ISSSV4500 – Evidence and Democracy in Times of Crisis
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
The systematic use of knowledge in the public sphere – politics, administration, and public services more generally – is usually discussed under the label of evidence-based or evidence-informed policymaking.
Despite its theoretical appeal, the normative ideal of evidence-based policymaking encounters multiple challenges when faced with acute crises Acute crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic confront political and administrative decision-makers with an urgent imperative to act. They must make decisions under conditions of ambiguity and uncertainty and without a solid knowledge base. Both climate science and epidemiological knowledge have also become increasingly polarized sites of controversy in which evidence is continuously discussed and contested. Hence, democratic decisions are not simply informed by evidence, but become sites of the construction and social negotiation of evidence.
Recent developments trigger several fundamental questions regarding the role of evidence and expertise in modern democratic settings, which will be addressed in this course:
- What is the role of evidence – and what should be its role – when urgent decisions must be taken?
- How do political and administrative decision-makers balance “hard” scientific evidence with other types of evidence and other legitimate concerns?
- How can scientific evidence be communicated to the wider public without unduly antagonizing significant parts of the population?
- What are the implications of the contestation of scientific evidence and academic experts by populist politicians and parties?
- How to weigh and implement evidence-based measures that involve trade-offs with fundamental principles of democratic societies such as freedom of movement or expression?
You may find more information regarding this course on the University of Oslo's websites, as well as the Circle U. main website:
Learning outcome
Knowledge
Having completed this course, students:
- have knowledge of the principles of evidence-based/evidence-informed policy
- have knowledge about different theoretical approaches to and understandings of evidence in political and administrative contexts
- have knowledge about how the production and use of evidence is influenced by situations of emergency and crises
- have knowledge about the role of evidence and evidence-based decisions in sustaining democratic institutions
Skills
Having completed this course, students can:
- conduct independent empirical studies on evidence-based decisions in situations of crisis
- contribute to policy debates on the role of experts and the use of evidence in decision-making
- engage with relevant stakeholders in defining and addressing real-world challenges
Competence
Having completed this course, students can:
- cooperate with others in analyzing and interpreting empirical data in the light of theoretical concepts
- compare decision-making actors and processes across different contexts and conditions
- identify different types of evidence in decision-process
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
The formal requirement for participation is a completed bachelor’s degree, enrolment in a master’s program at a Circle U. university, and a BA grade average equivalent to C on the Norwegian grade scale. The course setup is interdisciplinary including, amongst others, Health Science, Political Science, Public Administration, Sociology, Law, and Communication Studies.
Teaching
- 10 lectures (8 lectures on-site, 2 online lectures before the course week)
- Project work equivalent to 12 seminars (1,5 hrs per seminar)
- This course will use Canvas as a digital learning platform. Read more about Canvas.
Examination
Mandatory Activities
- Active participation in class
- Reading course syllabus
- Physical presence during the course (students cannot miss more than one lecture)
- Project presentation (on-site, group work): during the summer school, small groups of students will produce a project presentation and orally present their findings (in English). The project work must be informed by the course syllabus. The students will be guided by teaching staff in their project work.
Exam
- Term paper (off-site, individual): participants will write a term paper on a topic related to the course (1800-2200 words, excluding references). The term paper may be related to the project work done by students on-site, but it can also be on another topic. The term paper is due one month after the end of the course at the latest.
- The exam must be submitted in English.
- The exam is graded with a pass/fail grade.
- It is not possible to resit the exam in another semester.
Submit assignments in Inspera
You submit your assignment in the digital examination system Inspera. Read about how to submit your assignment.
Use of sources and citation
You should familiarize yourself with the rules that apply to the use of sources and citations. If you violate the rules, you may be suspected of cheating/attempted cheating.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.