Public Policy: Types, Process, and Governance

Public vs. Private

• Something which is valueless is NOT public.
• Public Administration involves marshaling resources to address problems facing a political community
• They both hire and fire people, and are set up by people

Policy Types

• Symbolic policy provides little material impact with no real tangible advantages or disadvantages

Policy Process

• Building support to make a policy acceptable to legislatures and the public is Institutionalization
• According to Thomas Dye, whatever government chooses to do or not do is considered policy.
• The final step in the public policy process is Feedback
• Implementation is the translation of plans into practice for programs or policies
• Evaluation is a process involving assessment and adoption of a program or decision
• In the policy process, issues recognized as deserving public attention and being considered by policymakers have reached the Institutional agenda

Governance Systems

• A true feature of a parliamentary system of government ensures separation of powers between the executive and legislature
• Ghana practiced a Parliamentary system of government during the second republic
• Ghana is described as a fourth republic because it currently has its fourth civilian government after independence
• A regime where the monarch is symbolic but real decision-making power lies with institutional authorities is a Constitutional Monarchy
• Ghana practiced a Presidential system of government during the third republic
• When those in subordinate positions follow orders from superiors, it is Hierarchy in the authority system
• In the context of administration, oligarchy refers to rule by a few, usually not more than 20 people
• Democracy is a form of government where supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly or indirectly through representation
• Totalitarianism is a form of authoritarianism in which the state has total control over all aspects of citizens' lives

Public Administration

• Public Administration is separate from private sector administration
• Private administration serves the public interest which public administration isn't for profit making
• The objective of private administration can always be quantified and measured
• Public administrators are accountable to the public, while business administrators are accountable to the legislature
• Woodrow Wilson believes that there should be strict seperation between politics and administration
• Administration is to bureaucrats as policy is to Politicians
• Policy-making ability is NOT a concern of public administration
• Administration according to prescribed rules, without arbitrariness or favoritism, where positions are based on achievement is Meritocracy
• Complementarity models of politics administration dichotomy stresses interdependency, reciprocal influence, and interaction between elected officials and administrators, recognizing distinct roles

Civil Service

• The Civil Service is part of Ghana's public service
• Officials are employed till death or retirement

Ethics

• "Moral absolutism" describes the universality of ethical principles that exist beyond time and are applicable everywhere
• Paternalism describes official relationships in public offices conceived as blood relationships, referring to officials as "uncle”.
• Josephson (1989) defines ethics as a system of conduct based on universal moral duties, distinguishing good from evil
• Apparent/Conflict of Interest is a conflict between public duty and private interests where a public official's private interests could improperly influence their performance.
• In public organizations in Africa and Ghana, Paternalism is showcased when people in authority act like relatives.
• Public disclosure is NOT a cause of falling ethical standards in Ghana's public sector.
• Paternalism is NOT a measure to enhance ethical standards in the public service
• The concept of ethics can best be explained as behaving according to expected standards based on professionalism
• Public disclosure is NOT an unethical behavior in Ghana
• Problematic and perceived conflict of interest is NOT a type of interest.
• Bureaucrats not taking credit or blame showcase anonymity of public administrators
• Sunshine effect: unethical behavior is exposed in the public
• A process by which charismatic authority moves towards either traditional or legal rational authority is known as Routinization of charisma
• Bureaucrats are not appointed by politicians

Ghana's Governance

• Metropolitan Assemblies, Municipal Assemblies, District Assemblies and Electoral Constituencies answers are 6, 109, 145 and 275 respectively
• Ghana Chamber Of Commerce is NOT part of Ghana's public service
• The most visible part of the Ghanaian Public Administration system is The civil service
• No gift policy is absent

Local Governance

• Local government units cannot to establish their own courts and train their judges
• Devolution is the transfer of political power from central government to lower-tier authorities.
• The District Assemblies Common Fund is the DACF stands for in Ghana
• Political parties mobilize people for local government elections are NOT characteristics of devolution in the Ghanaian context
• De-concentration refers to situations where the national government shifts some administrative power to its own ministry offices at the local level.
• Devolution is a form of decentralization where national governments hand over authority and responsibility to legally recognized, geographically identifiable units with local governments
• The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) coordinates decentralization development planning in Ghana

Civil Society

• Government-funded and controlled NGOs are NOT examples of a civil society
• Civil society is managed and controlled by the state.

Decentralization

• Smaller decentralization political and administrative units within a well-defined geographical area that exercises transferred powers and functions from the central government is Local government

Policy Models and Ideologies

• A policy model reflecting the interests of various groups in society who influence the policy process through lobbying Group theory.
• Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production

Theories and Statements

• Public policy is being formed as it is being executed said from the partnership model of the politics-administration dichotomy

Key initialisms

• District Planning Committee Units stands for DPCUs
• Regional Planning Committee Units stands for RPCUs
• National Development Planning Commission stands for NDPCs
• Metropolitan Municipal District Assemblies stands for MMDAs
• Regional Coordinating Councils stands for RCCs
• Metropolitan Municipal District Chief Executives stands for MMDCES

Other points

• Those decentralized in metropolitan, municipal and districts departments are 6 and 56 respectively
• Public policies are designed to solve social problems or exploit opportunities
• Regulatory policy is designed to influence behavior
• Legitimation is the odd one
• Politicians take more risk explains why they are superior to administrators
• Decision statement by the trades Union Congress is not an example of a policy

Locations

• Bolgatanga is NOT one of the Metropolitan Assemblies