Policy Making, Collective Action, and the Policy Cycle
Policy Making and Implementation
Description: In any political system, a process exists where policies are made and implemented.
Question driving the process: Why are policies being made and implemented? To accomplish tasks and achieve goals.
Example highlighted: of a task was given to three persons, illustrating how workload can be concentrated and coordination challenges can arise in groups.
Key point: Coordination in large groups is much more difficult than in small groups.
Small Groups vs. Large Groups
Advantage of small groups: Easier to contribute; you can know everyone by names; easier to reach out and communicate.
Classroom example: University classrooms are small compared to other schools with students per class, enabling personal interaction (e.g., I can know all of you by names, you can visit my office, problems can be discussed more readily).
Implication: Smaller groups facilitate more effective interaction and problem-solving.
Free Rider Problem and Collective Action
Definition of free riding: An individual who benefits from a good or service without contributing to its provision.
Political example: During President Trump’s first term, the United States was spending a lot on NATO while other countries were perceived as free riding; the argument was that other countries should contribute more instead of relying on the United States.
Significance: The free rider issue is a major challenge to collective action, as it can undermine cooperation and shared efforts.
Group Assignment Scenario (Applied Example)
Scenario: Five-person groups for an assignment; three members are not doing the work, while two members are completing it.
Consequence: The three non-contributing members still receive the same points/grades as the two who did the work, effectively free riding.
Message: Take group work seriously; avoid free riding in your group.
Formal definition included: Free riding is the process of an individual or a group of people trying to benefit from something they did not contribute to.
Voters, Power, and Authority
Voters’ role: The voters independently vote for the president and for legislative members.
Authority: The authority of officials (e.g., a president) to act comes from mandates given by those in charge; people comply because of the power attached to the office or position.
Concept of power: Power is the ability to influence another person or institution to act in a particular way to achieve set goals.
Relationship between power and consent: The office gains respect and obedience due to the power and the mandate supporting it.
What is Politics?
Core idea: Politics involves understanding how power and decision-making influence collective life; you cannot fully discuss an American political system without addressing what politics is about.
Note on assessment: Next week’s quiz will focus more on this lecture, so show up prepared and engage with the material.
Motivation: The instructor expresses a goal of collective excellence and encourages striving for top performance.
The Policy Cycle: Input → Output → Feedback
Transformation process: When policies are enacted, they produce outputs (bills become policies or laws) and are implemented in practice.
Feedback mechanism: There is a feedback loop that returns information about how implementation is proceeding back to the inputs to assess effectiveness and determine if changes are needed.
Nature of the cycle: Cyclical and continuous, with ongoing review and adjustment to improve policy implementation.
Policy cycle representation: (illustrative of the continuous nature of the process).
Wrap-Up and Next Steps
The presentation indicates there are a few slides left to cover.
Recap: Understand how policies are made, why coordination differs by group size, the free rider problem, the role of voters and power, and the cyclical nature of the policy process.
Exam prep: Focus on the core concepts of policy making, collective action problems, the role of power, and the policy feedback loop.