Lecture 4: Policy Process

Objectives Today, students will be introduced to the Policy Process, The Law of Unintended Consequences, and the Precautionary Principle.

LET’S DO IT, THEN TALK ABOUT IT.

You may make your own groups of three. Choose a problem. Present that to the class. Tip: More specific problems are easier to solve. XX minutes to design a solution. We present to the class, followed by Q & A.

Format for Policy Memo To: Who is your audience? From: What role will you adopt? Issue: What agent? What environment? Possible Solutions: Be creative! Recommendation: Your best idea Always ask Who pays for this? What does the science say?

FINISH DISCUSSING INFORMAL SMALL GROUP WORK

POLICY: A COURSE OF ACTION OR INACTION IN RESPONSE TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS

How can we solve water problems? 1. Research: Essential 2. Direct Action: with your own hands 3. Technology: e.g. desalination 4. Medical: e.g. Polio vaccine 5. Education: Ideally in schools 6. Public awareness: Facebook, celebrities 7. Legislation: Passing a new law 8. Litigation: Sue someone 9. Enforcement: Fines, jail 10. Funding: Avoid the “unfunded mandate” 11. What else?

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Steps of an idealized policy process 1. Problem Definition 2. Agenda-setting 3. Formulation 4. Legitimation 5. Implementation 6. Evaluation 7. Change

THE POLICY PROCESS (BUCK TEXT)

HOW ARE YOUR POLICY MEMOS GOING?

How can we solve water problems? 1. Research: Essential 2. Direct Action: with your own hands 3. Technology: e.g. desalination 4. Medical: e.g. Polio vaccine 5. Education: Ideally in schools 6. Public awareness: Facebook, celebrities 7. Legislation: Passing a new law 8. Litigation: Sue someone 9. Enforcement: Fines, jail 10. Funding: Avoid the “unfunded mandate” 11. What else?

HOMEWORK Please read Buck, Chapter 3, especially p. 46 – 65. Please read the Precautionary Principle, posted in Week 2 on Moodle. Please read pages 179 – 182, and 202 – 205 of Brown.

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Lecture 4: Policy Process

Objectives Today, students will be introduced to the Policy Process, the Law of Unintended Consequences, and the Precautionary Principle.

Steps of an idealized policy process 1. Problem Definition 2. Agenda-setting 3. Formulation 4. Legitimation 5. Implementation 6. Evaluation 7. Change

These are not our friends.

BUT... WE CREATED MOST OF THOSE.

What is it? Our actions will have results we cannot predict. Example: DDT to prevent Malaria This is why precaution and alternatives are important. Law of Unintended Consequences

Asbestos: US$250 billion Leaded gasoline Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) Unleaded gasoline Microbeads in Great Lakes (NYT) Examples of Unintended Consequences

Thomas Midgley, Jr. : Mr. Unintended Consequences

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Because of the Law of Unintended Consequences, we have created the Precautionary Principle. Because of the Law of Unintended Consequences, we have created the Precautionary Principle. “When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, Precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.” 4 points, as raised in the abstract

Precautionary Principle Why is this a good idea? Why is this a bad idea? Is this realistic?

How can we solve water problems? 1. Research: Essential 2. Direct Action: with your own hands 3. Technology: e.g. desalination 4. Medical: e.g. Polio vaccine 5. Education: Ideally in schools 6. Public awareness: Facebook, celebrities 7. Legislation: Passing a new law 8. Litigation: Sue someone 9. Enforcement: Fines, jail 10. Funding: Avoid the “unfunded mandate” 11. What else?

Examples of Successful Policy Superfund Polio vaccine Clean Water Act Cholera teams in Haiti

Examples of Successful Policy Superfund: EPA may identify parties responsible for hazardous substances releases to the environment and compel those parties to clean up the sites, or it may cleanup itself using the Superfund (a trust fund) and cost recover from responsible parties by referring such matters to the U.S. Department of Justice. (EPA Website) Polio vaccine: 2 vaccines developed in 1950s Clean Water Act: Wikipedia Cholera teams in Haiti: Tell me about it (Moodle)

How can we solve water problems? 1. Research: All policies 2. Direct Action: 3. Technology: All policies 4. Medical: Polio vaccine 5. Education: Cholera, Polio 6. Public awareness: Cholera, Polio, 7. Legislation: Superfund, Clean Water Act 8. Litigation: Superfund, Clean Water Act 9. Enforcement: Superfund, Clean Water Act 10. Funding: Superfund, Clean Water Act

Good source for you:

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QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR MEMOS? Quick update from each student, please.

BE CREATIVE! Two ideas from economist Lester Brown, author of Plan B 3.0

1. Brown wants to increase the cost of water. Why is water so cheap? Why increase the price? Would the people ever accept that?

2. Composting toilet We do not have enough water or money for modern sewage systems worldwide. Composting toilets use less water, retain nutrients, and do not spread disease. Evaporation and decomposition Harmful bacteria and viruses destroyed by other bacteria Over 100,000 in China

Three themes of strong policy Multi-modal Get your facts right RESEARCH! Revenue stream Who pays for this?

Return Quiz 3 (TTM) AUIS is a gym, not a restaurant. Withdraw deadline is tomorrow.

Homework Read and understand Chapter 6 of Comparative Environmental Politics: Business and CSR. Rough draft due at 5:00PM