The Policymaking Process PDF

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POLICY MAKING PROCESS...

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ThePol i c y mak i ngPr oc es s Public policy refers to the actions taken by government — its decisions that are intended to solve problems and improve the quality of life for its citizens. At the federal level, public policies are enacted to regulate industry and business, to protect citizens at home and abroad, to aid state and city governments and people such as the poor through funding programs, and to encourage social goals. Apol i cyes t abl i s hedandc ar r i edoutbyt hegov er nmentgoest hr oughs ev er al s t ages f r om i nc ept i ont oc onc l us i on.Thes ear eagendabui l di ng,f or mul at i on,adopt i on, i mpl ement at i on,ev al uat i on,andt er mi nat i on.

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Ev al uat i onandt er mi nat i on Ev al uat i onmeansdet er mi ni nghowwel lapol i c yi swor ki ng,andi ti snotaneas yt as k . Peopl ei ns i deandout s i deofgov er nmentt ypi c al l yusecost benefitanal ysi st ot r yt o fi ndt heans wer .I not herwor ds,i ft hegov er nmenti ss pendi ngxbi l l i onsofdol l ar sont hi s pol i c y ,ar et hebenefi t sder i v edf r om i twor t ht heex pendi t ur e ?Cos t benefitanal y s i si s basedonhar dt ocomebydat at hatar esubj ec tt odi ffer ent ,ands omet i mes c ont r adi ct or y ,i nt er pr et at i ons . Hi s t or yhass hownt hatonc ei mpl ement ed,pol i ci esar edi ffic ul tt ot er mi nat e.Whent hey ar et er mi nat ed,i ti sus ual l ybecaus et hepol i c ybecameobs ol et e,c l ear l ydi dnotwor k ,or l osti t ss uppor tamongt hei nt er es tgr oupsandel ect edoffic i al st hatpl ac edi tont he agendai nt hefi r stpl ace.I n1974,f orex ampl e,Congr essenact edanat i onal speedl i mi t of55mi l esperhour .I twaseffect i v ei nr educ i nghi ghwayf at al i t i esandgasol i ne c onsumpt i on.Ont heot herhand,t hel awi nc r eas edc ost sf ort het r uck i ngi ndus t r yand waswi del yv i ewedasanunwar r ant edf eder ali nt r us i oni nt oanar eat hatbel ongedt ot he s t at est or egul at e.Thel awwasr epeal edi n1987.

An Introduction to the Public Policy-Making Cycle Public policy is an essential function of government. As a tool for addressing societal challenges, it is the result of a great number of individuals working together to solve common problems. The public policy-making cycle streamlines this process.

What Is Public Policy? Public policy describes the actions of government. Usually created in response to issues brought before decision makers, these policies come in the form of laws and regulations. They may be created by any governing body, from the U.S. president down to city council members. The goal of public policy cannot entirely be separated from its source. Both government and public policy help meet basic societal needs and obligations; decide how communities, states or nations manage resources; and keep general order in society.

The Policy-Making Process The policy-making process is ongoing, messy and generally without a definitive beginning or end, political science scholar Susan J. Buck explains. However, those involved in the process do tend to follow a general procedure, broken down into six phases.

Phase 1: Agenda Setting As the first phase in the cycle, agenda setting helps policy makers decide which problems to address. Topics for discussion go through several types of agendas before these individuals may move them forward. Types of agendas might include:    

Systemic agendas. Systemic agendas comprise all issues policy makers deem both worthy of note and in their realm of authority to address. Institutional agendas. These agendas are formed from the content of systemic agendas. Here, policy makers analyze problems and their proposed solutions in a strict amount of time. Discretionary agendas. These agendas address problems chosen by legislators that have not necessarily made it into the agendas mentioned above. Decision agendas. Decision agendas are the finalized list of issues to be moved to the next phase of the policy-making cycle.

Phase 2: Policy Formation In policy formation, solutions to problems are shaped and argued. This phase is characterized by intense negotiation between parties. Leaders, bureaus and other factions must fight for their own needs and desires, often in opposition to one another. Concerns might include budgetary issues, personal or political constraints, or the protection of certain existing programs. Public policies are therefore formed far more by the act of bargaining than by any other means. Policy formation continues even after initial legislation is passed, arising whenever amendments are suggested or the original legislation is reauthorized.

Phase 3: Policy Legitimation “Legitimacy” means that the public considers the government’s actions to be legal and authoritative. To gain legitimacy in the United States, a policy must be moved through the legislative process. Once this happens, it is considered the law of the land and can be implemented as such. It must be mentioned that the legitimacy of a policy is only as good as the willingness of citizens to accept it. Therefore, it is possible for people to reject policy if they view the policy makers’ behavior or the legislation itself as unacceptable in some way.

Phase 4: Policy Implementation This phase puts policies into action. Responsibility passes from policy makers to policy implementers, and the policies themselves may again develop further while this happens. Whether a policy succeeds can often be traced back to this phase; a well-written policy with a poor implementation can end in failure.

Phase 5: Policy Evaluation Policy makers conduct evaluations to determine if the policies they create are effective in achieving their goals. When determining this, they must consider:   

How to evaluate outcomes effectively How to measure the outcomes How to navigate between the efficiency of a policy and its effectiveness (the former is often easier to measure than the latter)

Evaluation may occur either during implementation or after the policy in question is finished.

Phase 6: Policy Maintenance, Succession or Termination Once implemented, policies are periodically gauged for their relevancy and use. This may result in their continuation, amendment or termination. These incidents often occur due to policy makers’ shifting goals, values, beliefs or priorities. When new issues arise, the policy-making cycle begins again, helping governing bodies successfully address new and important challenges.

The Five Stages of the Policy-Making Process by Jackie Lohrey - Updated June 28, 2018

Clear, well-written policies are essential for running a successful and profitable small business. While specific policy directives depend on the topic, such as compliance, safety or internal control, virtually every business policy goes through five main development stages. Each stage provides a measure of guidance that in total work to improve productivity and strengthen your bottom line.

Identify Policy Objectives Effective policies answer a question or solve an ongoing business problem. For these reasons, identifying questions or issues your business should address is the first stage of policy creation. Most often, questions and issues arise from and link to long-term business objectives. In the same way, business objectives arise from and link to your vision and mission statement. Ideas for creating effective business policies come from goals such as innovation, providing outstanding customer service and complying with government regulations. Policies that focus on finances arise from profit maximization, cost minimization and internal control objectives.

Policy Formation During the policy formation stage, you strategize about how to address unresolved questions or issues. Brainstorming is common during policy formation, as most issues have more than one potential solution. For example, if you are developing a policy statement regarding smoking in the workplace, you might base the policy strictly on state-mandated regulations. However, if you feel state regulations don’t fully address goals in your business vision, you might decide to address the issue by following state guidelines but also making the policy more restrictive.

Adopting the Best Solution In many small businesses, decisions about which potential solution best addresses business needs comes directly from the business owner. In larger businesses, policy adoption procedures may follow a more democratic process. For example, businesses that have a board of directors most often require a majority of the board to approve new policies by casting votes. If the majority doesn’t agree, the proposed policy goes back to the formation stage.

Implementing Business Policies While the first three stages of policy-making focus on “what,” the fourth stage focuses on publicizing the policy and making it work. This stage consists of creating policy statements with clear parameters, including whom the policy applies to, the circumstances under which policy statements and directives apply and important conditions or restrictions. For example, a policy about smoking in the workplace should cite any government regulations and address concerns you may have about the health of your employees. Parameters should clearly identify whether the policy applies to all or only certain areas of the workplace.

Evaluating Policy Directives The final stage of policy-making process involves an ongoing evaluation. This stage is especially vital, with policies that focus on complying with government regulations. The evaluation stage ensures polices are up to date and continue to reflect long-term business goals. When a review determines a policy is proving ineffective, or if regulatory or business standards change, the business owner or decision-making team determines whether changing the existing policy or creating an entirely new policy is the best solution....