Public policy is an attempt by the government to address a public issue. The government develops public policy in terms of laws, regulations, decisions and actions. The course of government action (or inaction) taken in response to public problems. It is associated with formally approved policy goals and means, as well as the regulations and practices of agencies that implement programs. G.Kimburu
Public policy making:
There are three parts to public policy-making: Problems: issue that needs to be addressed Players : individual or group that is influential in forming a plan to address the problem in question The policy: finalized course of action decided upon by the government
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Rational model for the public policy-making
process can be divided into three parts: agenda-setting stage: the agencies and government officials meet to discuss the problem at hand option-formulation: alternative solutions are considered and final decisions are made regarding the best policy Implementation: the decided policy is implemented in the final stage
Implied within this model is the fact that the
needs of the society are a priority for the players involved in the policy-making process. Also, it is believed that the government will follow through on all decisions made by the final policy. G.Kimburu
What is good public policy?
Government decisions and actions that address public problems consistent with widely shared values and ideas How do we decide which issues are to be considered public problems? What are those widely shared values & ideas? Constant over time and space?
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How do we determine what is in the
public interest & what is good public policy?
What the community wants
Expert judgment Most Efficient Use of Public Resources What political & business leaders want What the market provides
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Public
policy analysis
Public policy refers to all of the laws, regulations,
and other programs developed by governments to solve problems. Public policy analysis focuses on problem solving. It is specifically concerned with some of societys most urgent issues, such as crime, health care, and the quality of the air we breathe. Below is an example of public problem whose policy calls for analysis: Should people be allowed to smoke in bars? This is just one public policy debate taking place across the globe. Legislators and other public officials must decide whether the health benefits of a smoking ban outweigh the money that bars -- and even whole cities -- could lose if smokers take their business elsewhere.
(Human Rights Interventions) Tatsuya Yamamoto, Tomoaki Ueda - Law and Democracy in Contemporary India_ Constitution, Contact Zone, and Performing Rights-Springer International Publishing,Palgrave Macm.pdf