theories of public policy

Question 1

Views of health policy

Answer 1

narrow view: policies specifying how the health care system should be structured and run

wide view: policies in a non-health dominant that can affect individual and population health

Question 2

micro levels of policy

Answer 2

day to day government operations

• increasing funding to community health care centres
• increasing housing subsidy amounts for tenants

Question 3

meso levels of policy

Answer 3

operations of mid level institutions like advisory boards or government departments

• creating Telehealth line
• changing eligibility requirements for social assistance

Question 4

macro levels of policy

Answer 4

broad issues like the general shape of the political systems and how power is wielded

• creation of public-private partnerships
• creation of a national day care program

Question 5

pluralism

Answer 5

there are competing groups that have their own interests and are trying to achieve their goals

groups vie for power

all groups have equal access to policy output

dominant understanding and approach of advocacy groups trying to influence policy

Question 6

Easton’s model of the political system

Answer 6

input gets put into government to decide what the outputs will be

Question 7

Kingdon’s policy stream convergence

Answer 7

problem, policy proposals and politics all influence the policy change window

all streams have to come together for policy change

Question 8

critiques of pluralism

Answer 8

fails to consider role of political power or ideology

simplistic explanations

political process seen as consensual and conflict free

government parties can shut out perspectives of other groups

Question 9

new institutionalism

Answer 9

pluralism + how institutions influence political discourse and policy outcomes

political institutions: state and government structures that develop over time and persist
* formal rules and operations

Question 10

subtypes of new institutionalism

Answer 10

historical, rational choice, sociological

Question 11

historical institutionalism

Answer 11

how policy change has occurred

what was everyone saying when the policy change was made

Question 12

rational choice institutionalism

Answer 12

looking at where people are positioning themselves when developing policies

Question 13

sociological institutionalism

Answer 13

looking at social norms and how it influences policy

Question 14

critiques of new institutionalism

Answer 14

minimizes degree of possible policy change

important to examine other social, political, and economic forces

doesn’t look at how policy change develops or changes over time (except for historical)

Question 15

political economy approach

Answer 15

understanding policy outcomes requires a focus on economic, political and social issues, and a focus on the distribution of power and resources

concerned with mode of production

looking at which groups already have power and who can bring about change
– what resources are available?

this approach is critical on capitalism

Question 16

main tenants of neoliberalism

Answer 16

markets perceived as most efficient in production and distribution of resources

societies are comprised of autonomous individuals

primary source of motivation = competition

low taxes

small governments

few government regulations

goal of society should be economic growth