The Three Components of Public Policy

1. Identifying societal problems (societal problems, levels of government, federal/state/local)

2. Identifying public policy (legislative, executive, judicial)

3. Identifying players and stakeholders

Component I: Identifying Societal Problems

Societal Problem → When an aspect of our society (“societal condition”) fails to meet a goal of society

Goals of Society → What society is trying to achieve

• Three categories:

  • Life → people avoiding dangers of malnutrition, pollutants, etc.

  • Liberty → free political expression, freedom to lead an independent, self-directed life

  • Pursuit of Happiness → available economic opportunity for everyone and clean environment for health and personal satisfaction

• Six fundamental goals:

  • Life: Good Health and Personal Safety

  • Liberty: Free Expression and Free Choice

  • Pursuit of Happiness: Economic Opportunity and Clean Environment

• Balance of these goals is important to ensure one does not get achieved at another’s expense

Comparing how to solve societal goals is difficult as you must take into account several perspectives

Component II: Identify Public Policy

Public Policy → A proposed action or action that attempts to address a societal problem

• Government action is on different levels and through different branches

Branches of Government

Legislative Branch of Government

• Establishes society’s guidelines

• Changing or making laws

• Cannot stop or force an action, can only make an action legal/illegal/mandatory by law

Executive/Administrative Branch of Government

• What a government does to put a law into practice

• Writing checks, giving tickets, etc.

• Significant in enforcing the Legislative’s branches laws (i.e. police)

Judicial Branch of Government

• Courts apply the law to a specific situation

• Declaration of laws unconstitutional

• Modifying laws based on situations

The three branches of government must work together in order to be effective

• Legislative branch makes something illegal → Executive branch arrests someone who violated this law → Judicial branch takes action appropriately

Levels of Government

Each “situation” requires taking into account where in the government it should be handled

• Federal → e.g. Legislative provides vaccine guidelines, CDC approves a vaccine

• State → e.g. Legislative allocates budget to counties, executive (Department of Health) distributes funds

• Local → e.g. Legislative approves way to distribute vaccine, executive allocates funds

Component III: Identifying Players and Stakeholders

Players → Individuals or groups that work to influence public policy

• Elected officials

• Citizen groups

• Lobbyists

• Activists

Stakeholders → Groups affected by legislation and therefore are affected by it

• The public

• Voters

• Taxpayers

• Consumers

All players are stakeholders; not all stakeholders are players