Program Overview

Course Overview

The course examines government and governing, the ethical and practical foundations of the institutions and processes that make up a polity.

Course Details

• Dates: 23 February 2026 to 21 June 2026
• Starts: Trimester 1
• Fees:
  • Domestic students: NZ$2,313.90
  • International students: NZ$4,848.90
• Lecture start times: Tuesday 9.00am
• Campus: Pipitea
• Estimated workload: Approximately 150 hours or 8.8 hours per week for 17 weeks
• Points: 15

Entry Restrictions

• Prerequisites: None
• Corequisites: None
• Restrictions: None

Course Objectives

Students who pass this course should be able to:

1. Critically examine the nature and roles of government in contemporary society.
2. Critically assess the principles underpinning the design of constitutional arrangements and how they are applied.
3. Analyse the role of Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi in government and governing.
4. Using public management theory, analyse the implications of recent trends in public sector management, governance, and institutions for the public sector and for its relationships with the private and community sectors.

Teaching Method

This course is optimised for face-to-face delivery on campus. Lectures are available via synchronous (live-stream) Zoom. Discussions and activities as part of the lecture are designed for in-class attendees. Tutorials/workshops are fully online and not recorded. There are no assessments requiring in-person attendance.

Assessment

• Short essay-style questions: 40%
• Critical Analysis: 35%
• Integrative Analysis - Part 1 - Project Presentation (in pairs): 15%
• Integrative Analysis - Part 2: 10%

Lecture Times and Rooms

• 23 February 2026 to 1 March 2026
• 27 April 2026 to 3 May 2026
• 25 May 2026 to 31 May 2026

Requirements

You do not need to get any texts or equipment for this course.

Faculty and Staff

• Faculty: Faculty of Commerce and Administration Wellington School of Business and Government
• Course Coordinator: Dr Rose Cole
• Course Administrator: Cathy Fouhy

Disclaimer

This course outline may be subject to change.