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Chapter Seven Public Policy Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Public Policy Public policy consists of all those authoritative public decisions that governments make. Outputs – decisions Outcomes – end results Political Goods – goals and values Public policy consists of all those authoritative public decisions that governments make. Outputs – decisions Outcomes – end results Political Goods – goals and values Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Government and What It Does Governments do many things. Production of goods and services varies from country to country regulation of telecommunications and air traffic provide defense, law enforcement, roads, postal service may operate major industries Governments do many things. Production of goods and services varies from country to country regulation of telecommunications and air traffic provide defense, law enforcement, roads, postal service may operate major industries Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Political Goals and Political Goods Political goals motivate different policies. Political goods are organized around: System goods: Citizens are free and able to act purposefully when environment is stable, transparent, predictable Process goods: citizen participation and free political participation; democratic procedures, due process Policy goods: economic welfare, quality of life, freedom, personal security Political goals motivate different policies. Political goods are organized around: System goods: Citizens are free and able to act purposefully when environment is stable, transparent, predictable Process goods: citizen participation and free political participation; democratic procedures, due process Policy goods: economic welfare, quality of life, freedom, personal security Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Public Policy Outputs Public policies may be summarized and compared according to outputs classified into four headings: Extraction of Resources – from domestic, international environments Distribution – to citizens, residents Regulation – of human behavior Symbolic Outputs – exhort citizens to engage in desired behavior Public policies may be summarized and compared according to outputs classified into four headings: Extraction of Resources – from domestic, international environments Distribution – to citizens, residents Regulation – of human behavior Symbolic Outputs – exhort citizens to engage in desired behavior Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Extraction Direct extraction of services: compulsory military service, jury duty, labor imposed on convicts Direct resource extraction: taxation Direct taxes/Indirect taxes Progressive taxes/Regressive taxes Tax profiles of different countries vary: overall tax burden reliance on different types of taxes how they collect revenues Direct extraction of services: compulsory military service, jury duty, labor imposed on convicts Direct resource extraction: taxation Direct taxes/Indirect taxes Progressive taxes/Regressive taxes Tax profiles of different countries vary: overall tax burden reliance on different types of taxes how they collect revenues Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Distribution Transfers of money, goods, services - to citizens, residents, clients of the state Distributive Policy Profiles Health, education, defense consume largest proportion of government spending Developed countries allocate half to two thirds of government expenditures to education, health, welfare First modern welfare state in Germany in 1880s 1930s to 1970s most industrialized states adopted and expanded welfare policies Mixture between social insurance and social redistribution Transfers of money, goods, services - to citizens, residents, clients of the state Distributive Policy Profiles Health, education, defense consume largest proportion of government spending Developed countries allocate half to two thirds of government expenditures to education, health, welfare First modern welfare state in Germany in 1880s 1930s to 1970s most industrialized states adopted and expanded welfare policies Mixture between social insurance and social redistribution Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Challenges to the Welfare State Welfare can be expensive Governments often have limited funds Committing future generations to pay Welfare states give citizens few incentives to work Welfare can be expensive Governments often have limited funds Committing future generations to pay Welfare states give citizens few incentives to work Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Regulation Regulation is exercise of political control over behavior of individuals/groups in society Contemporary governments are welfare states and regulatory states Governments regulate by: legal means material or financial inducements persuasion or moral exhortation Particularly important politically: government control over political participation and communication Regulation is exercise of political control over behavior of individuals/groups in society Contemporary governments are welfare states and regulatory states Governments regulate by: legal means material or financial inducements persuasion or moral exhortation Particularly important politically: government control over political participation and communication Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Community Building and Symbolic Outputs Intended to enhance people’s national identity, civil pride, trust in government Enhance other areas of performance: make people pay their taxes more readily, honestly comply with laws more faithfully accept sacrifice, danger, hardship Intended to enhance people’s national identity, civil pride, trust in government Enhance other areas of performance: make people pay their taxes more readily, honestly comply with laws more faithfully accept sacrifice, danger, hardship Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Domestic Policy Outcomes How do extractive, distributive, regulative, symbolic policies affect lives of citizens? Sometimes policies have unintended and undesirable consequences To estimate effectiveness of public policy, have to examine actual policy outcomes as well as governmental policies and implementation How do extractive, distributive, regulative, symbolic policies affect lives of citizens? Sometimes policies have unintended and undesirable consequences To estimate effectiveness of public policy, have to examine actual policy outcomes as well as governmental policies and implementation Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Domestic Policy Outcomes Welfare: poverty, water quality, sanitation, pollution Health: physicians, birth rate, life expectance, infant mortality, malnutrition, fertility Education: skills, economic development, secondary education, college education, literacy rates, access to information technology Welfare: poverty, water quality, sanitation, pollution Health: physicians, birth rate, life expectance, infant mortality, malnutrition, fertility Education: skills, economic development, secondary education, college education, literacy rates, access to information technology Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Fairness Outcomes Promoting gender equality and empowering women Modernizing status of women makes them better informed and capable of making choices that lead stable healthier population Fairness in treatment of minority ethnic, racial, religious groups also an issue Great income inequality violates standards of fairness Promoting gender equality and empowering women Modernizing status of women makes them better informed and capable of making choices that lead stable healthier population Fairness in treatment of minority ethnic, racial, religious groups also an issue Great income inequality violates standards of fairness Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Liberty and Freedom Outcomes Political Rights: opportunities for citizens to participate Civil Liberties: protection for freedom of speech, press, assembly, religion, due process Political Rights: opportunities for citizens to participate Civil Liberties: protection for freedom of speech, press, assembly, religion, due process Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Domestic Security Outcomes Crime rates increasing in many advanced societies and in developing world High crime rates primarily found in urban areas migration increases diversity, conflict pace of urbanization explosive severe problems of poverty, infrastructure unemployment, drug abuse Crime rates have come down in U.S. stricter law enforcement, increased incarceration time, decrease in youth Crime rates increasing in many advanced societies and in developing world High crime rates primarily found in urban areas migration increases diversity, conflict pace of urbanization explosive severe problems of poverty, infrastructure unemployment, drug abuse Crime rates have come down in U.S. stricter law enforcement, increased incarceration time, decrease in youth Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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International Outcomes Economic, diplomatic, military, informational Outcomes of interaction among nations: prosperity or depression war or peace secularization or spread of religious beliefs Nationals economies more interdependent restrictions and trade barriers Environmental damage Cultural pressures Most costly outcome is warfare last decades of 20th century: three-quarters of war deaths were civilians Economic, diplomatic, military, informational Outcomes of interaction among nations: prosperity or depression war or peace secularization or spread of religious beliefs Nationals economies more interdependent restrictions and trade barriers Environmental damage Cultural pressures Most costly outcome is warfare last decades of 20th century: three-quarters of war deaths were civilians Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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The Complexity of Policy Choice Fact about political goods: cannot always have them all simultaneously Political system often has to trade one value to obtain another Opportunity costs: lose in one area by committing resources to different good Task of social science: discover conditions under which positive and negative trade-offs occur People do not share values, may be serious conflicts Governments should provide means for people to decide for themselves Fact about political goods: cannot always have them all simultaneously Political system often has to trade one value to obtain another Opportunity costs: lose in one area by committing resources to different good Task of social science: discover conditions under which positive and negative trade-offs occur People do not share values, may be serious conflicts Governments should provide means for people to decide for themselves Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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