Chapter 1 Flashcards
public policies are essential elements because:
guide government officials and give citizens links to accountability
define public policy
a course of action or inaction chosen by public authorities to address a given problem or set of interrelated problems
they are there to guide and be a framework to deal with problems
what did the rationalists in the 1960’s hope?
that policy making would become technical enough with out advancements that values and beliefs wouldn’t matter
most overreaching value in public policy is?
public interest
define public interest
balance majority views, common interests within the political community and binding values.
what is the basic motive for taxation
generate revenue for government
what is a secondary usage for taxes?
instruments to encourage or discourage certain behavior
what is the issue with conservatives and taxation
they lowered GST which is a consumption tax even though economists would argue it made more sense to lower income tax which would lower disinsentives for people to work
who makes policy in canada
since the PM is the elected official at the apex of government only he or she has the right to enunciate policy
some public servants joke that policy is whatever the minister says it is
what are three key elements to a policy
- definition of the problem
- goals to be achieved
- instruments and means needed to address the problem and reach the goals
describe the Problem Definition (step 1 of the policy)
recognized problem
can be exhaustive or casual with the most complex problems needing the most extensive and exhaustive inquiry
problems come in complex clusters
something we must adapt to can be a problem
casual connection root of the problem
describe Goals (step 2 of the policy)
intermediate vs ultimate
specific vs general
policy goals vs real goals
describe Instruments (step 3 of the policy)
wide menu
distinct from implementation
constrained by legitimacy, legality, and practicality
list three types of policy consistency
internal - definition goals and instruments are consistent
vertical - policy is consistent with programs our outcomes from it
horizontal - policy is consistent within a framework of other policies set in place
define Policy Analysis
the disciplined application of intellect to public problems
inquiry to assess and understand and improve policy
implications of policy analysis with a basis in science
not anyone can do it
there can be good and bad analysis
is a specific form of inquiry
define gender based analysis
differential impacts on both men and women from a policy are assessed
define gender mainstreaming
more modern organizational strategy to ensure that a gender perspective is reflected in all types of organizational activities
list and define 4 types of reasoning
- normative: analyses policy in reference to values and ethical principals
- legal: analyses policy in terms of jurisdiction and consistency with legislation or the charter
- logical: consistency and common sense analyses
- empirical: impacts effects costs and administration
what are the 7 steps to the rational decision making process?
chose objectives consider alternatives outline impacts determine criteria apply models and scenarios implement preferred option evaluate consequences
describe Jocelyne Bourgon
clerk of privy council
identified development of policy capacity as a key priority in coming years
three initiatives she propelled
1. La Releve - up sizing federal public sector
2. policy research initiative - to enhance policy capacity
3. deputy minister task force - strengthen our policy capacity - report with recommendations
give an international example of recent policy movement
the organisation for economic cooperation and development (OECD) - 34 member states established in 1961
core focus on economic growth wealth creation through markets and trade
interest in governance issues
global conversations about public management
SIGMA program works with EU to strengthen policy making and public administration
give another example of a international organization
the world bank founded 1944
attention to governance and public capacity
values the imput of the poor in developmental processes
policy making and analysis have to adapt to 3 key shifts which are:
- the nature of some perennial policy problems has changed - global economy issues and US in trouble
- key policy processes have changed - citizens want more say - gov departments smaller - people have access to more via internet - municipalities have more power - globalization
- change in how governments see their relationship with private sector and civil society - light touch not heavy handed intervention until financial crisis in 2008
core questions in policy analysis (4)
what is the nature of the problem?
what are we trying to achieve?
how shall we go about addressing it?
how will we know if we were successful?
define bounded rationality
invented by Herbert Simon to capture the idea that the most human decision making takes place under various constraints rather than ideal conditions of complete information and unlimited processing capabilities
define emergent strategies
consistent patterns of behavior that emerge or form rather than being planned
define incremental ism
decision making that proceeds by small successive comparisons rather than grand designs moving forward in small increments
define policy capacity
the institutional ability to conduct policy analysis and implement its results effective and efficiently
define satisficing
object in decision making to find a workable solution rather than a perfect solution
