Gov: Public Policy

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Content Objective:

Understand how government policies and decisions have been influenced and changed by individuals, groups, and international organizations.

Language Objectives:

• Understand, learn, and use new vocabulary that is introduced and taught directly through informational text and direct instruction.
• Identify and/or summarize main ideas, facts, supporting details, and opinions in an informational and/or practical selection.
• Read and synthesize information found in various parts of charts, tables, or diagrams to reach supported conclusions.

Learning Target:

Students will explain the role parties and groups play in public policy development.

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Public policy refers to government actions or programs designed to achieve certain goals. Creating public policy is a multistep process. Government officials, policy experts, political parties, interest groups, and concerned citizens all take part in policymaking.

Issue Identification

The first step is to identify problems and issues that need to be addressed. A crisis can bring an issue to public attention or public officials can also raise awareness of an issue.

This occurred in 1973 when OPEC blocked oil sales to the United States. The resulting energy crisis forced Americans to begin thinking of ways to reduce this nation’s dependence on foreign oil.

Public officials can also raise awareness of issues. Most Americans viewed smoking as a matter of personal choice. In 1964, the surgeon general of the United States issued a report linking cigarette smoking to lung cancer. The report raised the issue of whether smoking should be discouraged as a matter of public policy.

Agenda Setting

Government officials cannot address all the problems facing the nation at any one time. They have to make choices, selecting the issues that seem most critical and setting others aside. Agenda setting requires officials to decide which issues should be part of the public agenda, or set of public priorities.

Some issues pop onto the public agenda as a result of a disaster. The 9/11 terrorist attacks put fighting terrorism high on the nation’s public agenda. Hurricane Katrina put repairing damaged levees around New Orleans shot to the top of that area’s public agenda.

Political parties and interest groups often play a role in setting the public agenda. Parties help by placing issues on their platforms, thus making those items a priority for the candidates they elect. Interest groups do the same by lobbying for certain issues.

Policy Formation

Once an issue is on the public agenda, government officials work on formulating a policy to address it. This step may take place within any branch of government. Legislatures make policy by passing laws or statutes. Executive officials or agencies make policy by setting new rules and regulations. The judicial system can influence policy through court decisions and rulings.

When officials begin to formulate a policy, they ask some basic questions: Is this a problem government should address? If so, what options should be considered? Should government pass a new law, create a new or expanded program, or offer a new benefit? What are the costs and benefits of each option?

For example, in response to the surgeon general’s report on smoking officials considered a number of policies. They ranged from warning labels on cigarette packages to regulating cigarettes as drugs.

When considering such varied options, officials may ask experts to offer their opinions. They may also invite interest groups to present their views. This helps ensure that the policy they finally adopt takes various perspectives and interests into account.

Policy Adoption

Many policies are formulated as legislation. These bills must first pass through legislatures to become law. This process often results in substantial revisions. A policy proposal may be changed to gain the support of a majority of legislators. Or it may be modified to avoid legal challenges or a threatened veto by a governor or president.

Sometimes the president works with members of Congress and key interest groups to get policies adopted. President Lyndon Johnson worked closely with Congress and civil rights leaders to win passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.

President George H.W. Bush joined with lawmakers and disability activists in 1990, to pass the Americans with Disability Act. This law helped make public facilities more accessible to people with disabilities.

Interest groups take the lead in other cases getting new policies adopted. For example, the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association have taken the lead in promoting laws banning smoking in public places. By 2010, twenty-five states had enacted comprehensive smoking laws that banned smoking inside of worksites, bars, and restaurants.

Policy Implementation

After a policy is adopted, it must be implemented. Usually, implementation is assigned to a specific government agency. That agency then becomes responsible for making the new policy work.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Congress enacted a number of antiterrorism policies. The job of implementing these policies was given to the newly created Department of Homeland Security. DHSS took on a host of responsibilities, from intelligence gathering to border security. To accomplish its goals, DHS officials worked closely with state and local governments.

Policy Evaluation

The final step in the policy process is evaluation. Government officials and concerned interest groups assess whether implemented policies have met their goals. If changes need to be made, the policymaking process begins again.

After New York City outlawed smoking in bars and restaurants in 2003, the city’s Department of Health carried out a study to assess the results. Researchers found that air pollution levels had decreased sixfold in bars and restaurants after the ban went into effect. The study also found that contrary to predictions, business remained good despite the ban. A 2006 study by the state of New York found similar results.

Not all policies that show positive results manage to survive. Studies show that a policy of requiring motorcycle riders to wear helmets reduce the likelihood of dying in a crash by about one-third. Some states faced stiff opposition from motorcycle riders and have not passed mandatory helmet laws. A few states with helmet laws have repealed or are considering repealing them. For a policy like this to be successful, it must achieve its goals and win public approval.

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Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the students and speakers of our government classes and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of this website, institution, or organization. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual.