Public Policy

Authoritative decisions – government What is the relationship between the policy and the desired goal or “outcome”? Connection between interest articulation and public policy? Evaluation of outcomes – asking the normative questions.

Government and What it Does Produce goods and services: Consumer goods: –Transportation –Clothing –Industrial products (cars, refrigerators, etc) Consumer services: –Postal –Police Basic human needs –Potable water –Electricity The ratio of governmental production of goods to services varies with the type of political system.

Public Policies Four major types: Extractive: –Government removes resources from the domestic/international environments Distributive –Government moves resources around its domestic/international environment Regulative –Government uses its authority to induce behavior at individual or collective levels Symbolic –Government uses its persuasive abilities to persuade citizens; build community.

Policy Profiles Nightwatchman –Lockean state, law and order, preservation of property Police –Intrusive regulation, severe resource extraction (coercive of citizens, must “volunteer”) Welfare –Extensive distributive activities: health, education, employment, housing, income support (higher taxes) Regulatory States –A response to complexity – state oversight of public and private service provision and behavior (food safety, workplace safety, etc)

Extraction All political systems extract from their societies (specifically) and from their environments (generally). Forms: –Taxation –Direct taxes –Indirect taxes

Distribution Allocation by government of money, goods, services, honors, opportunities to groups in the society. Expenditure areas: –Health –Education –Defense –Foreign aid

Welfare State A set of government, sometimes private policies in the areas of pensions, health, sickness, accident insurance, unemployment benefits, etc. Private component – private donations to nonprofit organizations

Regulation Governmental exercise of political control over societal behavior (individual/group). States policy profiles in this area vary widely – cultural interests in regulation key. Methods vary: coercion, financial incentives, moral exhortation (“Just say No”) –Bans on use of drugs –Sin taxes –Public information campaigns –Regulations against abuse of citizens, animals, environment –Regulations to promote safety – traffic cameras, gun control, citizenship rights, etc.

Community Building and Symbolic Policies Symbolic outputs occur for the following reasons: –To increase compliance (law) –To persuade voters (elections) –To accept hardship/sacrifice (service) –To build community/national identity/civic pride (socialization) –To enhance governmental legitimacy (new political structures in Iraq – 2004)

Outcomes: Domestic Welfare Consequences? Impact on lives? Domestic actions impacted by not directly controllable international events. Actions can have unintended consequences (positive or negative). Important to evaluate/measure outcomes for effectiveness/desirability of policy.

Outcomes: Domestic Security Fundamental role of Government: Domestic law and order most fundamental from Hobbesian view – domestic economic stability most fundamental from Lockean view. In context of high crime are the fundamentals of daily life possible?

International Outputs War – global and civil conflict –Russia/USSR – 24 million deaths between –Third World countries United Nations –Peacekeeping efforts National security – enormous costs, on rise since 9/11

Political Goods and Values Goods and values related at the system, process and policy levels of analysis –System goods reflect the functioning of the political system as a unit. –Process goods reflect the domestic functions of the political system components – democracy, citizen participation/political competition. (Effectiveness and efficiency are desired here). –Policy goods reflect the outcomes of the system components – economic welfare, security, citizen freedom (fairness).

Political/Economic arrangements for achieving political goods Advanced Industrial nations –Industrial authoritarian Repressed political participation, encouraged private enterprise (economic inequality predominated) this combination generated unrest - demise of authoritarian Regimes. –Market oriented and social democracies Taxes, welfare and regulation/size of government re- considered by both – environment new issue

Political/Economic arrangements Pre-industrial nations –Neo-traditional Saudi Arabia, rentier state selective modernization –Personal rule Sub-Saharan Africa –Clerico-Mobilizational regimes Iran – religious authority –Technocratic-repressive South America – business, military, civil technocrats repressed allowed economic growth –Technocratic-distributive South Korea suppressed political participation encouraged economic re- distribution – has since expanded democracy –Technocratic-moblizational single party political systems Mexico, Taiwan