(O.19) Policy Actors Flashcards
debate on who should make, or have the greatest influence on, health policy decisions includes:
*Governments
○ which kind? Democratic; participatory; technocratic; etc.
○ Often have to adjudicate between experts and patients
*Street-level bureaucrats
○ Civil servants - working for governments - interact with people being affected
*Subject matter experts
○ Physicians
○ Have been studying for 20 years
*Health organizations
○ Hospitals, NGOs
*Patients/the public
*Other
- Technocracy = alternative to democracy where technical experts are involved and make decisions
- Lobbying
Interest group
any group OUTSIDE THE STATE including market and some civil society groups that attempts to influence policy to achieve specific goals
*Voluntary
*Aim to achieve some desired goal
* Do not attempt to become part of the formal government machinery
Cause group
= interest or pressure group whose main goal is to promote a particular issue or cause
Ex. Dying with dignity - advocated before MAID
Sectional group
= interest group whose main goal is to protect and enhance the interests of its members and/or the section of society it represents
Ex. Canadian Medical Association - advocating for interests of physicians
Imagine the government is considering expanding the eligibility for medical assistance in dying (euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide) to patients with primary psychiatric conditions as well as to allow patients to provide advance consent for MAID
- potential interest groups to attempt to influence policy?
○ Health professionals involved in treatment of psychiatric disorders
○ People who have had family members undergo MAID/who couldn’t undergo
○ Person who is directly affected
○ Passionate individuals with no affect - religious, legal, ethical objection
ex. * Canadian mental health association
Came together as mental health experts objecting support of MAID before adequately helping those with mental health problems
* Alzheimer's society of Canada ○ Cannot predict future suffering, providing advanced consent should not be permitted February 2023 - noted that advanced requests be permitted = evolution
Government
= the institutions and procedures for making and enforcing rules and other collection decisions
- politicians, bureaucrats, policy elites, etc.
Governance
= all processes of governing, whether undertaken by a government, market, or network
- Government actors + civil society organizations, interest groups/pressure groups, organizations/corporations
- Ex. COVID - governments, pharmaceutical companies, scientists making decisions
Lobbying
= the process through which individuals and groups articulate their interests to federal, provincial or municipal governments in order to influence public policy or government decision-making
lobbyists are
1.
2.
- paid to do it
- speak to public officials
what do lobbyists do?
- Represent interest to government
- Provide dating service between interest group members and decision makers
○ Knows players in government - Map decision makers for interest groups
Interest group might consult a ____ on how to get attention of government
lobbyist
Lobbying Act
= How lobbying is regulated in Canada
= Lobbyists: paid to speak to government
- must register with lobbyist regulator as a lobbyist
- Must report all meetings and subject matter
* Way to be transparent on how governmental interest was gained
2 types of lobbyists in lobbying act
- Consultant lobbyist: set up a firm to be contacted
○ Not an employee, just an external consultant - In-house lobbyist: works within an organization/corporation who’s sole job is to lobby for them
○ Larger corporations (firearms, pharmaceutical .etc) have their own
Some NGOs have them too
Who is not considered lobbyists under the act (don’t need to register)
○ members of government & their staff
○ Diplomatic consular/foreign representative/UN member
○ Private citizens/volunteers who AREN’T paid
Over_____ active registered lobbyists in Canada
7,000
