The Policy Making Process

Making Public PolicyThe process consists of

deciding what the problem is and then how to solve it

Policy making can have three purposes:Solving a social problem

High crime rates, unemployment, poverty, teenage drinking

Countering threats Terrorism or war

Pursuing an objective Building a highway, finding a

cure for cancer

Policy can be achieved by prohibiting certain types of behaviorPolygamy, murder, rape

Or by protecting certain activitiesGranting patents, protecting the environment,

workplace safetyOr by providing direct benefits to citizens

Building libraries or hospitals

Policy making can be frustrating because it often depends on public opinion

The issue attention cycle requires policy makers to act quickly before the people lose interest

It often involves trade-offs between competing goodsEx: to find new energy resources may hurt the

environment

It can have unforeseen results and be bitterly disputed

So legislators use the policy of incrementalism – a slow, step-by-step process to making a policy

Sometimes taking no action is a way of making policyArgue over health care

reform and it can result in keeping the status quo

A big event like war, or a collapsing stock market can set the agenda

Making PolicySeveral steps to making policy:

1) defining the role of government in solving social and economic problems Liberals believe the gov’t has a greater

responsibility than the conservatives The result is bigger, more active government

2) agenda setting identifies the social and economic problems Socioeconomic status can determine which items

are more important to people When many people are affected, the issue will be

high on the agenda

Sometimes those with the most money get items placed high on the agenda Especially corporations

3) formulating policy and adoption Can be accomplished in several ways:

Most difficult is the legislative process in Congress Easiest way is executive orders by the president Another way is regulatory agencies adopting rules Finally, the Supreme Court often sets policy

4) policy implementation puts policy into effect by enforcement through the appropriate agency There are timetables and rules Problems need to be anticipated A major concern are unforeseen consequences

5) policy evaluation is the last step Does the policy work? Has it caused other problems? Evaluation provides feedback to policymakers so they can

make modifications

Obstacles to Policy MakingWe are a pluralist democracy with many centers

of power for making public policyWe have a federal system which means that

policy can be made at local, state and federal levels

This can cause policy fragmentation – many pieces of legislation deal with parts of the problems but never the entire problemExample: war on drugs has 75 congressional

committees with some oversight, local and state law enforcement, Army, Navy, Border Control, DEA, etc

When so many are involved in policy, it takes some coordinationCompromise is

necessaryAnother obstacle is cost

Any burden, monetary or nonmonetary that people must bear

People must see benefits for them to approve of a policy

Disputes must be settled over who will benefit or pay for a program versus who ought to benefit or pay

Most people want government programs that provide big benefits with low cost (haha)

Majoritarian Politics:Distributed Benefits,

Distributed Costs:Policies where lots of

people get benefits and lots of people have to pay

Example: Social Security, national defense

This type is controversial, but usually over cost or ideology

Interest Group Politics:Concentrated Benefits,

Concentrated Costs:Policy that gives benefits to

a small, identifiable group and give the costs to another small, identifiable group

These are usually fought over by interest groups

Sometimes the public doesn’t know about it until it is already done

Example: TV broadcasters (CBS, NBC, ) vs. cable companies = increase in cable bill

Client Politics:Concentrated Benefits,

Distributed Costs:Some identifiable, usually

small group benefits, but almost everyone will pay the cost

Because costs are widely distributed and affect people only slightly, many are unaware or indifferent to costs

Example: farmers get subsidies and the public pays more in taxes and higher food prices, but doesn’t really notice it.

Local areas also benefit as “clients” when they get a new harbor, road, etc.

Usually called pork barrel projectsUsually several are put in one “barrel” (law)

like the “rivers and harbors” bill Congress passes every year.

Trading votes gets support from members of Congress from each regionThen a majority coalition is formedThis is called logrolling

Entrepreneurial Politics:Distributed Benefits, Concentrated Costs:

When most of society benefits from a policy, and a small, identifiable party of society pays for it

Example: antipollution and safety requirements to protect Americans at the expense of car makers

These policies are hard to pass, but have been adopted more frequently lately

Policy entrepreneurs – people who work on behalf of an unorganized or indifferent majority Ralph Nader is the best example He calls himself a “consumer advocate”

Regulatory Policy US gov’t first began regulating people,

businesses and its own agencies in the late 1800’sIt has grown quickly since then.

Almost all activities in the US are regulated in some way

Three significant regulatory activities are:1) regulating business2) regulating labor3) regulating energy and the environment

Business RegulationEfforts by government to regulate business

illustrate these four types of policy-making processes

It also sheds light on the relationship between wealth and power

Some believe that large corporations are a threat to popular rule

They believe economic power will dominate political power for three reasons:1) money can buy influence2) politicians and businessmen have similar

class backgrounds, thus similar beliefs3) official must defer to businesses to keep the

economy health and growing

Some have the opposite view – that politics is a threat to the existence of a market economy, growth, private property, personal freedom

Heads of large corporations believe they will be portrayed as the sinister elite and blamed for war, unemployment, etc.

Defenders of business worry that businesses will be taxed excessively to pay for social programs which will bring more votes for politicians

Regulation of business first began with trying to eliminate monopolies

Oil, RR, beef, etc.Sherman Anti-trust Act – 1890Federal Trade Commission Act – 1914Clayton Anti-trust Act – 1914All these are majoritarian politics

Interest group politics also affects regulatory policies with labor unions

1935 – Wagner Act created the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)Regulated conduct of unions and right to hear

unfair labor practice complaintsNLRB made up of five members of five year

terms Dem Prez favor labor and appt Dems to Board Rep Prez favor business and appt Rep to Board

Occupational Safety and Health Act – 1970 – pushed by unions and laborSet up OSHA under the Dept. of LaborSame thing happens b/w Dem and Rep Prez

when appt an administrator

Client politics affects regulation alsoBenefits one group at the expense of many

othersAgricultural Adjustment Act – 1930’s

Regulated the milk industryHelps keep the price of milk up so dairy

farmers won’t go out of businessAs a result, we pay more for milk

This also happens with sugar, wheat, corn etc.

Farmers get paid subsidies to NOT produce

Entrepreneurial politics also affects business regulationDistributed benefits, concentrated costs

Pure Food and Drug Act – 1906Meat Inspection Act - 1906

Protection for the consumer, cost for the companies producing food and drugs

Food and Drug Administration createdWater Quality Improvement Act of 1970

Deregulation1980’s – several industries were deregulated

over their objectionsEx: airline fares had been set by Civil

Aeronautics Board – this kept competition down and prices upToday, airlines set their own fares and have to

compete with each otherThe monopolistic AT&T prices were set by

FCCToday, long distance phone companies compete

with each other with lower prices