Scenario

1. Scenario Suppose the country of Infinitum is suffering a crippling economic loss. Its people are losing their jobs, and many have lost their homes, so they cannot provide for their families. A significant part of society is beginning to starve. What should the government do in this situation? With your group, think of ideas to share with the class.

2. Domestic PolicyCh. 17 What is public policy? What are the steps in the policy-making process? Why is agenda-setting such a controversial and competitive process? How does budgeting play a role in policy implementation and evaluation?

3. The policy-making process • Often shown as sequence of stages/activities (model) • Doesn’t always explain why take the forms they do • Doesn’t usually tell us who controls formation • Policies do not justhappen—products of predictable pattern of events • Even though steps are shown separated, they often merge into one another

4. The 7 Stages • Problemrecognition—identification of an issue that disturbs enough to intervene • Agenda setting—process of forming list of issues government addresses • Policy formulation—creating appropriate/acceptable courses of action to resolve issues • Policy adoption—approval of a policy proposal with authority (i.e., legislature) • Budgeting—allocating (appropriating) resources for implementation of policy • Policy implementation—carrying out policy through agencies and the courts • Policy evaluation—process of determining whether implementation is working/achieving goals

5. Problem Recognition • Problem: • Criterion that condition doesn’t have to be accepted • Something the gov’t can deal with effectively/appropriately • Perception of gov’t responsibilities change over time • Not a single, agreed-on definition of a problem • Political struggle; definition=appropriate action • Difficulty of resolving problem • Policies also seen as source of problem

6. The Agenda • Once problem is identified, brought to public officials, secure place on agenda • Agenda—set of issues to be discussed/given attention • Systematicagenda—all public issues that are viewed as important (l,s,n); discussion agenda • Governmental/institutional agenda—only problems that public officials feel they should address seriously • Not all on sa end up on ga • Problems can move onto a governmental agenda

7. Agenda Setting • Agenda setting is highly competitive; many influences: • Congress • Doesn’t have time/$ to take on all issues; some have more success in steering items onto agenda • Doesn’t always respond to president’s wants • President • SOTU, budget proposal, special messages, recommendations • Interest Groups • Groups/lobbyists use influence to hopefully gain legislation in their favor (testimony, information, meetings) • Events • Crisis, disaster, extraordinary events (9/11, mortgage crisis, gas) • Individuals • Testimony as “policy entrepreneurs”, media coverage • Political changes • Having majorities can be beneficial (LBJ’s Great Society ’60s)

8. How do interest groups and the public play a role in promoting issues on the agenda? When might they not have much influence on the formulation of policy?

9. Policy Formulation • Policy formulation has political and technical parts • Political: determining what should be done • Technical: determining how it should be done in specific language (dissuade disortion of intent) • Three forms: • Routine: formulation based on previously created proposals • Analagous: using past experience to make new decisions • Creative: develop new/unprecedented proposals to better resolve a problem • Many people (esp. bureaucracy) work on policy formulation, looking for policy adoption • Nongovernmental influence (NGO)— “ISSUE NETWORKS”

10. Policy Adoption • Often requires building majority coalitions to secure passing legislation in Congress • Final decision to veto rests with President • Requires negotiation, bargaining, time, compromise by all parties • Adoption can be tricky: • Complexity of some legislation req. time • Laws often incremental (small changes) • Legislation in general language can be hard to implement/doubt of intent

11. Budgeting • Funding for most policies from budget process (to be covered ch. 18) • Funding has effect on scope, impact, effectiveness of policy • Nullification with refusal to fund; power for committee chairs • Inadequate funding leads to only partial oversight, actions • Opportunity to review gov’t policy, programs, conduct

12. Implementation • Most carried out by agencies; some by lawsuits, courts, states/individuals • Agencies’ techniques: • Authoritative: people’s actions must be directed/limited by gov’t to prevent unsafe/unfair/immoral/evil (title IX, safety regs.) • Incentive: encourage people to act in own interest by offering incentives if they comply (taxes, subsidies) • Capacity: provide people with resources to help them participate (incentive, but no capacity to act accordingly) • Hortatory: comply with policy by appealing to people’s values and beliefs (‘just say no’) • Effective admin from authorization to appropriately implement; some techniques can be used together

13. Does policy formulation always lead to the wanted/necessary policy agenda and implementation? Why/why not?

14. Policy Evaluation • Conducted by congressional committees (oversight, investigations); presidential commissions; agencies; researchers; private research groups • Government Accountability Office (GAO)—conducts studies of agencies/programs for Congress or on own to evaluate public policies • Officials and units, along with investigators and social scientists design studies to measure programs are reaching objectives (amendment and evaluation) • Demise of programs rare; modifications or allowed to function as is (i.e., Amtrak) • Evaluation often based on anecdotal, fragmented evidence rather than solid facts and analysis (popularity, ideology)

15. FREE WRITE:What is the importance of policy, and who has influence in its formulation, importance and implementation on the national agenda?Should the US be split into different countries?Does the Boston bombing prove the need for citizens to carry assault weapons?Should the advent of new technologies ever trump a person’s right to privacy?

16. You are President Franklin D. Roosevelt, about to make a publicly-broadcast speech to Americans about his plan to help get them out of the Great Depression: The New Deal. What will you propose the government will do to help them? Think about the steps of policy formulation and costs/benefits of implementing those policies.