Political Science

Through an analysis of their health policies, this seminar examines the philosophical, historical, and political conceptions underlying the organization of health systems in France and the United States. It looks at the actions of governmental and local actors through decentralization or devolution; health systems and social coverage financing; the impact of political and media debates reflected in the texts, from the Social Security financing bills to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act instituting "Obamacare”; hospital governance; the management of care, technical, and organizational projects in hospitals; and the reality of daily life management and crises.

The purpose of this course is to make diplomacy a practical process, to help students understand the mechanisms and institutions, processes and means, norms and skills to achieve foreign policy, to understand the practices of foreign-related institutions and international organizations, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, embassies and consulates abroad, local foreign affairs, foreign economy, and foreign publicity, and to carry out case simulations in close connection with diplomatic hot spots, to help students master the policy tools and operational skills of diplomatic practice.

This course introduces students to the main theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of foreign policy widely conceived. Foreign policy analysis (FPA) is a field of inquiry that aims to understand and explain how foreign policy is made and who shapes it, but is also interested in outcomes, their impact and the assessment of performance. Theories of international relations are relevant to FPA to understand pressures and opportunities arising from the international system, but states are not seen as unitary bodies that respond in the same way, but they differ amongst each other and comprise contradictory forces and competing actors. FPA investigates the interplay between systemic, national and sub-national factors, actors and processes, including bureaucracies, public opinion and individual decision-makers. FPA pays significant attention to decision-making processes and their outcomes, including group dynamics, leadership styles, and cognitive theories. The first part of the course is conceptual, theoretical and methodological, while the second part compares and contrasts the foreign policies of selected countries to understand national idiosyncrasies as well as common features and factors that shape foreign policy-making.

This course defines the scope of public administration in terms of its structures, functions, sectors, and institutions. Topics include basic concepts used in public administration including authority, organization, bureaucracy, accountability, meritocracy, representation, ethics, professionalism, leadership, and decision making. The course also examines major approaches in public administration and its distinction from private sector administration.