PUB POL 201 FINAL

Stages of the policy process

1.) agenda setting: deciding what issues are even on the table to discuss

2.) policy formulation and adoption: deciding what our solution will look like. get different parties to agree

3.) implementation: carrying out the policy

4.) evaluation: assessing the policy’s implementation and effects

(draw on card)

implementation

the execution of public policy

the process of putting adopted public policies into action through programs, regulations, and administrative activities

what is the politics-administration divide

the idea that elected officials make policy decisions (politics), while bureaucrats administer and implement those decisions (administration)

discuss who implements public policy and why we care about who

implements public policy

• government agencies/bureaucracies

• street-level bureaucrats

• nonprofits

• private firms

• networks of organizations

we care because implementers have discretion and can influence how policies actually work in practice

 major challenges with policy implementation

• lack of resources

• ambiguous goals

• poor coordination

• administrative discretion

• resistance from stakeholders

• conflicting priorities

• monitoring performance

How does implementation shape policy

implementation often changes how policy works in reality. the actions of administrators can influence outcomes and public perceptions

What is governance?

the process through which public decisions are made and carried out by government, private organizations, nonprofits, and citizens working together

 the modes of implementation

single agency, pooled, sequential,

competitive, collaborative

single agency

one agency implements the policy

• example: IRS collecting taxes

• best when tasks are straightforward

pooled

multiple organizations work independently toward the same goal

• example: multiple nonprofits providing homeless services

sequential

tasks occur in a chain

• example: permit review moving through several agencies

competitive

organizations compete to provide services

• example: government contracts with competing vendors

collaborative

organizations jointly make decisions and implement policy

• example: environmental partnerships between government and nonprofits

Why is it hard to measure the performance of public agencies?

• multiple goals

• long-term impacts

• difficult-to-measure outcomes

• external influences

Cream skimming

organizations focus on easier clients to improve performance statistics while avoiding difficult cases

accountability

officials must answer for their actions and performance

legitimacy

public acceptance than government authority is appropriate and justified

transparency

government actions and information are open to public scrutiny

What is the difference between Friedrich’s idea of accountability and Finer’s idea of

accountability?

Friedrich:

• internal accountability

• public servants guided by professional ethics and expertise

Finer:

• external accountability

• bureaucrats controlled through rules and oversight

What are some government bodies that monitor government agencies to make sure they

work efficiently?

• congress

• courts

• inspectors general

• government accountability office (GOA)

• Executive branch oversight offices

What is a bureaucracy?

a large administrative organization that carries out government functions

 the characteristics of an ideal type bureaucracy

• hierarchy

• division of labor

• rules and procedures

• merit-based hiring

• professional expertise

• impersonality

 At what branch and what level of government do we find bureaucracy?

• federal

• state

• local

primarily part of the executive branch

What role does the bureaucracy play in policy implementation?

bureaucracies translate laws into programs and services

What are frontline staff or street-level bureaucrats?

frontline workers who interact directly with citizens

examples:

• police officers

• teachers

• social workers

 how the bureaucracy has been used as a political tool in US history.

the spoils and patronage: patronage (rewarding loyalists with government jobs) and policy weaponization (using regulatory agencies to target opponents or advance specific partisan agendas

What is political patronage?

government jobs awarded based on political loyalty

What did the Civil Service Act do?

created merit-based hiring and reduced patronage

How is public employment regulated today?

• merit systems

• civil service protections

• hiring standards

What is administrative discretion?

the authority administrators have to make decisions when applying policy

(administrative discretion) Why does it exist? Why is it an issue?

• policies cannot anticipate every situation

• can create inconsistency, bias, or unequal treatment

What kinds of things do administrators use discretion to decide?

• benefit eligibility

• enforcement priorities

• resource allocation

What tools and strategies are used to limit administrative discretion and/or

control bureaucracy?

• laws

• rules

• oversight

• audits

• performance measurement

• judicial review

networks

Networks refer to the collaborative relationships connecting these entities

contracting

contracting describes how governments or private entities formally hire nonprofits to deliver public services

nonprofits

Nonprofits are organizations dedicated to a social, educational, or charitable cause where all revenue stays within the organization to achieve its mission, rather than being distributed to owners.

What is cross-sector collaboration, and why is it needed?

cooperation among government, nonprofits, and businesses

• needed for complex problems that often require resources and expertise from multiple sectors

What are the key differences between public, private, and non-profit organizations?

examples:

public organizations:

• government agencies

• ex: department or education

private organizations:

• for-profit businesses

• ex: construction company

nonprofit organizations:

• mission-driven organizations

• ex: Red cross

 What are some advantages and disadvantages of the government partnering with each of

these types of organizations to implement public policy?

private advantages:

• efficiency

• innovation

private disadvantages

• profit motive

• accountability concerns

nonprofit advantages

• community trust

• specialized expertise

nonprofit disadvantages

• limited resources

• funding instability

What is the principal-agent problem? How do governments manage principal-agent

problems?

the agents interests may differ from the principals interests

principal=government

agent=contractor, nonprofit, agency

management tools

• contracts

• monitoring

• performance measures

• audits

Why is it challenging for governments to monitor the performance of agencies,

contractors, and partner organizations that carry out public policy?

• information asymmetry

• hidden actions

• complex outcomes

• high monitoring costs

What are the three major questions that governments must deal with when contracting

or considering contracting?

1.) should government make or buy?

2.) who should provide the service?

3.) how should performance be monitored?

What are some transaction costs that governments might face when they consider

contracting with outside organizations?

• finding providers '

• negotiating contracts

• monitoring perfomrance

• enforcement

Asset specificity

investments specialized to one purpose and difficult to use elsewhere

ease of measurement

how easily performance can be evaluated

adverse selection

choosing a poor contractor because important information is hidden before contracting.

when should governments make or buy goods/services?

make:

when-assest specificity is high, and performance is difficult to measure

buy:

when-competition exists, and performance is easy to measure

What is a Nonprofit organization?

an organization that pursues a mission rather than distributing profits to owners

Why are nonprofits critical to governance?

they fill service gaps and connect governments with communities

What roles do nonprofits play in the policy implementation process?

• service delivery

• advocacy

• public participation

• education

Where do nonprofits get their money? Why should we care?

• government grants

• donations

• foundations

• membership fees

• service revenue

funding influences priorities and independence

What are some common challenges nonprofits face? How do they affect their ability to

achieve their mission?

• financial instability

• staff shortages

• mission drift

• accountability requirements

give or identify an example of public participation

• public hearings

• citizen advisory boards

• surveys

• town halls

 Why is public participation important?

• improves legitimacy

• provides local knowledge

• builds trust

also we were given the right to have a say in how we’re governed and we should utilize that right

Benefits and challenges of public participation in implementation

Policy analysis

benefits:

• better decisions

• greater acceptance

• increased transparency

challenges:

• time-consuming

• unequal participation

• conflict among stakeholders

What is policy analysis, and how is it different from policy evaluation?

systematic comparison of policy alternatives before decisions are made

its different from policy alternatives because analysis is before implementation and evaluation is after implementation

How do policymakers and policy analysts use the tools of economics?

• measure costs

• measure benefits

• predict behavior

• compare alternatives

Why does Bardach say that policy is both _________ and __________?

Art and Craft

 how to construct an outcomes matrix

a table comparing policy alternatives across important criteria

alternative cost effectiveness equity

option A low medium high

option B high high medium

 the components of the cost-benefit analysis formula

net benefits=total benefits - total costs

double check on slides

 all the components of the formula for net present value

• benefits

• costs

• time period

• discount rate

 the steps in Bardach’s eightfold path (generally)

1.) define the problem

2.) assemble evidence

3.) construct alternatives

4.) select criteria

5.) project outcomes

6.) confront tradeoffs

7.) Decide

8.) tell the story

standing

whose costs and benefits count

opportunity cost

value of the next best alternative given up

discount rate

rate used to convert future values into present values

What does a lower/higher discount rate represent?

lower: future benefits matter more

Higher: future benefits matter less

What strategies are available for assigning value to things?

• market prices

• surveys

• revealed preferences

• contingent valuation

What are the strengths and limitations of economic thinking for policy analysis

• systematic

• quantifiable

• helps compare alternatives

limitations:

• difficult to value everything

• equity concerns

• ethical concerns

Know and be able to fill in the components of cost effectiveness equation.

Supply and Demand

cost effectiveness=cost/unites of outcomes

example: cost per life saved

used when outcomes can be measured but not easily converted into dollars

Be able to label the components of the basic supply and demand relationship

visualization:

○ Supply curve: upward sloping

○ demand curve: downward sloping

○ price: vertical axis

○ quantity: horizontal axis

○ Equilibrium: point where supply equals demand

 What kinds of things will cause supply curves to shift?

increase supply:

• better technology

• lower production costs

• more sellers

decrease supply:

• higher production costs

• fewer sellers

• regulations

What kinds of things will cause demand curves to shift?

increase demand:

• higher income (normal goods)

• population growth

• consumer preferences

decrease demand

• lower income

• preference changes

• fewer buyers

Be able to identify and explain a shortage and a surplus

shortage:

price below equilibrium

quantity demanded > quantity supplied

surplus:

price above equilibrium

quantity supplied > quantity demanded

Know how to assess the net effect of a policy when we consider a shift in both supply

and demand.

analyze:

1.) direction of supply shift

2.) direction of demand shift

3.) determine effect on equilibrium price

4.) determine effect on equilibrium quantity

quantity and price may be ambiguous id shifts move in opposite directions

Be able to determine whether a price change represents a price ceiling and a price floor

price ceiling:

maximum legal price

ex: rent control

effect: often creates shortages

price floor:

minimum legal price

ex: minimum wage

effect: often creates surpluses

how do we decide whether a program reached its objective?

through policy evaluation and performance measurement

• outputs (services delivered)

• outcomes (actual results achieved)