cities. These principles will then be used to establish criteria for evaluating urban policies and to look at several urban problems. Substantive areas which will be explored in the course include land use, housing, transportation, economic development, the environment, urban public finance, and intergovernmental organisations/institutions.

PP5239: Law and Economics
The major purposes of the course are to review and discuss the incentives created by legal rules and their relationship to economic behaviour and activity, and to demonstrate the use of these analyses in the design of legal institutions. The objectives will include better understanding of the relationships between law and economic activity, improved ability to analyse public policy opinion, further an appreciation of potential complementarities between fields such as law and economics; and a greater awareness of recent research related to law, economics, regulations, and economic development.

PP5240: Topics in Applied Policy Analysis
The course provides students with knowledge and skills to understand and effectively manage different aspects of the policy process: recognising problems; developing alternatives to address the problems; devising criteria for choosing alternatives; gaining support and acceptance from stakeholders; crafting implementation strategies; evaluating implementation; and dealing with unexpected consequences. The class discussions are contexts in realistic scenarios and current events. They present problem-solving skills in specific policy areas, such as health care, environment, transportation, science and technology, housing, social policy, etc. Specific contents of the course vary from year to year depending on interests of faculty and students, and current events.

PP5241: Topics in Economics or Quantitative Analysis
The course examines different economic principles and theories and quantitative techniques helpful to policy analysis. The focus can range from statistics and econometrics to survey design decision analysis, operations research and risk analysis depending on the policy issues and kind of theories and data relevant to the policy discussed. The course may also teach economic principles and their application to such areas as health care, environment, transportation, science and technology, housing and social policy. Specific contents of the course vary from year to year depending on the interests of faculty and students, and current events.

PP5242: Topics in Institutional or Political Analysis
The course deals with various ways in which institutional and political analysis can improve the policy process. Among the various issues examined are factors that advance or deter policy agendas, the determinants of decision-making, and the politics of implementation. The course teaches students how politics and institutional relationships shape the policy-making process in different areas of public policy, such as environment, health care, transportation, science and technology, education, housing, and social policy. This course helps students learn and apply leadership, managerial and analytical techniques to enhance their understanding of public institutions and the political environment they operate in. Readings and class discussions focus on the application of concepts, frameworks and techniques in realistic scenarios. Specific contents of the course vary from year to year depending on the interests of faculty and students, and current events.

PP5243: Infrastructure Policy
This course takes a multi-disciplinary approach to public policy on infrastructure with a focus on dilemmas and topical controversies. Infrastructure systems are crucial elements in development strategies. However, infrastructure policy involves formidable dilemmas and has been a focus of many key public policy debates, including controversies over: privatisation and deregulation; cost-recovery and cross-subsidy issues; access for the poor to infrastructure-based services; corruption; environmental and social impacts; as well as public spending and investment priorities. This module is targeted at MPP students who are interested in learning more about infrastructure.

PP5244: Public Sector Reform in Developing Countries
Government performance everywhere – but especially in developing countries – often disappoints. “Public sector reform” is the label given to diverse attempts to achieve fundamental improvements in government performance. This course examines 10 controversial reform strategies that dominate contemporary debate over how to improve government performance in developing countries, including among others decentralisation, democratisation, and administrative and civil service reform. It will train students in three areas: 1) diagnosing causes of poor government performance; 2) analysing opportunities for, and constraints on, use of reforms that dominate public-sector reform debate; and 3) crafting realistic strategies from a public-manager’s perspective.

PP5245: Project Management for the Public Sector
The ability to effectively manage projects is one of the key skills for managers in today’s bare-bones, hyper-speed workplace. Yet, in most public organisations, comprehensive project management training programmes remain more the exception than the rule, leaving public managers to make up the rules - and pick up the pieces - as each project takes on a life of its own. This module will introduce students to spearheading every stage of a project: from developing goals, setting up project plans, assigning and scheduling work, monitoring progress, and exercising control to achieve desired project results.

PP5246: Public Policy and Management of Health Systems
This module is an introduction to public policy in health care management, with a special focus on health care systems in Asia. It examines the roles and relationships between policy planning, implementation and evaluation processes, and different approaches of national systems in providing, regulating and paying for health care. Regional innovations in the organisation and financing of health care systems will be analysed through selected country case-studies. Seminar topics on current topical issues include comparative health care systems and health sector reforms, private-public participation, health care evaluation, and the future of health care in Asia.

PP5247: International Economic Policy
This course is an introduction to international economics and is conducted in two parts. The first part focuses on international finance theory and open economy macroeconomics policy while the second part deals with international trade theory and policy. The broad topics that will be examined include: theory of international trade and commercial policies; balance of payments accounting and its determinants; and the basics on foreign exchange. Extensive examples will be drawn from experiences of Asian economies.

PP5248: International Conflict Resolution
This module provides an introduction to contemporary cases in and analyses of international conflict resolution with a view to understanding responses to conflict at international, state, regional and nongovernmental levels. The module covers three main components: 1) conflict analysis (sources, actors, dynamics of emerging, current and post-conflict situations); 2) policy and material responses (international, state and regional) mandate, timing and scope; relation between Tracks I & II; and 3) capacity development and peace building: material, political, policy, and training issues. The principal learning objective is the development of a sound understanding of the range of policy and practical responses to conflict.

PP5249: Media, Public Opinion and Public Policy
This practice-based media and communication course will help them understand media management, marketing public policies, public opinion management, public consultation principles and the application of effective communication strategies. The aim is to ensure participants are equipped to manage public perception that affects the implementation of public policies. It will be case study mode of training based on the experiences of a practitioner. Students are expected to actively participate in the discussions and class work.

PP5250: Economic Development Policy
This course introduces the theoretical foundations of economic development policies, and analyses the political and historical factors influencing national developmental paths and public policy choices towards equitable and sustainable economic development. The four main themes covered are: 1) policy frameworks for economic development in a changing world; 2) the role of markets, governments and development organisations in the policy arena; 3) successes and failures of agricultural, industrial, trade and social welfare policies; and 4) the impact of regional integration, global interdependence and environmental degradation on the national and international policy arena, towards global economic growth and development..

PP5251: Institutions and Public Policy
The main purpose of this module is to assist students in developing systematic views regarding how institutions affect public policies. This module is based on the premise that public policies can be characterised as political equilibria determined by strategic interactions among self-interested agents in some political processes. This module covers the following main topics: normative and positive theories on the origin of government; political regimes of different types as policy-making mechanisms; rent-seeking models; roles of interest groups and bureaucracy in policy-making and policy implementation; relations between institutions and economic development.

PP5252: Ethnic Politics and Governance in Asia
Ethnicity and religion are some of the most powerful political forces in the world. In many instances they decide whether a country enjoys domestic stability and political/economic development, and more recently, they have been central in determining whether regions of the world are at peace or at war. Ethnic politics can take many forms, ranging from increased political assertiveness of minority ethnic groups to violent ethnic conflicts, genocide and secessionist movements. This module examines the intersection of ethnicity and politics in Asia. It will explore several dimensions of ethnic politics: the sources of ethnic politics and ethno-political conflict in Asia as well as the management and containment strategies used to regulate conflict in multi-ethnic polities in select Asian countries. The case studies will include ethnic politics in China, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

PP5253: International Financial Policy & Issues
This course is aimed at providing a more in-depth understanding of important international financial issues and public policy challenges that confront Asia. Focus will be both on the analytics and public policy issues relating to the foreign exchange market, effects of a devaluation, import and export elasticities; international capital flows; the balance of payments; crisis management and prevention; and international monetary regionalism in Asia. Unlike narrow discipline-oriented courses that only focus on analytics, this course is interdisciplinary in nature, linking the analytics to real-world conundrums.

PP5254: Nuclear Weapons and International Security
This course will cover the basic scientific and policy issues concerning nuclear weapons and delivery systems, and implications for national, regional and international security. The course will help students to understand the historical evolution of the role of nuclear weapons in military strategy and international diplomacy and their relevance for civilian nuclear programmes worldwide. The course will provide required technical and political background to understand the contemporary relevance of nuclear weapons and material for arms control regimes, counter-proliferation initiatives, export control, and counter-terrorism. Special emphasis will be provided to issues specific to the Asia-Pacific context.

PP5255: Energy Policy and Security in Asia
This module will illustrate the role of various energy resources (especially mineral resources) in national policy planning and the perceived security concerns of external energy dependence and imports. Geological resource availability and utilisation will be discussed for Asian countries and regional aggregates against the backdrop of global and regional developments in energy security and policy challenges. Topics covered in this module include global and regional fossil and non-fossil energy endowment, technological challenges facing global energy future, national energy security policies of Asian countries, civilian nuclear electricity in Asia, policy issues concerning coal utilisation and the future of oil and natural gas markets in the region, and the implications for regional and global security.

PP5256: Financial Regulation and Development
This course would seek to provide an in-depth understanding of the important role played by the financial sector in a modern economy, including the potential contribution of a vibrant financial sector to economic growth and financial stability. The course would examine the preconditions for a strong financial sector and measures available to policy-makers for strengthening the financial sector. Particular emphasis would be placed on the special challenges of building strong financial sectors in developing countries. Much of the course would focus on financial regulation and supervision, its rationale and relationship to financial sector development. The two broad types of financial regulation, prudential and market conduct would be examined and consideration would be given to the characteristics of an effective system of regulation and supervision. Attention would also be given to financial crises, their capacity to undermine economic development and techniques available to policy-makers, central bankers and regulators for minimising the risks and consequences of financial crises.

PP5257: Water Policy & Governance
This module will provide a fundamental understanding of the root causes of current mismanagement of water at a massive scale, both in terms of quantity and quality, as well as in terms of economic, environmental and health implications. It will explore the direct interrelationships between water and population dynamics, urbanization, ruralisation, globalization, free trade, technological developments, economic growth and other similar issues. The course will assess the impacts and relevance of current global water policy dialogues on issues like poverty alleviation, environment conservation and regional income distribution. Issues like improper and inadequate water quality management in the entire developing world, management of transboundary and interstate rivers and lakes, economic instruments, legal frameworks and institutional arrangements will be considered. The roles of stakeholder participation, public-private partnerships and non-governmental organizations will be explored.

PP5258: International Relations and Diplomacy
This course is designed for students with no previous background in international relations. As such, the course will introduce students to the institutional, structural and political mechanisms that condition relationships between states and between states and non-state actors. The aim of the course is to provide students with a broad overview of the frameworks of analysis, actors, institutions, issues and processes responsible for international relations, the causes of war, inter-state economic competition, and the structural configuration of power in the international system.

PP5259: Crisis Management
This course will be focused on three main areas: 1) the nature and characteristic of crises from the international, nation-state, organisational (including bureaucracies and corporations), and the individual standpoints; 2) introduction to the theoretical and practical literature on crises, their management and prevention methodologies with an emphasis on negotiation strategies, causes and magnitudes of crises, and consequence management; and 3) a review of key case studies in crisis management and how lessons can be applied to respond more effectively to a range of crises and catastrophes.
While government responses to a range of political-military crises will be reviewed in the course, an emphasis will also be placed on a comparative assessment of how corporations have dealt with crises, in addition to the role of leadership in the heat of a crisis. The highlight of the course will be focused on a “Simulation Exercise” or a “Gaming Exercise” during the last week of class.

PP5260: Intelligence, National Security and Policy- making
This course will focus on three main areas: 1) the changing characteristic and nature of “information” and “intelligence” in the “Information Age”; 2) the breakdown of traditional information boundaries and hierarchies, i.e., the accelerated proliferation of information through the internet, and ramifications in the public and private sectors; and 3) the impact of the “Information Revolution” on national security including decision-making, organisational behavior, and the role of the nation-state. Emphasis is also going to be placed on excavating “real-life” intelligence problems including the intelligence cycle that led to major failures, the use and misuse of corporate intelligence, and the increasing emphasis on IT in the realm of intelligence and national security planning.

PP5261: International Security: Concepts, Issues and Policies
This course offers a birds-eye-view of international security including traditional and non-traditional sources of conflict, problems associated with conflict management, and newly emerging global security challenges including post-911 dynamics. International security is a critical component of international relations but since its formulation as a discipline in the post-World War II era but particularly during the Cold War, international security grew into a more independent discipline. Today, the ever-changing field encompasses aspects of traditional international relations, military studies and defense planning, arms control and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, economic and energy security, international law and regimes, and human and environmental security.

PP5262: Public Roles of the Private Sector
Governments no longer govern alone. Corporations and a wide range of civil society groups now confound, constrain, and/or complement the work of governments on virtually all international issues. This course addresses a host of issues raised by the rapidly changing roles of governments, civil society, and the private sector. Who does, and who should, make what decisions? How can decision makers be held accountable? Can the three sectors work together more effectively in the public interest? After a thorough grounding in the relevant history and theory, students will undertake a role-playing exercise based on current international issues.

PP5263: Global Issues and Institutions
What roles can and should Asian countries play in a world that increasingly is beset by problems that respect no national boundaries and that is governed by global, not just national, rules? This course provides a solid understanding of those global issues and rules, the institutions through which rules are negotiated, and the processes by which global rules are made and implemented. The course covers the broad global agenda, from security to environment to economics. Students will learn to design global systems that can tackle these issues effectively.

PP5264: States, Markets and International Governance
This course introduces students to some of the most important contemporary structural changes in the global political-economy and the reconfiguration of power relations between nation-states and non-state actors occasioned by the advent of private sector authority in the international system. The course begins with an outline of the dominant modes of thinking about international political and economic relations, surveys the main theoretical schools of thought, and then examines the contemporary global political-economy; the emergence of international regimes and international organisations, and the advent of global capital markets and their implications for state capacity.

PP5265: Law and Public Policy
This interdisciplinary course examines the intersections between law and the making and implementation of public policy. It will provide a theoretical and international context before focusing on Asia and Singapore. The course considers law as an instrument for making and implementing policy effectively and efficiently. It also debates characteristics, values and processes in law that should be considered by policy makers.

PP5266 Global Health Policy and Issues
This module gives an overview of global health policy and issues, with special focus on changing social, economic, technological and political conditions across the diverse countries and populations of Asia. It examines the roles and relationships among major players at the global level, and different approaches taken by various international organisations and national governments in tackling health and related problems. This module will examine global health trends and issues using a macro policy framework. Significant challenges in the organisation of global health programmes and the complexities involved in international cooperation will be analysed through selected case-studies. Topics on current issues will include:- population health and development, role of international health organizations, international aid and development assistance, emerging epidemics and disasters, cross-border health issues, migration of health human resources (brain drain), international trade in health services and the future of global health.

PP5267: Urban Transport Policy: A Global View
This course links public policy principles with key contemporary urban transport choices. It aims to help students from diverse countries become discerning consumers or supervisors (although not producers) of urban transport policy analysis, with enough understanding to engage critically with technical analysts. A comparative policy perspective and cases from a variety of situations (in terms of income, motorization, city size, urban structure, institutions, etc.) help reveal both universal principles and a need for local knowledge. Key sections include: 1) Introduction to fundamentals; 2) Supply and demand choices regarding urban traffic; 3) Multimodal approaches; and 4) Links with urban planning.

PP5268 Institutional Design and Analysis
This course is designed to enable participants to become familiar with the role of institutions in politics, economics and the law and to begin to address the consequences of alternative institutional design. The course begins with a discussion and development of the concept of “institutions” in law, economics and politics. These include the notion of a market, developed, the concept of property, an institution that straddles law, economics and politics, and political institutions such as voting systems and regime types. Building on the concept of preferences in economics, we examine the concept of “social welfare” often used to justify political action and the public choice alternative explanations grounded in self-interest. These concepts are further developed in an examination of regulation. The course concludes by examining the “big” picture institutional questions of democracy and capitalism and reform.

PP5269 Environmental Economics and Public Policy
This module is based on the premise that the sustainability of the natural environment is a necessity for the sustainability of the economic system. Hence the module commences with how specific definitions and models in economics need to be modified in cognizance of certain laws of thermodynamics. The module is divided into four blocks. The first block concerns the introduction of pertinent concepts in economics and their adaptation in the context of the relevant laws of thermodynamics The second and third blocks deal with the application of the adaptations to policy issues respectively at the microeconomic level and the macroeconomic level. The fourth block deals with the synthesis between microeconomic and macroeconomic analyses and the synergy between policies at the different levels

PP5270 Economic Policy in China
The purpose of this module is to examine the economic policies that have promoted China’s growth and development during the reform era and to consider the current policy challenges that now loom. Policy areas to be covered include agriculture & rural development; population and employment; enterprise reform; financial sector development; international trade; exchange rate & currency convertibility; public finance; macroeconomic stabilisation; social equity & social security; and environment & sustainability.

PP5271 Political Risk Analysis
This course introduces students to the problem of political risk; its causes, modes of articulation, measurement and analysis. Specifically, the course explores political risk in terms of its impact on cross-border commercial transactions and foreign investment, and analyses issues such as expropriation, nationalization, malfiescence, corruption, regulatory risk, contract repudiation, investment guarantees, and political risk insurance. The course begins with an examination of risk theory, surveys the theoretical literature on political and country risk assessment techniques, and then surveys the various forms of political risk through case examples. The course will use problem-based simulation exercises to introduce students to political risk analysis.

PP5272 Energy Systems and Climate Policy
This module will provide a basic understanding of various energy systems fuelling modern economic growth, and the growth potential and environmental constraints for their increased utilization. Description of various power generation systems and supply infrastructure will be provided in a way accessible to non-technical (science/engineering) majors. For those with technical background, discussion on policy aspects of energy production and consumption (economic, social, and political) will be more instructive. The overall objective is to provide a broader understanding of various energy options available for the future and their individual limitations.

PP5273 Political Islam and Governance
This module addresses the rise of political Islam and Islamism, and its impact on governance in the contemporary Muslim world. It aims to deepen our understanding regarding the inherent complexities of the Islamist movement and heighten our awareness of this new global political and policy issue. The module begins with a brief overview of rise of political Islam and Islamism and examines the potential reasons for its success. We then examine the impact of political Islam on governance in various Muslim countries. We will consider the different strategies embraced by states towards the Islamist movement – ranging from total exclusion to full incorporation into the governance structures. Finally, the module will consider the more transnational manifestations of these movements including those which are clearly more militant and politically violent, and question the resulting policy implications for the state.

PP5274 Financial Management for Policy Makers
This course equips students with the fundamental concepts and techniques of financial management with a special focus on their applications and implications for policy making and public management. The main topics covered in this course include: Fundamental Concepts in Financial Management, which includes Time Value of Money, Interest Rates and Bond Rating, Risk and Rates of Return, and Capital Asset Pricing Model; Assessment of Business Performance Valuation of Bonds and Stocks; Capital Budgeting; Derivatives and Risk Management; Mergers and Acquisitions; Investment Strategy; Applications of financial management concepts and techniques to policy analysis and public management.

PP5275 Central Banks and Economic Management
This course is aimed at providing an in-depth understanding of how central banks in the region implement monetary policy and maintain systemic financial stability. Particular attention will be paid to the instruments of monetary policy, the monetary transmission process, inflation targeting frameworks, monetary independence and transparency, the instruments to maintain systemic financial stability, and how the growth of capital markets and globalisation are influencing central bank operations.

PP5276 Advanced Negotiation
This course builds on and expands the basic building blocks of skills and art developed in their first negotiation course. This course is divided into two sections. In the first section, students will be introduced to more advanced material relating to: (a) multi-party negotiations; (b) three-dimensional negotiation; (c) international and global negotiations; and (d) apparently intractable conflicts. These classes will occur over several weekends. In the second part of the course, students will be expected to delve into one particular context (regulatory, ethnic or identity-based, global treaty negotiations, etc…) of negotiation and/or conflict resolution in much more detail, producing a significant paper and presenting their findings to the class at the end of the semester.

PP5277 Singapore’s Development: A Comparative Analysis
This course analyzes Singapore’s remarkable economic development experience and explores what other countries might learn from it. Topics include economic and social outcomes, initial conditions, proximate causes, and growth-enhancing policies, institutions, values, and political leadership. The class will dissect the lecturer’s recent book on Singapore, derive general underlying principles, and master operational concepts in a hands-on manner. In parallel with each week’s discussion of Singapore, students will work independently on a paper, evaluating the economic development experience of another country of their choice against the backdrop of Singapore’s case history.

PP5278 Health Economics and Public Policy
This module gives an overview of health and economic issues, with a special focus on the implications for public policy. It examines health policies using an economic framework, including supply and demand factors, market structure, market failure and public-private roles as they apply to health care. Topics include: health care financing and payment methods, health resources, costs and cost-containment; resource allocation and issues of equity, efficiency and cost-effectiveness; valuation of health status and outcomes including utilities like QALYs, and application of economic evaluation techniques.

PP5279 Clusters and National Competitiveness
This course explores the determinants of national and regional competitiveness from a bottom-up, microeconomic perspective. The course probes the ultimate determinants of a nation’s or region’s productivity, rooted in the strategies and operating practices of locally-based firms, the vitality of clusters, and the quality of the business environment in which competition takes place. The course examines both advanced and developing economies and addresses the competitiveness of nations and particular clusters. It also examines the role that economic coordination among neighboring countries plays in competitiveness. The course is concerned not only with government policy but also with the roles that firms, industry associations, universities, and other institutions play in competitiveness. In modern international competition, each of these institutions has an important role that is shifting. Moreover, the process of creating and sustaining an economic strategy for a nation or region is a daunting challenge. The course explores not only theory and policy, but also the organisational structures, institutional structures, and change processes required for sustained improvements in competitiveness.

PP5280 Politics and Development: Approaches, Issues and Cases
The module provides and a clear and comprehensive introduction to the main analytical approaches to the study of the politics of the developing world and development. The module (i) outlines the difficulties in the various analytical approaches to the study of development and location of the role of political science to the field; (ii) gives a critical overview of each of the main schools of thought in the development process; and (iii) introduces the key contemporary issue of democratisation to illustrate how students can apply a framework for research and critically develop their own perspectives.

PP5281 Business and the Environment
Business enterprises today face new environmental challenges. Public demands for transparency on environmental performance, enhanced requirements for performing environmental impact assessments for new investments, and greater uncertainty about domestic and international environmental regulation. Businesses are increasingly redefining how environmental drivers might define business value both in terms of opportunities and risks. This course will help students of public policy in better understanding how to engage these issues with stakeholders, including investors, regulators, and nongovernmental organizations.

PP5282 Macroeconomic Programming and Policies
Growth-oriented macroeconomic policy programs can assist development. This module lays out the analytical framework, techniques and choices that arise when designing and implementing such a program. Topics covered include: (i) the key features of, and interrelations among, the national income, balance of payments, fiscal and monetary accounts, and forecasting methods for these sectors; (ii) a diagnosis of the impact of policies in these areas on output, the price level and the balance of payments; and (iii) the preparation of a macroeconomic policy program. Lectures alternate with workshops in which students evaluate macroeconomic developments and policy alternatives, apply forecasting techniques in a hands-on manner using actual historic data, and formulate a coherent macroeconomic program for an Asian country in 2002 as a case study. The course aims to help students: (i) understand behavioural relations and accounting concepts and their interconnections as a means for evaluating macroeconomic developments; (ii) master basic techniques for constructing forecasts and preparing a quantified economic policy program; (iii) think creatively about the complementarities and trade-offs facing policy makers in their pursuit of macro-economic stability, economic growth and poverty alleviation; and (iv) appreciate the strengths and limitations of the approach followed.

PP5285 State-Society Relations in Singapore
In 1991, Minister George Yeo famously declared that the banyan tree needed pruning for the undergrowth to thrive: Singapore’s strong state, deemed necessary for rapid post-colonial growth and development, had, it seemed, stunted the growth of contemporary civil society. This module explores the evolving relationship between state and society in a global city that appears to be liberalizing in some respects, and yet not others. Students will acquire a conceptual vocabulary for thinking about the state, governance, democracy, and civil society, through which case studies on issues including gender, class, welfare, the arts, and public morality can be discussed critically.

PP5286 Comparative Public Management Reform
Public management reform is important to ensure effective governance, better delivery of public services, and successful implementation of public policies. In practice, governments around the world continuously strive to improve its governance by incorporating different reform approaches that are based on values such as efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, accountability, and participation. Different governments’ experiences are great learning platforms to understand and overcome problems related to managerial reform. The knowledge of surrounding theoretical debates concerning reform and the skills to do comparative analyses of the different approaches are vital for public administrators and policy-makers who are or would be leading reformers in governments around the world.

PP5287 Leadership and Teamwork
Effective leadership requires understanding how we impact those around us. This course focuses on developing the skills to work with different people by increasing awareness of our own leadership styles and examining how we affect people. To enhance skill development with the study of leadership theory, participants will synthesize lectures and case study material with personal psychological assessment tools, 360 feedback, in-class simulations, and outdoor leadership activities.

PP5288 Labour Market Policy Issues
This course provides an understanding of how the labour market works using the tools of economic analysis. It will examine how public policy and institutions forces shape the arrangements, terms and conditions under which individuals supply and firms demand labor. The module will highlight important trends and developments in the world of work and examine contemporary labour market issues. Major topics covered include labour force participation/nonparticipation, implications of income security programmes and minimum wages, education and training policies, the impact of immigration and emigration, labour market effects of trade unions, linkages between productivity and pay systems and the labour markets challenges arising from globalisation.

PP5289 Women, Leadership and Public Policy
This module explores the issue of gender as it pertains to politics and public policy. Students will learn to identify and analyze the gendered social construction of politics and public policies. The course will also increase the understanding of the different roles that women play in the political/public sphere. The role of women’s political leadership will also be examined. Upon completion of the course, students will also be proficient in at least one area of public policy important to women.

PP5290 Policymaking in China: Structure and Process
This course is designed for students who desire to have in-depth knowledge about China’s policymaking structure and process. The course will examine how the policymaking process is structured, what are the internal dynamics, and how they impact on policy outcomes, given the China’s political system. The aim is to provide students with a clear understanding that policymaking in China, as in the other politics, is essentially a process of compromise making, in which the actors (policy makers) make decisions according to not just their interests but also their structural positions and the procedures they have to follow in policymaking.

PP5291 Security in Asia-Pacific
This course examines the key security issues in the Asia-Pacific region. The principal questions include: the tension between the two Koreas, the nuclear issue and its impact, the tension between Mainland China and Taiwan, the policies and interactions of the United States, China and other powers in the region, and the future prospect of the reunifications of the two Koreas and China/Taiwan. It will enhance students’ research and analytical ability and deepen their knowledge on Asia-Pacific affairs generally. It also aims at helping students to gain insights into how security policies are produced and implemented.

PP5292 The EU and Regional Economic Integration
Using the European Union as an example, we will study the opportunities and challenges posed by regional (economic) integration. In particular, we examine the EU’s institutional setup, its core policies, and its place on the international stage as the largest common market in the world, and what lessons can be drawn for Asia and other world regions pondering closer integration.

PP5293 Ruling the Net: IT and Policy Making
Digital information and communication technologies have brought about the reshaping of entire business sectors, organizations rethink their structures, and politics seem to be altered by the rise of the global Internet; Policymakers face challenges for which conventional regulatory mechanisms are inappropriate. In this course we aim to understand the fundamental changes that are taking place, and develop suitable policy responses.

PP5294 Dynamic Modelling of Public Policy Systems
This module covers the methods and underlying philosophy of system dynamics and its application to problems relevant to public policy. Students will also learn STELLA software and build models for understanding and improving behaviour of complex systems. The module will draw many examples from demographics, economic growth, water and natural resources management, and environmental systems. The objective, however, is not to learn just the software but to learn a new method for thinking and solving complex problems.

Developed by Prof. Jay Forrester in the 1960s and popularized by the Club of Rome’s Limits to Growth in the 1970s, system dynamics is already popular in some universities’ curricula. This module will use the generality and flexibility of system dynamics tools to build and study models that are of interest to public policy. Special emphasis will be provided for understanding the interaction of water, energy and food policies.

PP5295 Aid Governance
In contrast to the popular debate on managing international aid to achieve good governance in the developing world, this course focuses good governance of aid processes (or good aid governance) between partners in development, to achieve national and local development objectives. The course content includes: i) An examination of the past and recent experiences in aid governance and the changing context from new actors such as private aid; ii) An analysis of the current structures to ensure good aid governance in key international organisations involved in multilateral and bi-lateral aid (such as the UNDP, the World Bank, the ADB, DFID); iii) A sectoral approach to aid governance: infrastructure, human capital (health and education) and water sector; and iv) A regional comparison of the views on aid governance from civil society organisations and local non-government organizations in South and Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.

PP5296 Trade, Investment and Integration Issues in ASEAN
This module will explore trade and investment issues in goods and services, in the context of ASEAN’s goal to establish an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015. The issues will be approached from a mix of theoretical, empirical and practical dimensions. The module will cover the measures that ASEAN members are undertaking to move towards an AEC, and the challenges as well as potential benefits of deeper regional economic integration. Students will learn to analyse policy issues based on a sound understanding of the theories of trade and foreign direct investment and facility with the construction and use of statistical indicators.

PP5297 Public Policy for Sustainability
This course explores the notion of sustainability, investigating its genesis, meaning in contemporary society, and how public policymakers can promote it. After exploring the history of the concepts of sustainability, development, and sustainable development, the course identifies five types of “unsustainable” activity in contemporary society—electricity supply, motorized transport, water pollution and waste, eating and land use, and climate change—as well as the role that producers, users, and governments play in shaping these activities. The course concludes by analyzing the public policy mechanisms that can be used to promote sustainable development and spotlighting successful case studies of where corporations, communities, and countries have promoted more sustainable activities.

PP5298 Public Policy and Management in Singapore
This module provides a survey of Singapore’s practices in public management and policy development from a comparative perspective. We will focus on innovations in public sector governance as main contributing factors for Singapore’s strong economic growth in the last four decades, and discuss underlying principles and rationale for these innovations. The course consists of two parts. The first part of the course introduces to students key elements of public sector governance in Singapore, including governance structure, civil servant system, policy development, policy implementation, and financial management. The second part of the course examines Singapore’s experience in policy development and implementation in selected sectors such as health care, housing, water supply, land transport, industrial development, information technology and telecommunication.

PP5299 Singapore: The City
Singapore is both an Asian and global leader in urban planning and sustainable development. This module, co-taught by a Singaporean and an American (both political scientists), analyzes how Singapore has transformed itself in little more than four decades from a Third World city with dismal apparent prospects to the vibrant high-amenity First World city it is today. The module focuses on public policy formation and implementation, with particular attention to Singapore’s integrated pursuit of economic growth, environmental quality and sustainability, high-quality transport and housing, quality-of-life amenities, social peace, and nation building. Throughout, it links the analytics to real world examples, but mostly through sessions designed to enable direct interaction with policy-makers and civic organizations. Real world examples will also be drawn from other countries and urban regions.

PP5311 Globalisation and Public Policy
The module analyses how globalisation affects and is affected by domestic public policy. The objective of the module is to understand the opportunities that global structures and processes make available to national policy makers as well as the constraints they impose. Topics to be covered include international investment, production, trade, security and global governance. Students will be introduced to both theoretical and empirical materials on the covered topics.

PP5312 Public Financial Management
Knowledge of a public institution's financial operations is crucial to understanding the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization. The generation and application of this knowledge is the purview of the field of public financial management. This course examines the key concepts and methods in public financial management. Topics include budget preparation and execution, budget and institutional performance, financial reporting, and the analysis of financial statements and financial condition. Focus is on the development and use of budgets and other financial information in public sector management and decision-making. Best practices in the developing country context are stressed.