Policy analysis

Policy

A deliberate plan or choice made to achieve a specific result, involving setting goals, identifying tools, and methods needed for accomplishment.

Public policy

Decisions made by governments reflecting societal views on government roles, regulations, and interventions related to specific issues.

Policy analysis

A process of creating, evaluating, and sharing information to understand and improve policies, aiming for improvement and understanding of policy-making.

Theory in policy analysis

Provides a structured way to understand real-life phenomena, organizes data, offers concepts and terminology, and focuses on specific stages and behaviors in policy cycles.

Actors in policy analysis

Main actors involved in the policy process, including levels of governance and types of organizations, influencing policy shaping, implementation, and outcomes.

EU policy instruments

Legal acts, soft law, monitoring mechanisms, and Commission's Green and White Papers, help understand policy formulation, implementation, and assessment within the EU framework.

Policy cycle

A predictable path involving stages like agenda setting, formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation, responding to societal demands and aiming for policy improvement.

Multiple Streams Framework

Explains policy formulation based on converging separate streams (problems, policies, politics) to open a policy window for creating new policies.

Problem stream

Involves recognition and prioritization of issues through indicators, focusing events, and feedback, considering various aspects like comparison, perspective, and political preferences.

Policy stream

Focuses on the development and refinement of solutions, involving idea generation, evaluation, selection, and survival criteria for proposals like technical feasibility and public support.

Political stream

Considers the political environment influencing policy making, including public mood, interest group campaigns, and administrative turnover, converging with other streams to create policy windows.

Policy entrepreneurs

Individuals aligning streams, advocating for proposals, and creating opportunities for policy change, while political entrepreneurs implement proposed policies during critical policy windows.

Transposition

The formal process required for directives, involving national regulators enforcing laws and ensuring compliance by regulated entities.

Europeanization of public policy

The process where domestic policies change due to EU influence, leading to alignment with EU policies.

Goodness of fit

The alignment between new EU policies and existing national policies, affecting the ease of implementation.

Administrative capability

The ability of national institutions to manage and execute policies effectively.

Veto players

Key individuals or groups capable of blocking policy implementation.

Rational choice

Assumes policy actors act rationally, maximizing benefits based on preferences and anticipated outcomes.

Constructivism

Emphasizes that political processes are shaped by social interactions, norms, and powerful actors' actions.

Rationalism (enforcement)

Focuses on compliance and implementation decisions based on cost-benefit calculations.

Management

Addresses non-compliance due to lacking government capacity and administrative shortcomings.

Constructivism (legitimacy)

Emphasizes compliance based on normative beliefs and moral obligations rather than self-interest.

Value neutrality

Making decisions based solely on objective evidence, without personal or societal values influencing the outcome.

Neutral terminology

Language free from bias or value judgments, describing facts objectively.

False neutrality

Occurs when attempts to appear neutral lead to biased or incomplete conclusions.

Analytical framework

A systematic approach for evaluating evidence and making recommendations in policy analysis.

Components of an Analytical Framework

Includes problem definition, objectives, evaluation criteria, alternatives, impacts assessment, implementation analysis, and monitoring plan.