Public Policy Analysis and Administration - lecture 1

What is politics?

The activities, coalitions and conflicts involved in decision-making and the distribution of power within a society (e.g. debates, electoral campaigns…)

What is polity?

The political structure or system of an entity (e.g. institutions, laws, rights…)

What is policy?

The decisions taken by governments and other political actors to solve specific problems or achieve particular goals in society

Why did the study of public policy emerge?

It emerged in the 1950s-1960s in the USA and Europe to help reconstruct destroyed countries an to shift war economy towards market economy while investing more in the social sector

What are the elements of public policy according to Thomas Dye?

• Governments are the main agents in public policy

• Public policies are conscious choices

What is the definition of public policy given by William Jenkins?

Public policy is a set of interdependent decisions taken by a political actor(s) concerning the selection of objectives and the means of achieving them in a given situation where these decisions should, in principle, be within the power of these actors to achieve