POLI 357 Public Policy Analysis: MSF and ACF

What is the purpose of public policy theory?

To explain a set of phenomena through logically interrelated propositions.

What is the Stages Heuristic framework?

A framework that divides the policy process into discrete stages to explain policy change.

Who pioneered the Stages Heuristic framework?

Harold Lasswell in 1956.

What is a major limitation of the Stages Heuristic framework?

It is not a causal theory and does not identify causal factors governing the policy process.

What does the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) explain?

Policy change within a political system based on a garbage-can model of organizational behavior.

What is the garbage-can model in the context of MSF?

A model where choice is conceptualized as a garbage can into which unrelated problems and solutions are dumped.

What is meant by 'ambiguity' in the Multiple Streams Framework?

Ambivalence resulting from many irreconcilable ways of thinking about the same phenomena.

What is the significance of temporal order in policy making?

The timing of policy decisions affects which alternatives are adopted.

What are 'organized anarchies' in the context of MSF?

Organizations characterized by ambiguity, fluid participation, and unclear preferences.

What role do policy entrepreneurs play in the MSF?

They manipulate ambiguity and control the policy process through political struggle.

What are the three streams in the Multiple Streams Framework?

Problems, policies, and politics.

What is a 'policy window' in the MSF?

An opportunity for policy change that arises from the coupling of the three streams.

What factors influence the politics stream in the MSF?

Party ideology, national mood, and pressure-group campaigns.

What does the term 'coupling logic' refer to in the MSF?

The process of linking problems, policies, and politics to create a policy solution.

What is the significance of feedback in the policy process?

It influences future decisions and the effectiveness of policy outputs.

What is the role of technical feasibility in the policy stream?

It assesses whether proposed policies can be realistically implemented.

How does the MSF view decision-making processes?

As dynamic and interactive, influenced by multiple actors and streams.

What is the impact of time constraints on policy makers?

They limit the range of alternatives considered and force quick decisions.

What does 'value acceptability' refer to in the policy stream?

The extent to which proposed policies align with societal values.

What are salami tactics in policy integration?

Strategies that involve breaking down policies into smaller, more manageable parts.

What is the importance of framing in policy strategies?

It shapes how issues are perceived and understood by stakeholders.

What is the difference between ambiguity and uncertainty in the MSF?

Ambiguity involves conflicting ideas, while uncertainty is about unpredictability.

What is the role of indicators in the problem stream?

They help identify and define the existence of policy problems.

What does 'decision style' refer to in the politics stream?

The approach taken by decision-makers, which can vary in caution and responsiveness.

What are the implications of high turnover in organized anarchies?

It leads to fluid participation and inconsistent decision-making.

What is the significance of jurisdictional boundaries in policy organizations?

Unclear boundaries can lead to conflicts between different departments or agencies.

What is the role of past experience in policy decision-making?

It guides actions and decisions through trial-and-error learning.

What are the three streams in the policy process?

Problem stream, policy stream, and politics stream.

What is a policy window?

A critical moment in time that allows policy entrepreneurs to couple the three streams for policy adoption.

What does the problem stream consist of?

Conditions that policymakers and citizens want to address, including data about various problems and definitions of those problems.

What are indicators in the context of the problem stream?

Metrics used to assess the existence and magnitude of a condition, such as infant mortality rate or highway deaths.

What are focusing events?

Events that draw attention to specific problems, such as disasters or significant incidents.

What role do feedbacks play in the problem stream?

They highlight successes and failures of previous programs, informing future policy decisions.

What is the policy stream?

A 'soup' of competing ideas generated by specialists in policy communities aimed at solving policy problems.

What factors influence which ideas in the policy stream receive serious consideration?

Technical feasibility and value acceptability.

What elements compose the politics stream?

National mood, pressure-group campaigns, and administrative or legislative turnover.

What is meant by national mood?

The general sentiment of individuals in a country that can influence policy decisions.

How do pressure-group campaigns affect policy?

They serve as indicators of consensus or dissent in the political arena.

What is the role of policy entrepreneurs?

Individuals or corporate actors who attempt to couple the three streams at critical junctures for policy change.

What is coupling in the context of policy streams?

The combination of all three streams into a single package to enhance the chances of policy adoption.

What is the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF)?

A theory explaining policy change within a political system through the interaction of advocacy coalitions.

What are deep core beliefs in the ACF?

Broad normative and ontological assumptions about human nature that are difficult to change.

What are policy core beliefs?

Specific normative beliefs that span an entire policy subsystem and are difficult to change.

What are secondary beliefs in the ACF?

Narrower beliefs that cover how to translate deep core beliefs into policy and are easier to change.

What are the four paths to policy change?

Policy-oriented learning, external perturbations or shocks, internal shocks, and negotiated agreements.

What is policy-oriented learning?

Enduring changes in thought or behavior resulting from experience or new information related to policy objectives.

What are external perturbations or shocks?

Changes in socioeconomic conditions or significant events that can affect policy processes.

What are internal shocks in the policy process?

Focusing events that can tip the balance of power among policy participants.

What is a negotiated agreement in the context of policy change?

An agreement that leads to major changes in policy core beliefs and the status quo.

What is the devil shift?

The tendency for actors to view their opponents as less trustworthy and more powerful than they actually are.

What are coalition opportunity structures?

Enduring features of the polity that affect the resources and constraints of subsystem actors.

What are the two dimensions of advocacy coalitions in the ACF?

Functional/substantive and territorial dimensions.

What are the types of coalition opportunity structures?

Pluralist, corporatist, Westminster, and authoritarian systems.

What resources can advocacy coalitions leverage?

Formal legal authority, public opinion, information, mobilizable troops, financial resources, and skilled leadership.