Understanding the Policy Cycle: Dynamics of Government Actors and Interest Groups

1. CEEN 590 Actor Dynamics

2. Today’s agenda • Policy Cycle • Government actors - incentives • Interest Groups • Interests • Resources • Strategies

3. Agenda-Setting Policy Formulation Decisionmaking Policy Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Policy Cycle Model

4. Agenda-Setting – Definitions • Social Agenda (general, systemic): issues that the public thinks deserve attention from government • measures: polls, media • Formal Agenda (government): issues explicitly up for active and serious consideration by policy makers • measures: announced proposals, throne speech

5. Agenda-Setting - Process • Kingdon’s “streams” model: a confluence of • Problem stream • Politics stream • Policy (solution) stream • Opens a “policy window” • Opportunity for “policy entrepreneurs”

6. Agenda-Setting - Process • Changes in “Problem” • indicators • knowledge, technology • focusing event • Changes in “Politics” • changing public mood • elections • interest group strategies

7. Agenda-Setting Policy Formulation Decisionmaking Policy Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Policy Cycle Model

8. Policy Formulation Thinking Talking Consultation with stakeholders • Policy analysis of alternatives

9. Decision-making rational incrementalism no means-ends distinction alternative search limited to those closest to status quo ignores possible consequences decision rule: “satisfice” test of good policy: agreement successive limited comparisons: trial and error learning • clarify objectives, prioritize them • list all alternatives • assess consequences of alternatives • compare alternatives • choose alternative that maximizes/optimizes objectives

10. Implementation – conditions for success • Clear, consistent objectives • Sound causal theory • Adequate administrative authority • Committed, skillful implementors • Support from stakeholders • Facilitative socio-economic conditions

11. Interest groups in context • Strategic actors • Government • Elected officials • Bureaucrats • Non-government interest groups

12. Government Actors -Interests, Resources: Politicians • resource: authority • Objectives: reelection, policy objectives, power • reelection comes first -- fundamental constraint • effect: public opinion matters

13. Government Actors –Interests, Resources: Bureaucrats • resources • authority • expertise • objectives • policy objectives • power (budgets, jurisdiction) • autonomy

14. Interest Groups • energy firms • trade associations • environmental NGOs • aboriginal groups • consumer groups (?) • List of actors

15. What are the interests of your group?

16. Value orientations 5 - Strong environmental values 3 - neutral 4- Moderate environmental values 1 - Strong pro development values 2 - moderate pro development values On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being extremely supportive of energy development and 5 being extremely supportive of environmental conservation, how would you rate your simulation group's values?

17. Group Resources • money • expertise (substance, process) • skilled leadership (effective, charismatic) • appealing cause • public opinion • contacts • control over investment, jobs

18. Group Resources – The Privileged Position of Business • control over investment, jobs • government seeks reelection • reelection depends on jobs, healthy economy • jobs, growth created by investment • investment a function of business climate • government constrained from undermining business climate

19. What resources does your group have to influence public policy?

20. Actors Strategies – First orderadopt those most likely to advance their interests • lobby • influence public opinion • through media • influence market behaviour • finance elections • litigation • form coalitions • direct action (demonstrations, civil disobedience)

21. Actors Strategies II – Second Order • change the rules of the game within an arena • Expanding participation • shift the venue to another arena • Legislature to cabinet • Provincial to federal • Domestic to international • Government to market • idea-based strategies to reframe problem • in framing arguments, actors appeal to widely shared values and expert authority • “green jobs”

22. The politics of science: Classic view: separation Science (facts) Politics (values) Truth

23. Politics of Science:Recognition of “Trans-science” Jasanoff and Wynne 1998

24. Politics of ScienceConstructivist View Politics Science

25. Politics of ScienceConstructivist View (when pressed) Politics Science

26. Politics and Science • Policy reflects value judgments, but embodies causal assumptions • Causal knowledge frequently very uncertain, undermining power of science • actors adopt the scientific arguments most consistent with their interests • “science” becomes a contested resource for actors in the policy process, by lending credibility to arguments • the body of credible science bounds the range of legitimate arguments, but only loosely

27. Politics and Science (cont) • Scientific controversies are frequently more about underlying value conflicts • e.g., conservation vs. development

28. A continuum Regulatory Science: Scientific assumptions adopted for the purpose of policy-making Regulatory Science Politics Science

29. Regulatory Science Approach • Some causal assumptions are better than others – science helps • Some policies are better reflections of society’s distribution of preferences than others -- democratic institutions help • Avoid: political decisions made by scientists and scientific judgments being made by politicians • Prefer: transparent justification for decisions • Reveals boundary where scientific advice ends and value judgments begins • Promotes accountability

30. What strategies is your group likely to rely upon?

31. Actors – Interests, Resources, Strategies