1. How Do Governments make policy
Chapter 4

2. Platforms and Policy
Policy: is the plan of a political party or government to achieve certain goals
Platform: group of policies a party plans to pursue if elected -- citizens then vote on a party based on its platform and policies
Note: a party’s platform will be closely aligned to its ideologies

3. Do People Really Care about Policies
There is an argument to be made about the uniformed voter.. The person who votes for a party based on its leader and not its platform or what its leaders plan is. One might argue that had more of the German people actually read Mein Kempf before 1933, and had the statesmen of the world pursued it more carefully, the world would have been saved from catastrophe. Hitler, Mussolini and Castro were Charismatic speakers.
Examples:
Do People Really Care about Policies

4. Most Recently we’ve seen in the recent American Primaries

5. What the Republican Platform is supposed to look like
Restoring the American Dream: Rebuilding the Economy and Creating Jobs
We The People: A Restoration of Constitutional Government
America’s Natural Resources: Energy, Agriculture and the Environment
Reforming Government to Serve the People
Renewing American Values to Build Healthy Families, Great Schools and Safe Neighborhoods
American Exceptionalism

6. Republican Platform under Trump

7. How are Policies Developed?
Government policies fall into these areas: - social -financial -international -public works -resources -legal
Depending on the policy, there will either be a positive or negative consequence– long lasting at times.
A major influence on policy comes from the political party’s platform which bases its ideology on trends in voter population

8. Major influences on Policy
Political Party Membership --discussions from party delegates
Civil Service Advice -- employees who give expert opinion
Judicial Opinion -- Compliance with the Charter
Economic Realities -- Is there enough money?
Intergovernmental concerns -- demands of other levels of government
International Pressures -- Foreign policy, trade and defense depend on relationships with other countries therefore policies reflect bettering or keeping these relationships in tact
Interest Groups -focus efforts on court and interpretation of the charter

9. Interest Groups
Groups with a specific purpose who try to influence policy makers opinions will vary depending on the weight they carry.
Interest groups often compete– example: The Kyoto Protocol Greenpeace vs Alliance of Manufacturers

10. How a Policy Becomes a Law
1) From Idea to Bill -PM and Cabinet Ministers discuss ideas they want turned into laws -policy is drafted and checked -- Cabinet Solidarity requires all members to support a bill even if they disagree with it
2) First Reading: --Cabinet Minister Presents the Bill to the House of Commons
3) Second Reading: -- all MPs can questions the bill’s purpose and consequence
4) Vote: -- after debate, bill is voted on. If passed, the bill moves on
5) Committee and Report Stages: -- studied by a standing committee, reports amendments to improve the bill

11.
7) Third Reading: -- more debates and proposed amendments, finally a vote is taken
8) The Senate (federal level only): -- if passed bill goes to the Senate and goes through the same process as the HoC -- Senate can approve, delay or defeat a bill
9) Royal Assent: -- Governor General signs the bill