Policy Making Process and Federal Public Policy Actors

List and describe the six steps in the policymaking process (include activities and participants).

1. Problem Identification: Publicizing societal issues (media, interest groups, public opinion).

2. Agenda Setting: Deciding which issues government addresses (elites, candidates, media).

3. Policy Formulation: Developing proposals (think tanks, president, Congress, interest groups).

4. Policy Legitimation: Enacting laws (Congress, president, courts, interest groups).

5. Policy Implementation: Organizing agencies and spending (executive departments, White House).

6. Policy Evaluation: Assessing impacts (agencies, Congress, media, think tanks).

Compare bottom-up and top-down agenda setting. Provide examples.

• Bottom-Up: Grassroots/public-driven (e.g., social media campaigns like #MeToo, protests).

• Top-Down: Elite-driven (e.g., presidential State of the Union proposals, corporate-funded think tanks like Heritage Foundation).

How do the president and White House staff shape policy?

• Propose policies via State of the Union and budget.

• Use veto power to block bills.

• Coordinate with executive agencies (e.g., OMB drafts budget).

• Build coalitions for reelection or legacy (e.g., Obama’s Affordable Care Act).

Describe Congress’s role in policymaking. What do legislative staff do?

• Congress: Arbitrates/amends presidential proposals (e.g., rejecting Obama’s gun control bills).

• Staff: Draft legislation, conduct research, negotiate details. Example: Newt Gingrich’s 1994 "Contract with America."

List five lobbying techniques and their impacts.

1. Direct lobbying: Testifying at hearings (e.g., Pharma influencing drug pricing laws).

2. PAC contributions: Funding sympathetic candidates (e.g., NRA supporting pro-gun legislators).

3. Grassroots campaigns: Mobilizing voters (e.g., AARP rallying seniors).

4. Revolving door: Exchanging personnel (e.g., defense lobbyists joining Pentagon staff).

5. Litigation: Challenging laws in court (e.g., ACLU suing over civil rights).

Name the top 5 lobbying organizations by spending (2013 data)

1. U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

2. National Association of Realtors.

3. Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

4. Northrop Grumman.

5. National Cable & Telecommunications Association.

How does the media influence the policy process?

• Sets agenda by highlighting issues (e.g., 24/7 coverage of school shootings).

• Simplifies complex topics (e.g., framing climate change as "debate").

• Social media amplifies movements (e.g., #BlackLivesMatter).

How do interest groups shape policy formulation?

• Provide technical expertise (e.g., AMA drafting healthcare rules).

• Draft bill language (e.g., oil lobbyists writing energy legislation).

• Testify at hearings (e.g., ACLU on civil liberties).

Describe three influential think tanks and their roles.

1. Brookings Institution: Centrist/liberal domestic policy (e.g., welfare reform).

2. Heritage Foundation: Conservative policies (e.g., Reagan tax cuts).

3. Cato Institute: Libertarian, anti-regulation (e.g., drug legalization advocacy).

How does partisanship affect policymaking?

• Increased party-line voting (e.g., 50%+ of congressional votes post-2000).

• Legislative gridlock (e.g., 2013 government shutdown over Obamacare).

• Presidents struggle without congressional majority (e.g., Obama post-2010).

How do PACs and donors influence policy?

• PACs: 67% of funds go to incumbents (e.g., corporate PACs shaping tax breaks).

• Access: Donors meet lawmakers to push agendas (e.g., Wall Street influencing Dodd-Frank reforms).

Explain the role of the OMB, CBO, and appropriations committees.

• OMB: Drafts presidential budget (e.g., FY2024 proposals).

• CBO: Nonpartisan cost analysis (e.g., scoring healthcare bills).

• Appropriations Committees: Allocate funds (e.g., defense vs. education spending).

What causes a government shutdown? Provide an example.

• Cause: Congress fails to pass budget/continuing resolution (e.g., 2013 GOP vs. Obama over Obamacare).

• Impact: Nonessential services halt (e.g., national parks closed).

Why are bureaucrats biased toward expanding their agencies?

• Budget maximization: Seeking more funds/power (e.g., EPA pushing stricter regulations).

• Mission-driven: Belief in their agency’s importance (e.g., CDC advocating for public health funding).

Differentiate impressionistic vs. systematic evaluation.

• Impressionistic: Anecdotal (e.g., media polls on policy popularity).

• Systematic: Data-driven (e.g., CBO cost analysis, agency impact reports).

Define revenue acts.

Laws governing taxation (e.g., handled by House Ways and Means Committee).

What is bureaucratic discretion?

Agencies’ power to interpret laws (e.g., FDA deciding drug approval standards)

Explain continuing resolution.

Temporary funding to avoid shutdowns (e.g., used when Congress misses budget deadlines).