Policy and Politics

Consider: How do we know why government enacts the policies it does?

The Last Word: Assignments 5-6 due Monday

The Policymaking ProcessAP Government and PoliticsChapter 16

Recall: Who (Really) Has the Power?Marxist perspectiveperceive that government is dominated by capitalistsGovernment is the shadow cast by business over society.Elite perspective holds that government is dominated by a few top leaders, but not just economic leaders, MICThe Bureaucratic view (Weber)holds that the government is dominated by appointed officials.Pluralism (+) and Hyper-pluralism (-)Types of PoliciesWhat is public policy?The intentional course of action (or inaction) followed by government in dealing with a problem or matter of concern.Distributive: provide benefits to individuals, groups, communities or corporations; Most common and least controversialWidely shared costs, more specific beneficiariesStudent loans, farm subsidies Regulatory:Limit choices in order to restrict or encourage behavior; More controversialCosts are narrowed, benefits are diffusedRedistributive:Transferring resources from one group to benefit another groupAlso controversialObamacare may be one example

Policy and PoliticsIn order to understand who becomes involved in policy formation, and why, and thus perhaps why a certain policy is enacted, we need to examine the costs and benefits of a particular policyWe can ask, WHO BENEFITS, and to a lesser extent, WHO PAYS, in order to find out how something became policy

Often, the perceptions of costs and benefits affect the politics of a policy, rather than the actual costs/benefits that will resultAlso, questions of whether it is legitimate for a certain group or individual to bear the costs or receive the benefits merits consideration as well.

The politics of policy is often a dispute over who will benefit or pay for a program, and/or who ought to benefit or pay for a programFour Kinds of Policies

Widely Distributed CostsConcentrated CostsWidely Distributed BenefitsMajoritarian politicsEntrepreneurial politicsConcentrated Benefits(Distributive) Client politicsInterest-group politicsThe Case of Business RegulationMajoritarian politicsAntitrust legislation costs businesses but benefits many in society by preventing unfair practicesInterest group politicsUnion building vs. corporations attempts to prevent itClient politicsMilk and sugar subsidies or tariffs, for example, benefit the producers (small groups) in the US, while the cost is borne out by a public which notices little and cares lessEntrepreneurial politicsPure Food and Drug Act, safer and more fuel efficient carsThe JungleAgenda SettingDeciding which issues to discussSystemic vs. governmentalPolicy FormulationCrafting of proposed courses of actionPolicy AdoptionApproval of a policy proposalPolicy ImplementationProcess of carrying out public policies methods:Authoritative, incentive, capacity, hortatoryPolicy EvaluationDid policy achieve its goals?

A Model of the Policy-making Process16.1

8Several theories exist to explain the development of public policy. The elite theory, as you can imagine, suggests that the elites make the policy and the masses follow. Bureaucratic theory claims that the organizations that make up the bureaucracy are in charge of theory. Interest group theory says that policy is set by competing interests and pluralist theory claims that no single group can ever be fully in control of policy.

Regardless of theory, however, we can observe five different stages of the policy-making process.

The process begins with agenda setting. Agenda setting involves deciding which issues will be discussed and addressed. Policy formation is a period in which actual, proposed courses of action are suggested and written.

Policy adoption is simple approval of any given policy. Adoption is followed bypolicy implementation, which is the carrying out of the policies. The last stage is policy evaluation, in which political actors assess how well a given policy seemed to work.FIGURE 16.1: What Are the Stages of the Public Policy Process?

16.1

9Lets take a quick look at Figure 16.1, which shows us the stages of the public policy process. As you can see, the graphic takes us through the steps we just discussed, from Agenda Setting to Policy Evaluation.

Participants enter and exit this model at different stages. The model is a simplification of the actual process, and the stages are not necessarily sequential.Consider: What is the federal governments role with regard to education, according to the Constitution?

The Last Word: Assignment 6 for tomorrow, 7-8 for Wed; MC Test Friday"Yesterday was Earth Day. And today we went right back to throwing Jamba Juice cups in the rainforest." Jimmy Kimmel

"It's become clear to me that I've won television. You see, Jon, almost nine years ago I promised to change the world and together, I did it." Stephen Colbert, stopping by The Daily Show to announce, in character, the real reason that he is ending his show

"Joe Biden said the U.S. will help Ukraine with financial aid as long as the leaders tackle corruption. Because if anything stops corruption, it's bribing someone to stop corruption." Jimmy Fallon

"Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is running for re-election, and he's got a catchy campaign slogan: 'Forget my first term. I was on crack.'" David Letterman

"This weekend over 37,000 people went to Denver to participate in the 4th annual Cannabis Cup. And they all made memories that would last a few minutes." Seth MeyersHealth Policy TodayEntitlement program a type of "government program that provides individuals with personal financial benefits to which an indefinite (but usually rather large) number of potential beneficiaries have a legal right...whenever they meet eligibility conditions that are specified by the standing law that authorizes the program. Medicare - Created in 1965 - For people 65 and olderParts A-DMedicaid Created in 1965 - For people poor and disabledMust meet eligibility requirements - Low-incomeNational/state government - Fed block grants cover 50-75%50 million Americans covered in 2010 - $400 billionExpanded by ACA16.212Today millions of people receive medical care through various offices and medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Indian Health Service. Since the 1960s weve also introduced health care programs for the elderly and the poor, Medicare and Medicaid, and in 2012 Congress approved the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This expanded the federal governments role in providing health insurance.

In this section, we will look at the current state of public and private health insurance in the United States.Perceived problem > Rising CostsTechnology advancesAmericans living longerHealth care per capita costs1970 $356 per capita2013 $9,349 per capita10 percent of Americans account for 63 percent of all health care costsPatient Protection and Affordable Care ActEnacted in response to health care being placed on the agenda how?Health Insurance in 2000s16.213No discussion about health care policy can avoid talk of rising costs. The causes of these cost increases range from advances in technology to increased lifespans to lack of government regulation.

How significant are the increases? Consider this: In 1970, the average amount each American spent on health care was just $356. By 2013, however, that number had spiked to $9,349, an increase that far exceeds inflationary costs.

But not everyone spends the same amount. Ten percent of Americans account for 63 percent of all health care costs. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was meant, among other things, to help stabilize those costs by ensuring access to either private insurance or government-run exchanges. It still faces challenges from several states.Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010Most significant health care legislation since Medicare/Medicaid in 1965Very controversial as it moved through Congress and after passageGoal:Reduce costs; try and get every American coveredProvisions:Establish government-run exchangesFinanced by fees and taxesPrevents denial of pre-existing conditionsExpands Medicaid coverage burden on statesRequires purchase of health insurance or pay a taxFederal Gov. and Education PolicyRole is not stated; states/localities carry the ball most of the time 10% of $1.5 trillion overall on Ed spent by fedException would be when mandates are created or funding is withheldCold War brought first real fed role in educationNDEA - support for loans to college students, the improvement of science, math, and foreign language instruction in elementary and secondary schools, other aspects60s/70s civil rights movements and war on povertyElementary and Secondary Education ActLargest federal education law ever passed; until NCLBFunding for aid to disadvantaged children Funds for professional development, materials, resources for educational programs The government has reauthorized the act every five years since its enactment. Current effortsNCLB - The current reauthorization of ESEAAccountabilityStandardized tests, report cards, reorganization if schools failFlexibilitySchools can tailor expenditures to meet their needs; use federal money how they see fit.Proven methods for quality outcomesBest practices, developed at national levelSchool ChoiceVouchers for private or other public schoolsCharter schoolsNo Child Left Behind Act16.316In 2002 Congress passed the bipartisan No Child Left Behind Act, which has four key tenets. First is accountability. Students are given a battery of standardized tests each year, which are then used to calculate a grade for the school. Schools that have a low grade must provide additional services such as extended hours or tutoring, and they can be forced to reorganize if they fail to improve.

Second, No Child Left Behind provides for flexibility in spending, so schools can focus on areas that would meet the specific needs of their students. Next, schools must use proven methods to produce so-called quality outcomes in children.

Finally, and perhaps most controversial, is the school choice component. Parents of children enrolled in failing schools can move their children, possibly with the use of a voucher to pay for private school. Charter schools, which are semi-public, also give parents additional choice.Video: So What?http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/SSA_SHARED_MEDIA_1/polisci/presidency/Oconner_Ch16_Domestic_Policy_Seg6_v2.html

16

How well is the government working? In this video, author Alixandra B. Yanus demonstrates how public policy affects almost every aspect of your daily lifewhether you are aware of it or notand she explains why the strength of public policies is the best way to measure the strength of political institutions.17http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obamasdeal/view/