Assignment Task: You will get two specific questions that will focus, for instance, on the way you use comparative lenses to your perception of policy issues, or how you would bring comparative perspectives to a policy shop where ethnocentrism is king.
Each answer should be structured similarly to a mini-essay, with an introduction, 2-3 paragraphs (the body) and a conclusion. Write at least 600 words for each question, excluding references, drawn from the required readings, scientific peer-reviewed or non- scientific peer-reviewed references of your choice, and / or class notes. Each bibliography must contain at least 3 references.
Problem 1:
The notion of "innovation" is quite prominent in the discourses of Canadian political officials and civil servants. Innovation generally refers to the improvement or contribution to an existing product or service, but in our public policy context, innovation refers to the improvement or contribution to an existing public policy or program. Does comparative public policy fall into this concept of "innovation"? Your answer will include successively 2 opposite arguments: it does fall into innovation, and it does not. Provide 1 documented example to support each argument (2 examples in total).
Problem 2:
First, identify the cultural, professional and personal biases you bring to comparative public policy. Then explain what you can do in order to be as neutral as possible in your comparative analyses.