Public Policy Course Session 3:

1. Public Policy Course Session 3: Policy “Boot Camp” January 29, 2010

2. Agenda • Developing strategies for a campaign in which you have no interest • How knowing ‘almost nothing’ can help... • How passion helps and hinders policymaking • Why don’t decision-makers get it? Public Policy Course Session 3 - Jan29, 2010

3. Developing strategies for a campaign in which you have no interest • The essence of policy boot camp is to try on someone else’s interest - something someone else is passionate about – but you are not • What Qualifies? • It is an advocacy campaign • It wants your support • It is eliciting community interest • It is not yet successful; and • .....you don't care....... Public Policy Course Session 3 - Jan29, 2010

4. Developing strategies for a campaign in which you have no interest • What should you learn? • You start to see how others view your issue • You begin to see that advocates are often wedded to a particular way of achieving their goal and haven't thought of the broad range of options that you have. • You start thinking like a policy analyst since you are neutral or dispassionate on the issue. Public Policy Course Session 3 - Jan29, 2010

5. Developing strategies for a campaign in which you have no interest • Why do other people not care about your issue(s)? • How does your “my way or the doorway” solution turn off the public and leave governments little room to act? • Now that you don’t care about someone else’s issue, can you see how policy analysts must think? – i.e. Maintain their neutrality Public Policy Course Session 3 - Jan29, 2010

6. Developing strategies for a campaign in which you have no interest • What are some good issues that meet the criteria that most advocates don’t care about or could go ‘one way or the other’? • Professional Sport Franchise expansion • New fancy car companies coming to Ontario • Charities promoting young golfers • Sending rich kids overseas to gain experience • ‘Polo’..... Public Policy Course Session 3 - Jan29, 2010

7. Developing strategies for a campaign in which you have no interest • Why do we not care? • They favour the rich • They favour costly leisure activities • The principals are seen as having the wherewithal to figure it out for themselves • They don’t appear to help build a better world Public Policy Course Session 3 - Jan29, 2010

8. How Know almost nothing can help • You are not wedded to one way of getting something done • You elicit the help of stakeholders that “they” would never think of • You can think outside of “their box”! • Your ideas are fresh • Your ideas are not hidebound • You are not beholden to entrenched interests Public Policy Course Session 3 - Jan29, 2010

9. Developing strategies for a campaign in which you have no interest • Marshal McLuhan said: • “If you want to know about the water........Don’t ask the fish..................” • Meaning? Public Policy Course Session 3 - Jan29, 2010

10. How Passion helps and hinders policy making • Passion involves a moral imperative : • e.g. End global warming but get there by reducing greenhouse gas emissions • e.g. Build better childcare so families can pursue well-being and their children can be better cared for and educated -but does this mean families cannot make another choice? Is that heresy? • e.g. Raise minimum wages to alleviate poverty... What if raising minimum wages does not alleviate poverty? Public Policy Course Session 3 - Jan29, 2010

11. How Passion helps and hinders policy making • Do we always have to get to a solution doing it our way? • 25 in 5 • Reduce greenhouse gases • Fund better childcare • Raise minimum wages • Governments to reduce inequality • Raise social assistance rates Public Policy Course Session 3 - Jan29, 2010

12. How Passion helps and hinders policy making • Are there other ways to achieve the same goals? • Why don’t we like them? • What does the public think about our means and outcomes? Public Policy Course Session 3 - Jan29, 2010

13. Why don’t decision-makers get it? • They want to do it their way.... • You want to get it done your way.... • What do decision makers actually say? • Let’s look at Wayne Wouters....... Public Policy Course Session 3 - Jan29, 2010