1. Chapter 17

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3. Figure 17.1 No Worries! I Can Drive Without Watching the Road 3

4. Government Purposes and Public Policies  Public policy -- a general plan of action, designed by government to solve a problem or pursue an objective  Not acting is also a policy decision  Policy disagreements come from differing opinions on government’s goals, the means to meet goals, and how the situation should be perceived 4

5. The Policymaking Process  Disagreement about government’s goals often based on value differences  Look at policies related to drugs:  Libertarians value freedom and want drugs decriminalized  Conservatives value order and support controls over drug use  Valuing equality, liberals favor treatment programs 5

6. Public Policy  Public policy is the stand the government takes about a problem or an idea for improvement.  The government’s stand might be to do more— or to do less. For example, a state might decide to spend money on an anti-smoking campaign— or to cut spending on anti-smoking campaigns.  The two ways the government works to solve problems are through regulation and action. 6

7. Regulate  One thing the government can do to help solve problems is regulate what people and businesses do.  Regulate- means to monitor and control.  The government regulates behavior by passing a law saying what must be done or not done.  When the law applies to individuals or businesses, the government either makes it a crime to violate that law or imposes a civil penalty, such as a fine or revoking a license, for violating the law. A county government can regulate the sale of alcohol by controlling where, how and to whom it may be sold. Some counties choose not to allow the sale of alcohol at all. Businesses that violate those regulations face severe penalties. 7

8. Regulate  Government regulation usually involves both a restriction on behavior and a benefit of some kind.  For example, a county law against littering restricts your ability to throw trash wherever you want to, but citizens benefit from a cleaner county. 8

9. Types of Policies  Political scientists categorize policies by their objectives:  Distributive policies- extend goods and services so many people can reach their benefits, sometime wasteful  Redistributional policies  Seattle’s proposed espresso tax- tax one business to help another  Regulation  Canadian trucks traveling in U.S. 9

10. Political Action  The government can also take action to solve problems. The government takes action in two ways: by providing money and by providing services.  Example:FEMA food and water to hurricane victims 10

11. Figure 17.2 Who is Paying Their Fair Share? 11

12. Gridlock Proposal Gridlocked 12

13. Greeks Smoke a Lot, Bulgarians Too  Since 1970, smoking has declined in U.S.  Smoking rates in Europe higher  Some countries beginning to address with taxes  Regulatory restrictions vary considerably  Anti-smoking education efforts have increased 13

14. A Policymaking Model  Policymaking process has four stages:  Agenda setting  Policy formulation  Implementation  Policy evaluation 14

15. Political agenda  Political agenda the broad set of policy areas in U.S. life  Political Agenda is the personal feeling on how policy should be implemented.  Example: differences in Gun Control and Abortion 15

16. Figure 17.3 The Policymaking Process 16

17. Agenda Setting  In agenda setting, policies defined as political issues  Triggers can be effects of technology, or irrational human behavior  Issue definition influenced by our values, world viewpoints, and what we consider to be a government responsibility  Changes often due to new issues 17

18. What’s the Problem? 18

19. Figure 17.4 The Innocence Frame Gains Traction 19

20. Policy Formulation  Policy formulation where formal plans on how to solve an issue are developed and officials decide about adoption  Occurs in all 3 branches of government  Not always just one stage, or in one level of government  Tends to be a gradual change (Minimum wage)  Proposals not always enacted 20

21. Sex Offender Registry/Tracking 21

22. Implementation  Process by which policies carried out is implementation  Process starts with notification of affected parties  Involves bargaining and negotiation as part of looking at multiple issues  Changes in technology procurement  Example: Medicare prescription drug program effecting poor senior citizens 22

23. Policy Evaluation  Policy evaluation the analysis of a public policy’s results  Measurement of program outcomes  Cost-effectiveness analysis Ex: Michigan’s building a 3 rd Bridge to Canada issue  Evaluation provides feedback on policies  Evaluation difficult because behavior complex and driven by many causes  Also, different programs exist to achieve same goal, such as how will more traffic effect roads, police, travel 23

24. Figure 17.5 Different Evaluations, Different Findings 24

25. Fragmentation and Coordination  Separation of powers results in a fragmented approach to solving policy problems  Different interest groups try to influence different parts of government  Sometimes more than one agency responds to a problem  Creation of Department of Homeland Security a response to need for an agency to oversee fragmented responses to homeland security issues 25

26. Christmas Day 2009 Bomber Umar Farouk Abdumutallah 26

27. Fragmentation and Coordination  Congress also has diffusion of authority  Overlapping committee jurisdictions  States have differing policies on any given issue, and also may differ from president’s views  In a federalist system, who has control?  Ex: Colorado legalization issue  Attempts to eliminate jurisdictional overlap result in turf battles 27

28. Issue Networks  Issue networks promote many ways of looking at the same issue  However, majority influence of public opinion still significant  Elections one indicator  Issue networks facilitate their beliefs through commercials, protest.  Example: Fast food for $15 28

29. The Nonprofit Sector  Nonprofits not a government organization or business  May receive public funding, however  Groups give government valuable feedback  Charities that perform some public good  In groups with income of at least $25,000, greatest percentage involved in social services  Many other services, from Fraternities to Museums, provided by nonprofits 29

30. Figure 17.6 America’s Nonprofit Sector 30

31. A Lifeline in Haiti  After earthquake January 12, 2010, Partners in Health, a nonprofit, provided assistance in 10 small hospitals  U.S. military responded, but impractical to maintain long-term presence  Nonprofits a lifeline for disaster response (ex: Red Cross)  Governments use nonprofits to devise and implement programs in developing world 31

32. The Nonprofit Sector  Nonprofits enrich society with their efforts  Government rewards organizations with tax deductibility for donors  Government also enters into partnerships with nonprofits to provide needed services  Savings to government since nonprofits use many volunteers  Economic downturn resulted in fewer contributions to nonprofits  Nonprofits vital part of policy process  Example: Community organizations, YMCA, and Homeless shelters influence public policy to make funds available to less fortunate 32