Mami Mokgosi

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Explanations of types and kinds of public policy.

• 1. Distributive policy - This a brand of public policy that concerns itself with who gets what, when and how. When state or local government allocates grant for the purpose of solving public problems such as actions are distributive policies. Some benefits are distributed without taking them away from other people, for example, free education, emergency services projects, and provision of water or electricity. But this category of policy does not involve confrontation or dissent from beneficiaries. It rather brings the people closer to government and vice versa.
• 2. Re-distributive policy – Re-distributive involve transfer of resources of benefit from large group or classes of people to another segment of the society. This is done through position of taxes on advantages and used to assist the less privilege. The government collects tax through these means and redirects the fund to other areas of need. In, so the gain and loss outcomes take place because while some group, pay other groups benefit.
• 3. Regulatory policy – The history of government has always been linked to the desire of mankind to be secure through law and order. The essence of regulatory is to prescribe code of conduct in human relationship, especially in the private sector relation enterprises. This policy includes enactments to ensure that human relationship is conducted according to accepted norms.
• 4. Constituent policy – These are broad based policies that encompass all sectors of national life. They do not focus on individuals for benefit or punishment. They intended to favor the government and the public. Such policies as foreign policy and defense policies are examples. The special concern is on legislation affecting the structure and function of government as well as policies governing their operations.

PUBLIC POLICY CAPACITY

Policy capacity refers to the ability of the political system to decide or compromise on the best approach to technological and economic development, or to distinguish between what is 'desirable' and what is 'feasible' through the processes of policy debate. To a certain extent government needs to manage creative destruction.

PUBLIC POLICY PROCESSES

• 1. Problem Identification

Either public opinion or elite opinion expresses dissatisfaction with a status quo policy. The problem is defined and articulated by individuals and institutions such as mass media, interest groups, and parties.

• 2. Agenda Setting

The definition of alternatives is crucial to the policy process and outcomes. Before a policy can be formulated and adopted, the issue must compete for space on the agenda (list of items being actively considered). An idea must make it through several levels, including the broad political system agenda, the congressional and presidential agendas, and the bureaucratic agenda. Key actors in agenda setting include think tanks, interest groups, media, and government officials.

• 3. Policy Making

From the problems that have been identified and have made it onto the various agendas, policies must be formulated to address the problems. Those policy formulations then must be adopted (authorized) through the congressional process and refined through the bureaucratic process. Of course, a non-decision (inaction, or defeating a proposal) is, itself, policy making.

• 4. Budgeting

Each year, Congress must decide through the appropriations process how much money to spend on each policy. Generally, a policy must first be authorized (adopted) before money can be appropriated for it in the annual budget.

• 5. Implementation

Executive agencies (the bureaucracy) carry out, or implement, policy. Implementation could include adopting rules and regulations, providing services and products, public education campaigns, adjudication of disputes, etc.

• 6. Evaluation

Numerous actors evaluate the impact of policies, to see if they are solving the problems identified and accomplishing their goals. Evaluation looks at costs and benefits of policies as well as their indirect and unintended effects. Congress uses its oversight function and the General Accounting Office for evaluation, agencies evaluate their own performance, and outside evaluators include interest groups, think tanks, academia, and media. Evaluation frequently triggers identification of problems and a new round of agenda setting and policy making.

 

https://www.angelo.edu/faculty/ljones/gov3301/block6/objective5.htm

 

http://www.laits.utexas.edu/gov310/PEP/policy/