Final Exam Review

PUB/POS 140

May 6, 2008

Definitions of Public Policy

• Birkland pg. 18

Anecdotal & Empirical Evidence

Historical Eras of Policy

• Divided Power 1789-1860

• State Activism 1860-1936

• National Activism 1936-1960

• National Standards 1960-1980

• The End of Big Government 1980 - ?

Elements of American Stability

• Birkland pg. 38

Fragmentation

• Horizontal – Separation of Powers

• Vertical – Federalism

• Balance of Power – Birkland Table 2.3, pg45

Market vs. Polis

• Stone Chapter 1

• Concepts of Society pg. 33

Official Actors and Their Roles

• Legislative Branch - Congress

• Executive Branch - President

• Judicial Branch - Courts

• Administrative Agencies

Unofficial Actors and Their Roles

• Individual Citizens

• Interest Groups

• Political Parties

• Think Tanks

• Communications Media

Subgovernments

• Iron Triangles – Figure 4.2

• Policy Networks – Birkland pg. 100

• Focusing Events / Social Movements – pg101

Goals of Public Policy

• Stone Part II–Equity

– Efficiency

–Security

–Liberty

Defining Problems

• Stone Part III

–Symbols

–Numbers

–Causes

Agenda Setting

• Birkland Chapter 5– Figure 5.1 Levels of the Agenda

– Power

– Indicators, Focusing Events, and Agenda Change

– Conditions and Problems

– Table 5.1 Types of Causal Theories with Examples

Policies & Solutions

• Stone Part IV

– Inducements

–Rules

–Rights

Policy Types and Policy Change

• Birkland Chapter 6

15

Lowi’s Policy Typologyas updated by Ripley and Franklin

• Distributive

• Protective Regulatory

• Competitive Regulatory

• Redistributive

16

Wilson’s Cost/Benefit Typology Source: Derived from James Q. Wilson, Organizations and Public Policy. (New York: Basic Books, Chapter 16)

• Interest Group Politics

• Entrepreneurial Politics

• Client Oriented Politics

• Majoritarian Politics

Elements of Policy Design: Birkland Chapter 7

• Goals

• Causal Model

• Targets

• Tools of the policy

• Implementation

Target Populations

• Ingram and Schneider Typology

–Advantaged Groups

–Contender Groups

–Dependent Groups

–Deviant Groups

Tools of Government:(Salamon 2002)

• Dimensions

–Visibility

–Automaticity

–Coercion

–Directness

• Criteria

–Effectiveness

–Efficiency

–Equity

–Manageability

–Political Feasibility

Tools of Governmentsource: Lester Salamon

• Direct Government

• Economic Regulation

• Social Regulation

• Government Insurance

• Public Information

• Corrective Taxes, Charges and Trading Permits

• Contracting Out

• Grants

• Loans / Loan Guarantees

• Tax Expenditures

• Vouchers

• Tort Liability

Implementation & Policy Failure

• Political Commitment

• Administrative Capacity

• Bottom-up Implementation

• Top-down Implementation

• Conflict/Ambiguity Model– Administrative

Implementation

– Political Implementation

– Symbolic Implementation

– Experimental Implementation

Steps for a Policy Analysis(adapted from Bardach’s “Eight-Step Path of Policy Analysis”)

1. Define the Problem2. Assemble Some Evidence3. Construct the Alternatives4. Select the Criteria5. Project the Outcomes6. Confront the Tradeoffs7. Decide8. Tell Your Story

PUB/POS 140 Final Exam

• When?– Tuesday, May 13th – 10:30am – 12:30am– Arrive approximately 15

minutes early – so we can hand out materials and begin the exam can promptly at 10:30!!

• Where?– Our Lecture Center– LC 7

• What should you bring?– Two #2 pencils– An eraser– Your Student ID#

Good Luck!!!

A message from your TAs and your instructor