Public_Policy 1

Policy

A standing decision characterized by behavioral consistency & repetiteness.

Governance

The combination of administration and policy; administration is conceived as implementation, while policy is seen as guidance.

Public Policy

A stable process that links policy to goal-oriented action and consists of actions over time by government that respond to public demands.

Federalism

A division of authority for one nation between two governments with coexisting responsibilities.

Legitimization

The process by which a policy gains acceptance as a proper form of authority.

Administrative Discretion

The interpretation of law by administrators through guidance to policymakers.

Punctuated Equilibrium

A theory suggesting that a policy field is usually stable but can undergo significant disruption, leading to changes.

Interest Groups

Organizations that mobilize individuals to influence policy; often more influential than unorganized individuals.

Incrementalism

A decision-making model that emphasizes small, gradual changes to existing policies.

Rational Choice Theory

A theory suggesting that individuals make decisions based on self-interest and that group decisions are an aggregate of personal decisions.

Bureaucracy

A system of government in which decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives.

Political Actors

Entities that participate in the policy-making process, divided into official (legitimized) and unofficial (not legitimized) actors.

Positive Law

Laws that provide specific provisions for governance and are enacted by a legislative body.

Higher Law

A principle set forth in the Constitution, broadly written and subject to interpretation.

Time Constraints

Limitations due to the availability of time that affect policymaking and agenda setting.

Decision-Making Agendas

Lists of problems that policymakers focus on, distinguishing between different levels of agenda (systemic, institutional, decision agenda).

Principal-Agent Paradigm

The relationship between policymakers (principals) and the administrators who implement policies (agents), based on trust and oversight.

Factions

Groups of individuals or organizations with shared interests; can lead to tyranny if not kept in check.

Pluralism

The theory that policymaking results from the competition and negotiation between various interest groups.

Equity, Efficiency, Effectiveness

Three objectives of governance that policymakers strive to achieve.

Constitutional Authority

The acceptance by the public of government actions as legitimate, based on their grounding in constitutional law.

Administrative Structure

The organization and functioning of government and its agencies to implement and manage policies.