Policy Making

What is a public policy?

Typology of Policy
Steps in Public Policy Making
Models of Public Policy Making
What is a good Policy

What is Public Policy

According to Thomas Birkland in An Introduction to the

Policy Process (2001), there is a lack of a consensus on
the definition of policy.
However, a number definitions of policy can be looked
into
"The term public policy always refers to the actions of
government and the intentions that determine those
actions". -Clarke E. Cochran, et al.
"Public policy is the outcome of the struggle in
government over who gets what". -Clarke E. Cochran, et
al.
Public policy is "Whatever governments choose to do or
not do". -Thomas Dye
"Public policy consists of political decisions for
implementing programs to achieve societal goals".
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-Charles L. Cochran and Eloise F. Malone

What is Public Policy

A public policy is generally characterized as a

combination of decision, commitments and
actions directed towards achieving a particular
outcome or result which is deemed in the public
interest.
Public policies can be further distinguished from
public programs and projects
A public program is a set of concrete actions and
implementation steps directed towards
attainment of a public policy

Typology of Public Policy

According to Theodore Lowi (1964, 1972)
Distributive Policies of subsidies and tariffs which is characterized by
logrolling Distributive policies address particular needs of an identifiable
group, and the costs are shared among all taxpayers.
Political effects: The selection process of which constituency (or locality)
obtains the govt. funded project can be politically motivated and corrupt.
Regulatory policies -Regulatory policies limit the actions of a specific,
targeted group. Environmental policy is a regulatory policy that often leads
to debates on balancing the protection of the environment with the
protection of business
Redistributive policies which is more ideological in character producing
policies like progressive income taxes. Redistributive policies attempt to shift
wealth, income, and other resources from the haves to the have-nots.
Social policies, including Social Security and social welfare, may be
redistributive or distributive, taking from the whole pool of resources to help
particular groups of citizens.
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Political considerations about types

of policies
For Guy Peters, when one political party (or a coalition of parties) is in power for
multiple terms, the political system is called consocietal and depoliticized.
Governments in such a system are more likely to produce regulative and
redistributive policies.
When a political system is not marked by stable coalition formation, i.e., a
situation of each party for itself, it is called a fragmented system. Such systems
create distributive policies
Countries with homogenous political cultures (meaning: countries where the main
opposing parties have similar policies) and competitive elites, such as those with
two-party systems create regulatory policies. For example, Bangladesh.

Steps in Policy Making

Policy-making consists of the following phases:

Policy formulation: includes forms of proposed laws,
executive orders treaties or appropriations
Policy deliberation- the deliberations over proposed
policies, whether this takes the forms of amending bills,
altering or suspending executive orders or budgets or
proposing changes in the terms of treaties; final decision
over a proposal is done.
Policy implementation-the incumbent government is
entrusted with implementing the acts passed by the
parliament
Policy evaluation/oversight- includes the evaluation of
policies, which may result in further modification,
reversal or enlargement.
This phase is the origin of a new policy because
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effective oversight activity can create new demands
for

Models of Public Policy Making

ELITE-MASS MODEL
Public officials and administrators merely carry out policies decided
on by the elite, which flows 'down' to the mass.
Assumptions
1)society is divided into the powerful few and the powerless many;
only the few allocate values (the mass do not decide public policy).
2)The few are not typical of the mass; elites are drawn
disproportionately from the upper strata.
3)There must be slow and continuous movement of non-elites into
elite positions, but only after they accept elite values, in order to
maintain stability and avoid revolution.
4) All elites agree on basic social system and preservation values,
i.e., private property, limited government, and individual liberty.
5)Changes in public policy will be incremental rather than
revolutionary, reflecting changes in elite values (not mass
demands).
6)Active elites are subject to little influence from apathetic masses.

Models of Public Policy Making

GROUP MODEL

Public policy results from a system of forces and

pressures acting on and reacting to one another.
Usually focuses on the legislature, but the executive
is also pressured by interest groups.
Agencies may be captured by the groups they are
meant to regulate, and administrators become
increasingly unable to distinguish between policies
that will benefit the general public and policies that
will benefit the groups being regulated.
Interaction among groups is the central fact of
politics.
Individuals with common interests band together to
press their demands (formal or informally) on
government. Individuals are important in politics
only when they act as part of or on behalf8 of group