PUBLIC POLICY: CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS(LITERATURE REVIEW)

CONTENTSOrigin of Policy Studies Defining Public PolicyTypes of Public PolicyTwo Types of PublicsConceptual Framework: Two Models of Policy Perspective Basic Principles of the Elitist Model Basic Principles of the Pluralists ModelPoints to Consider

ORIGIN OF POLICY STUDIESThe interest in studying the policy process developed not too long ago, around the 1950s in the US. In the Philippines, the UP C.P.A. initiated thefirst attempts in the 1970s to make policy studies partof the Colleges programs in research, teaching andtraining. There are various reasons why policy studiesor policy analysis is important. But ultimately, it isaimed to aid politicians and public administrators inmaking and implementing informed policy decisionson vital as well as frivolous issues affecting people andsociety.

DEFINING PUBLIC POLICYThomas R. Dye defines public policy as whatever governments chooses to do or not to do.(programs of action that the government deliberatelypursues, and whatever the government selects not to do)

According to him, governments do many things. They regulate conflict within society; they organize society to carry on conflict with other societies; they distribute a great variety of symbolic rewards and material services to members of the society; and they extract money from society, most often in the form of taxes. Thus, public policies may be regulative, organizational, distributive, or extractive or all these things at once.

Public policies may deal with a variety of substantive areas defense, foreign affairs, education, welfare, police, highways, taxation, housing, social security, health, economic opportunity, urban development, inflation, recession, and so on. They may range from the vital to the trivial from the allocation of tens of billions of dollars for an antiballistic missile system to the designation of an official national bird. (Dye, 1995)

Public policy as purposive course of action followed by an actor or set of actors in dealing with a problem or matter of concern. (Anderson, 1975)

Nicholas Nicolaidis elucidates on policy as a rule for action, manifesting or clarifying specific organizational goals, objectives, values, or ideals and often prescribing the obligatory or most desirable ways and means for their accomplishment. Such a rule for action established for the purpose of framing, guiding, or directing organizational activities, including decision-making, intends to provide relative stability, consistency, uniformity, and continuity in the operations of the organization (Nicolaidis,1963)

TYPES OF PUBLIC POLICYDistributive promotes private activities that are desirable to the public as a whole; distributes services to citizens, benefits all. (Low Visibility)Competitive limiting the provision of specific goods and services to only one or a few several competing distributors. (Low to Moderate Visibility)Protective Regulatory protecting the public by setting conditions under which private activities may be conducted. (Moderate Visibility)Redistributive intended to manipulate the allocation of wealth and property rights.(High Visibility / Public Attention)

TWO TYPES OF PUBLICSCONSERVATIVE prefer to have minimal government intervention to bring about social changes; generally oppose concentrating power at the national level; prefer to have power decentralized at the state and local level.

LIBERALS want an active government to force social change; prefer having a strong, active, national government to bring about social equity and to ensure that the law is applied equally throughout the nation.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS: TWO MODELS OF POLICY PERSPECTIVEBasic Principles of the Elitist ModelOnly a small number of people allocate societys resources and make policy; the masses do not decide public policy. Values are determined by elites.Those who govern are not typical of the masses: elites come from the upper echelons and upper socio-economic strata of society.Non-elites must be gradually integrated into higher positions to avoid revolution, social and political instability.

Elites share a consensus about the basic values of the social system and are committed to preserving that system.Public policy does not reflect the demands made by the masses.Elites are subject to little direct influence from the apathetic masses.Public policy is directed from the top downward.

Basic Principles of the Pluralists ModelPower is an attribute of individuals in their relationships with other individuals in the process of decision-making. Power relationships are not permanent.

There is no permanent distinction between elites and masses on a decision to decision basis.Leadership is fluid and mobile. Power resides in the position, not the person.There are multiple centers and bases of power in society.Considerable competition exists between interest groups.Public policy reflects the bargains and compromises reached between competing groups.

POINTS TO CONSIDERPublic policy addresses societal problems with the end in view of at least improving the situation if not entirely eliminating the problem.Policies can also be decisions not to act. These non-decisions or what may perhaps be called a hands-off kind of policy can be as equally important as decisions.Policy is not just an expression or articulation of the intention of what government wants to do about a particular public problem but what it actually does or implements in relation to that problem. (As one scholar argued, a policy that is not implemented means No Policy at all. In other words, Intentions should be matched with Action!)

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