First select a contemporary policy (state or local) and share with the class the key elements of the policy.
Then, analyze the driving forces of the shaping and implementation of this policy.
Which theories of politics (elite, group, rational choice, or political systems) were at play and how is this evident through the policymaking process?
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One source must come from:
Kraft, Michael and Scott Furlong. (2015) Public Policy: Politics, Analysis, and Alternatives. Sage Press.
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Steps of Policy Making
Moving on from theory to practice, the policy process model looks at the various stages of the policy process and the roles and relationships of policy actors within each stage. This model is the logical sequence of activities regarding any new public policy. There are six basic stages of the public policy process.
Identification
The first stage is issue identification. There are public problems everywhere around the country. However, policy-makers only know about those that are brought to their attention. This is most often done by interest groups, lobbyists, constituent contact to their offices, and the media (ie, TV and radio). However, the media has the biggest impact comes from regarding the identification of a public problem. The key factor is that whoever brings a problem to the attention of a policy-maker has the unique opportunity to frame the issue towards a defined outcome. How the issue is portrayed, the language used, and the context it is couched in can make all the difference in how the solution is crafted. Once an issue is identified and defined, it is hard to change it.
Agenda Setting
The second stage in the public policy process is agenda setting. This is probably the most confusing stage for students, though it is perhaps the easiest to comprehend. At the national level, Congress physically cannot deal with the most of the public problems around the country. As such, those that are brought to members of Congress and formulated into a bill become part of the national agenda. Once bills are voted out of committee for a floor vote, they need to be prioritized according to national importance. While interest groups and lobbyists usually have the most impact on this stage, a lot of it comes simply from the media or Internet.
Formulation
The third stage of the process is policy formulation. This is the development of proposed courses of action to resolve the issue. It entails designing and drafting policy, keeping in mind goals and strategies, costs and benefits, social and political acceptability, and likely effectiveness. The people involved in this stage are the bureaucratic experts, think tank scholars, and interest group specialists.
Adoption
The fourth stage is policy adoption. At the national level, this is when Congress passes a bill and sends it to the president for signature. With the right media and marketing campaign, national laws can implement effective and legitimate policies.
Implementation
The fifth stage is policy implementation. In many cases, policies are implemented differently than was originally intended by lawmakers. This happens because laws are enacted with ambiguous language to allow for slight modifications to accommodate reality. At the national level, the executive branch departments and agencies implement most laws passed by Congress.
Evaluation
The sixth and final stage is policy evaluation. This is when an oversight group or organization inspection determines the effectiveness of a policy as intended by policy-makers. So, policies and programs are measured and assessed based on their effectiveness. If the policy is working as intended, no changes are required. However, if the program is not working effectively, then modifications would be in order. This could require that a new policy on the same issue be passed through the legislature. On the other hand, the original issue may have been resolved meaning that the policy should be terminated.
Conclusion
When making public policy, it is useful to be aware of the various political theories that affect policy making as well as the basic steps involved.