Public Policy: Concepts and Definitions

Study Notes

Public policy is the relationship between government units and their environment.
It is a course or pattern of activity, not a single decision.
Public policy is a proposed course of action by a person, group, or government to achieve a goal or objective.

To promote the welfare of citizens and implement government programs.
To solve problems that impact society and the general public.
To assess whether policies are meeting their goals or not.
To stabilize markets, promote economic prosperity, and ensure business development.
To achieve desired outcomes and promote happiness and prosperity in citizens.
To promote social, cultural, political, economic, and scientific development.

To make society lead a better life and maintain the delivery of goods and services.
To stimulate and develop the economy.
To increase GDP growth and provide necessary infrastructure.
To reduce poverty and unemployment and promote sustainable economic development.
To implement political manifesto and reform agendas.
To enhance prosperity and happiness in citizens.
To manage administrative tasks and maintain law and order.

Public policy covers government activities for the betterment of citizens and the country.
Each level of government may have specific and general policies.
Policies can have anticipated or unanticipated outcomes.
Policymaking is closely related to decision-making.
Policies carry vision, goals, objectives, strategies, and activities.
Public policies are formulated on constitutional and legal bases.
Public policy is a guideline for development activities and generates outcomes.

Public policies are crafted by the legislature, executive, and judiciary.
Policy making involves problem identification, agenda setting, policy formulation, policy adoption, policy implementation, and policy evaluation.
Policy formulation involves proposing solutions to issues raised in the agenda.
Policy adoption involves the finalized policy being adopted by government bodies.
Policy implementation involves the practical implementation of the policy.
Policy evaluation involves critically analyzing the success of the implemented policies.

Political system theory: policy is the output of the political system.
Group theory: interest groups pressure and interact with policymakers on preferences and self-interest.
Elite theory: policy reflects the values and preferences of governing elites.
Rational choice theory: government should choose policies resulting in maximum gains to society.
Institutional theory: public policy is determined by government institutions.
Incremental model: evaluates public policy as small changes or adjustments in past policies.
Game theory: the study of rational decisions in situations where two or more participants have choices to make.

Public policy is a process that involves multiple components.
Public policy making demands coordination between different individuals and institutions.
A successful public policy is yielded when each component performs well with their duties and responsibilities.
Public policy is a complex and dynamic process that changes over time.
The primary aim of formulating public policy is to lay guidelines for the public with regard to a certain problem.
Every public policy aims to lay out feasible and agreeable guidelines and bring them into action.
Public policy is a result-oriented process.
Any public policy is crafted, directing to the future.

Substantive: policies concerned with the general welfare and development of society.
Regulatory: deals with the regulation of trade, business, safety measures, etc.
Distributive: focuses on specific sectors of society.
Redistributive: concerned with rearranging policies to make socio-economic changes.
Capitalization: government provides subsidies to different lower levels of government and other business undertakings.