The Policy Process

1
The Policy Process

• Supplemental Lecture

2
The Policy Process

• Problem identification and agenda formation
• Policy formation
• Policy adoption
• Policy implementation
• Policy evaluation

3
Problem identification

• Issue must come to be seen as a problem that has
  a political solution
• Issue can move onto the policy agenda in a number
  of ways
• The media might raise the issue
• An organized group within society might bring the
  issue to the attention of politicians
• Crisis or scientific research
• Personal interests of a specific politician

4
Policy Formulation

• A proposed policy (course of action) must be
  developed
• President may propose a policy
• Legislature may develop policy proposals
• Interest groups may present the government with
  proposals or pressure the government to undertake
  (or not undertake) specific actions
• Government agencies may come up with solutions to
  issues that fall under their area of operation

5
Policy Adoption

• Congress may need to adopt legislation or provide
  funding for any new policies or the policy may be
  developed by an existing governmental agency.
• The process is highly political, with outside
  groups on all sides of the issue trying to
  influence the final policy.
• The final policy will represent a compromise
  between various interests.

6
Policy Implementation

• Once a policy is adopted, it must be carried out.
• Implementation can include any of the following
  on the part of the responsible agency
• Rule-making or detailing exactly how the
  policy will be put into effect
• Communicating the new policy and its requirements
  to those affected by the policy
• Setting penalties for non-compliance with the
  policy

7
Policies often fail to be successfully implemented

• The agency responsible for that policy might not
  have the resources necessary to properly
  implement it
• The legislation creating the policy might have
  been vague or not specific enough
• The agency responsible for carrying out the
  policy might not support it and therefore resist
  carrying it out
• The policy might have been poorly designed to
  start with
• If the regulation affects an industry which does
  not support the policy, that industry might try
  to block its implementation by
• overwhelming the government agency with
  information or demanding public hearings in order
  to slow down or even halt the process,
• asking the White House to pressure the agency to
  change its decisions,
• filing suit against the agency to block the
  policy,
• pressuring Congress to reduce or eliminate
  funding for the program.

8
Policy Evaluation

• Includes efforts to determine whether the policy
  has been successful
• May include various forms of research or informal
  personal judgments of those involved
• If the policy s judged to be unsuccessful or less
  successful than desired, the process may begin
  all over as the issue again is identified as
  needing attention and re-enters to policy agenda.