2021 Principles of Public Systems Design

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Academic unit or major
Graduate major in Urban Design and Built Environment
Instructor(s)
Sakano Tatsurou 
Class Format
Lecture     
Media-enhanced courses
Day/Period(Room No.)
Tue3-4()  
Group
-
Course number
UDE.D471
Credits
1
Academic year
2021
Offered quarter
4Q
Syllabus updated
2021/9/29
Lecture notes updated
-
Language used
English
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Course description and aims

In this course students are required to read the theoretical texts on designing public systems. Public interventions are required when voluntary actions to pursue their own interests lead to socially undesirable outcomes. This situation is defined as collective action dilemma by game theory, which provides common research framework in various interdisciplinary social sciences such as Public Economics, Law and Economics, Economics of Organization, Economics of Governance, Political Philosophy and Sociology on Public Affairs.
The aim of this course is to provide the integrative perspective common to various approaches to solve collective action dilemma. By doing so, students are expected to acquire analytical skills to evaluate existing public systems.

Student learning outcomes

The goals of this course are as following: 1) to define problems of public intervention under the framework of collective action dilemma, and to understand why individual rationality conflicts with social desirability in dealing with first order dilemmas such as public goods provisions, externality, common pool resource problems, and charitable giving; 2) to understand that provision of institution to solve first order dilemmas is itself a collective action dilemma called second order dilemma; 3) to learn theories useful to solve these two level dilemmas such as self-organized collective action theory, property right economic theory, theory of organizational governance, and their application to new public management and quasi market.; and 4) thus, finally, to acquire capability to evaluate and redesign public systems in the real world.

Keywords

self-organized collective action theory, property right economic theory, theory of organizational governance, new public management, quasi market

Competencies that will be developed

Specialist skills Intercultural skills Communication skills Critical thinking skills Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

It is required to read the texts assigned before the class. The instructor introduces the ideas behind the texts and class discussion will follow.

Course schedule/Required learning

  Course schedule Required learning
Class 1 Introduction: Collective Action Dilemma and Designing Public Governance Understand public governance as collective action dilemmas and explain efficiency of public institution and organization
Class 2 Modernistic Concept of Rationality and Bureaucracy Understand Bureaucracy, the dominant organizing principle of modern society, in relation to modernistic concept of rationality
Class 3 Anti-Taylorism and New Public Management Understand new public management in the context of anti-Taylorism and design alternate organizational structure to change bureaucracy
Class 4 Efficiency of Quasi-market Understand theory of quasi-market and apply it to solve public problems
Class 5 Economic Theory of Non Profit Sector Understand economic theory of non profit sector and apply it to solve public problems
Class 6 Economic theory of ethical bahavior Understand economic theory of charitable behaviors and explain the influence of altruism on public goods provision
Class 7 Hedonistic and Eudaimonistic design Understand Hedonism and Eudemonism and explain their influence on institutional design

Out-of-Class Study Time (Preparation and Review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

The reading materials are provided before the class.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Ostrom, E., 2005, Understandig Institutional Diversity, Princeton University

Assessment criteria and methods

Mini quiz in each class: 40%
Term paper: 60%

Related courses

  • CVE.D312 : Behavioral Theory of Public Systems
  • UDE.D409 : Planning Theory

Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)

None.

Contact information (e-mail and phone)    Notice : Please replace from "[at]" to "@"(half-width character).

sakano.t.aa[at]m.titech.ac.jp

Office hours

Instructor’s office: West Bldg. 9, Rm 811, Contact by e-mail in advance to schedule an appointment.

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