The Policy Cycle I Agenda-Setting, Formulation and Decision Making

The Policy Cycle IAgenda-Setting, Formulation and Decision Making Module 2

Outline • Introduction to Public Policy • The Stages Heuristic • Canadian Government • Policy Theory • Key Concepts

The Stages Heuristic • Agenda Setting • Policy Formulation • Decision making • Implementation • Evaluation The Policy Process

Agenda Setting Periods of Normal Policy Making • Issue Saliency Periods of Extraordinary Policy Making • Focusing Event Types of Agendas • media – issues popular in the media • public - issues relevant to the public • policy - issues relevant policy makers (legislators) • corporate - issues relevant to business, industry, and corporations

Policy Formulation Problem Attribution • consensus on the sources problem Policy Design • analysis of public policies • construction of public policies Politically Acceptable • interest group accommodation • conceptualization of political environments • policies with publics • high salience with interest groups • policies without publics • low salience without interest groups

Decision-Making Processes by which decisions are made • Rational • Incremental • Ad hoc • Creep Types of decisions • Positive • Change the status quo • Negative • Retain the status quo • Non-decision • Options that would deviate from the status quo are eliminated from consideration

Agenda Setting is The list of subjects or problems to which government officials, and people outside of government closely associated with those officials, are paying some serious attention at any given time … the agenda setting process narrows [a] set of conceivable subjects to the set that actually becomes the focus of attention. John Kingdon 1984, 3

Policy Dynamics Policy Stability • policy continuity • path dependency • policy monopoly Policy Change • crisis • learning • competition

Agenda Setting How do policy problems get noticed? Technocratic Models • policy learning • incremental change Political Models • focusing event • shifts in public concern • electoral cycles

Problem Definition How do policy problems get defined? Context • political • socio-economic Institutions • formal • informal

How a Problem is Defined Framing/ Categorisation • It’s a crisis/problem Measurement • Human choice Values • Social consensus Causality • The availability of a solution

Shaping Definitional Context Comparisons • policy learning • policy innovation Symbols • positive and negative associations Venue • level of government Attentive Public • stakeholders • clients

Agenda Reponses Definition of problem • limits participation • allocates resources Agenda setting • public response • political response • media attention

Issue Saliency What effects an issue’s saliency Problem Recognition • environment pre-1960s Problem Definition • what is climate change? Crowded Out • economic development vs. environmental protection Deemed non-legitimate state concern • non-decision

Baumgartner & Jones’ Punctuated Equilibrium Policy monopolies • policy image • insulated power structures Attention shift (exogenous) • redefinition of a problem • shocks to subsystem Venue shopping • policy entrepreneurs • new monopoly forms Stability Punctuation Equilibrium

Level of Agenda Universal • all possible ideas and issues Systemic • issues that are recognized as problems Institutional • problems receive substantive government attention Decision • government action on a problems

Types of Agendas Media issues popular in the media Public issues relevant to the public Policy issues relevant to policy makers (legislators) Corporate issues relevant to business, industry, and corporations

Agendas and Alternatives The Pre-Decision Process Setting of an agenda • problems that must be addressed • significant change Design of alternative specification • selection of solutions • incremental change

Agendas and Alternatives 3 key collections of issues problem stream • problem recognition • focusing events policy stream • policy formation • policy refinement political stream • political climate critical juncture streams intersect window opens

Agendas and Alternatives External government actors the visible cluster • interest groups • political groups • the media Internal government actors the hidden cluster • executive administration • bureaucrats • academics and consultants Setting of an agenda Selection of alternatives

Media Agenda Issue Saliency • news media influences the policy process by focusing the public’s attention on particular issues. • is not objective and is shaped by the press’s treatment of information which is filtered and shaped to sell papers • focuses on a limited few issues leading the public to perceive these issues as more significant than others to perceived the salience of certain issues as more important that others. Example: Food Recalls • One of the enduring questions has been does the new media follow or lead Example: Canadian troops in Afghanistan

What should Canadians be concerned about? • Heart disease is #1 killer of Canadians • Cancer is 2nd largest killer of Canadians • Stoke 3rd largest killer of Canadians • Bird Flu was responsible for 161 deaths in 2006 worldwide - none in Canada

Public Agenda Interest Group • Draws attention to issues Canadian Taxpayers Federation Attentive Publics • What issue are capturing attention? Agricultural/Fisheries Policy Entrepreneurs • Policy Champion David Suzuki Think Tanks • Government Critics Fraser Institute, Centre for Policy Alternatives

Policy Agenda Prime Minister • Chrétien and Climate Change Political Parties • Decreasing the GST Legislature • Accountability Bureaucracy • Improved service delivery All of these agendas combined comprise the policy agenda

Corporate Agenda • The policy issues advanced by and relevant to business, industry, and corporations • Regulatory • Taxation • Foreign Trade • Environmental • Labour Policy • The ability of the business community to influence national and provincial policy agendas • Issues salient on the corporate agenda are typically not very high on the public or media agendas.

Agenda Setters Media • Food recalls Industry • Regulation Think Tanks • Taxation Courts • Women’s rights Advocacy Groups • Humane Society – animal rights Government • Equalization and SK Often working together

Gun Control Multiculturalism Endangered Species Public Transportation Social Housing Violent Crime Carbon Trading System Climate Change Natural Resource Extraction Mission to Afghanistan Mad Cow Disease National Archives on the Web Canadian Pension Plan Post-Secondary Education What types of agendas are these issues on?

Policy Formulation • analysis of alternatives • construction of public policies • visibility of the policy • time constraints • resource limitations • achievability

2 Aspects to Policy Formulation Policy Design • analysis of public policies • construction of public policies Politically Acceptable • interest group accommodation • conceptualization of political environments • policies with publics • policies without publics

Politically Acceptable Policy Community • Interest group accommodation • Intergovernmental relations • Aboriginal interests • Target population Conceptualization of political environments • Policies with publics • Policies without publics • Internationalization

Policy Formulation How is the policy problem to be solved? Policy design • politically acceptable • financially feasible Who has access to decision making • insulated (closed) • deliberative (strategic) • participatory (open)

Early Concepts Iron Triangle • Tightly knit groups composed of the bureaucracy, special interests, and the state • Relationships are close Issue Network • Clusters of interdependent political actors seek to influence policy development • Relationships are loose Subgoverment • Policy actors engaged in the decision-making process • Relationships are often institutionalized

Policy Networks Policy Community • Attentive Public • Outsider influence • Policy Network • Insider influence 3 Main Types 1. national policy community 2. epistemic community 3. transnational advocacy coalitions

Instruments Types Nodality • Informational power Authority • Legal power Treasury • Spending power Organization • Organizational power

Policy Design • Situation • Inputs • Outputs • Outcomes Short term Mid term Long terms Follow the steps

Program Inputs Outputs Outcomes What the program does to fulfill its mandate The products of program activities Benefits for participants during and after

Situation • A statement of the problem the program is designed to address • An overview of the clients effected by the problems and the program • A listingof various program stakeholders, supporters, and opponents • A full account of the program’s priorities (mandate)

Inputs Inputs are those resources allocated to a program meant to achieve a desired outcome Three types of inputs • Resource Investment • Time • personnel, opportunity costs • Money • facilities, equipment, staff • Knowledge • Research and training

Inputs to Include Human Resources Technology Time Research Equipment Physical Infrastructure Money Volunteers Partners Planning Material (training/education) resources are not expenditures

Outputs Outputs are the immediate results program has influenced or caused Two Main Outputs • Program Components • What has been done • What activities have occurred • Participants • Who has been effected • Who was involved in decision-making process

Program Components What it will take to implement the program? Activities (What to do) • Conduct workshops and meetings • Develop a product • Provide a service • Develop infrastructure • Train staff • Media relations • Facilitate partnerships • Analysis and planning

Participants Who will participate in and benefit from the program? Stakeholders (Who to do it for) • Clients • Decision-makers • Departments and agencies • Communities • Customers

Input and Output Assumptions Governing Assumptions • Outcome is preferred • Outcome is required • Necessary but not sufficient • Both necessary and efficient Normative Assumption • Outcome is acceptable • Outcome is desired

Outcomes Outcomes are the changes the program is designed to effect There Types of Outcome • Short-term Impacts • learning • Mid-term Impacts • action • Long-term Impacts • condition

Short-term Outcomes Learning • Skills • Knowledge • Motivations • Awareness • Opinions • Attitudes

Mid-term Outcomes Actions • Policies • Decision-making • Practice • Behaviors • Social action

Long-term Outcomes Conditions • Social • Economics • Civic • Environmental • Political

Assumptions Governing Assumptions • Outcome is preferred • Outcome is required • Necessary but not sufficient • Both necessary and efficient Normative Assumptions • Outcome is acceptable • Outcome is desired

External Factors Contextual Variables Effect on Outcome Political • Is the outcome politically acceptable Economics • Is the outcome expensive Environment • Will the program be supported or opposed Targeted Population • Are there other factors effecting outcome (poverty, region)

Decision-Making Key Aspects Cognitive • policy schema (interpretation) • information processing (understanding) • knowledge translation Context • policy community • political climate • institutional boundaries

The Policy Cycle I Agenda-Setting, Formulation and Decision Making