PLCY100 Midterm

public policy

a course of government action or inaction to public problems

policy outputs

the intentional measures instituted by a policy

policy outcomes

the effects that formal government actions usually have on society

federalism

shared power between the federal government and state and local governments

collective good

goods that benefit every individual belonging to come group, and where it is hard to exclude any individual from that benefit

common pool resources

goods that cannot be jointly consumed and for which exclusion is not feasible. rival and non-excludable. an example is rivers or sea lanes

effectiveness

whether or not a current policy/program that is being considered is likely to work

efficiency

what a policy or policy proposal costs in relation to its expected benefits to society

equity

the consideration of what constitutes a fair or equitable policy choice

public good

goods that are commonly available to all people within a community and possess two specific qualities: they are non-excludable and non-rivalrous

non-excludable

everyone has access to use them

non-rivalrous

one person’s consumption of this good does not decrease others’ ability to consume it

pure private good

a good that is private and for which there is no market failure. owned at the individual level. rival and excludable

pure public good

can be jointly consumed, and exclusion is not feasible. would not be provided without government intervention because the private sector has no incentive to provide them. non-rival and non-excludable

toll goods

jointly consumed and exclusion is feasible. excludable and non-rival. examples are subscription-only websites

political culture

widely held values, beliefs, and attitudes, such as trust and confidence in government and the political process, or the lack thereof

what are the reasons government decides to act

political reasons, moral reasons, market failures

interest groups

any association of individuals or organizations that, on the basis of one or more shared concerns, attempt to influence public policy in its favor, usually by lobbying members of the government

collective action

an action taken by a group of like-minded individuals to achieve a common goal

elite theory

the opinions and experiences of elites shape policy outcomes more than the attitudes of members of the general public

group theory

policies arise from the struggle between interest groups

institutional theory

the structure and rules of government dictate outcomes. procedures and structures elevate and obstruct certain interests

rational choice theory

explains policy decisions by considering how individuals (e.g., legislators, voters, lobbyists) as rational actors, make choices that maximize their interests

political systems theory

stresses that the political system is beholden to its social and economic context, and will therefore be reactive to its environment (e.g., protests, public, opinion, lobbying)

policy process model

problem definition → agenda setting → formulation → legitimation → implementation → evaluation

incremental policymaking

small/slow steps made at the margins of existing policies through minor amendments or the gradual extension of a program’s mandate or the group it serves

decentralization

transfer of policy authority from the federal government to the states

dual federalism

a system of government in which both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for some policies

cooperative federalism

collaboration on policymaking between the national and state governments

logic of collective action

an individual would be irrational to join an interest group when almost no personal gain follows

liberalism

individual rights and liberties are protected; equality of opportunity

individualism

free action is privileged and citizens are encouraged to succeed or fail on the basis of individual effort

policy evaluation

the assessment of whether policies and programs are working well. analysts look for evidence that a program is achieving its stated goals objectives

policy formulation

the development of proposed courses of action to help resolve a public problem

policy implementation

represents the stage where the government executes an adopted policy as specified by the legislation or policy action

policy instrument

tools used by governments to pursue a desired outcome

examples of policy instruments

regulation, government management, taxing & spending, market-based tools, education & information

regulation

government decrees that either require citizens to do something or prevent them from doing so

government management

using direct services or direct management of resources

education & information

educating citizens while attempting to persuade them to behave in a certain way

taxing & spending

government using their ability to tax and spend to achieve policy goals and directives (e.g., Social Security, tax deductions for homeowners)

market mechanisms

using the market to provide the public with incentives to make choices or correct problems

criteria for evaluating policy solutions

effectiveness, efficiency, equity, political feasibility, administrative feasibility

literature review

an examination of books, journal articles, internet sites, and other sources

brainstorming

an informal meeting of people who share an interest in finding solutions to a given problem

government

the institutions and political processes through which public policy choices are made

negative externality

two parties interact in a market and, because of that interaction, a third party is harmed and does not get compensation

positive externality

two parties interact in a market and, because of that interaction, a third party gains something and does not have to pay for it

policy analysis criteria

effectiveness, efficiency, equity, political feasibility

political feasibility

how government officials and other policy actors appraise the acceptability of a proposal

block grants

the transfers of federal dollars to the states where the states have substantial discretion in how to spend the money

categorical grants

involve the transfer of federal dollars to the states, but the funding must be used for specific purposes

filibuster

Senators can talk for an extended period of time in hope of delaying, modifying, or defeating a proposal

agenda setting

how problems are perceived and defined, command attention, and get onto the political agenda

policy formulation

the design and drafting of policy goals and strategies for achieving them. often involves the use of policy analysis

policy legitimation

the mobilization of political support and formal enactment of policies. includes justification or rationales for the policy action

policy implementation

provision of institutional resources for putting the programs into effect within a bureaucracy

policy and program evaluation

measurement and assessment of policy and program effects, including success or failure

policy change

modification of policy goals and means in light of new information or shifting political environment

problem stream

the various bits of information available on the problem, whom it affects, and in what ways

distributive policies

individual programs or grants that a government provides without regard to limited resources or zero-sum solutions (e.g., college research grants, agricultural subsidies, highways and bridges)

redistributive policies

provides benefits to one category of individuals at the expense of another. often reflect ideological or class conflict (e.g., welfare, affirmative action, tax policies)

regulatory policy

government restriction of individual choice to keep conduct from transcending acceptable bounds

competitive regulation

regulating specific industries and their practices

protective/social regulation

protects the general public from activities that occur in the private sector

policy analysis process

Define and analyze the problem → construct policy alternatives → choose evaluative criteria → assess the alternatives → draw conclusions

problem

the existence of an unsatisfactory set of conditions for which relief is sought, either through private means or from the governmentt

types of policy analysis

scientific, professional, political

scientific policy analysis

search for “truth” and build theory about policy actions and effects

professional policy analysis

analyze policy alternatives for solving public problems

political policy analysis

advocate and support preferred policies

proximate causes

immediate causes of the problem

informal policy actor

someone not officially part of the government or formal institutions who influence policy, such as a think tank, journalist, activist, etc.

unfunded mandates

requirements imposed on state or local governments to comply with federal laws or standards without accompanying funding to cover the costs

reasons that policies fail

failures of design or failures of implementation

simple policy problems

Have a clear cause and effect relationship. The problem is well-defined, and a solution is readily available and fixable.

complex policy problems

Involve numerous interconnected variables and have no clear, singular solution. The problem itself is poorly defined, and different stakeholders have different views and goals.