PUBL Midterm pt.1

Public Policy

The sum of government activities, whether pursued directly or through agents, as those activities have an influence on the lives of citizens. Government IN ACTION is also a policy: When we decide to not address climate change , test scores thats a CHOICE (What they do and decide not to do)

Statutory

• Highly Visible Condification

• Codified in the US Code and Statutes at large

Regulatory

• Moderately Visible Codification

• Codified in the Federal Register or the Code of Federal Regulations

Distributive

• this is a type of policy that takes a resource from a broad group of ppl and gives the resource to a narrower group

  • ex. pork-barrel policies that send money to particular districts for local programs

Protective regulatory

• protect people from negative effects of business

  • ex.

    • enviornmental regulation

    • health care reform

    • any safety regulation, like auto safety

Competitive regulatory

• limit the provision of goods and services to one or a few designated deliverers, who are chosen from a larger number of competing potential deliverers

  • ex.

    • allocation of radio and TV frequencies

    • utility franchises

    • regulation of doctors, lawyers, other professions

Redistributive

• taking from one group, and giving to another

  • ex.

    • winners and losers

    • zero-sum games

    • some people treat values as limited resources

Substantive policies

explains what gov. will do

• ex. most high-profile polices

Procedural policies

determines how gov. does its work

• ex. the Administrative Procedures Act

Material policies

provide obvious, tangible benefits (and come with obvious, tangible costs)

Symbolic policies

statements of principles or values

• “just say no”

• flag protection laws

• TV show ratings

• the DARE program

Public goods

goods or services that, once produced, are consumed by a relatively large number of individuals and whose consumption is difficult or impossible to control, they are not “excludable.”

Private goods

• can be provided on the market without free-riding

• does gov. provide some ?

  • ex. postal service

Agenda setting

• An issue can only be considered if it is placed on the agenda

• Policy choice by government: criteria and challenges ↓

• Issues accepted into agenda ↓

• Contribution of external events ↓

• Issues removed from the agenda 

• Criteria to include a policy 

• Issue attention cycle 

• Punctuated equilibria

Policy formulation

• Applying analytic techniques 

• Economics and decision theory to assess risks

• Habits and traditions prevail over rationality 

• Following basic formulas

• Involving private sector in public sector activity 

• Lack of link between problems and tools to solutions 

• Policy formulation by inertia, analogy, or intuition

• Who:

  • More people and fewer rules 

  • Political parties: identifying problems, not so good at finding solutions 

  • Role of expertise: 

    • The success or failure of a policy instrument will depend to some degree on its technical characteristics and expertise as well as on its political acceptability

Systemic agendas

• Includes all issues subject to action 

• Usually not consensual

Pluralist approach

• Policymaking divided into separate arenas 

• Assumption of a marketplace in polices 

• Interest groups and central actors 

• Open marketplace of ideas

Elitist approach

• Power elite dominating public decision-making 

• Lack of resources among lower economic groups 

• Implications of the approach 

• Results of non-decision

State-centric approach

• Political system itself responsible for its agenda 

• Iron Triangle conception 

• Locus of competition 

• Powers of bureaucratic and legislative actors 

• Aka revolving door

Focusing events

• Events in the physical or social environment 

• Moving issues onto an active agenda 

• Public awareness of underlying policy problems

Routine policies

• Definition: Rules for everyday tasks and repeated situations.

• Level of knowledge: Basic — involves familiar, predictable situations.

• Information: Used for regular decisions that follow established procedures

Creative policies

• Definition: A policy that encourages new ideas and innovative solutions.

• Level of knowledge: High — requires original thinking and problem-solving.

• Information: Used when new approaches or ideas are needed.

Conditional policies

• Definition: A policy that applies only when specific conditions are met.

• Level of knowledge: Intermediate — requires understanding when a rule applies.

• Information: Uses “if–then” rules to guide decisions.

Craftsman policies

• Definition: A policy that emphasizes skill, experience, and quality workmanship.

• Level of knowledge: Advanced — requires specialized knowledge and practical experience.

• Information: Focuses on careful work, expertise, and attention to detail.