PUBLIC POLICY INTRO + WEEK TWO

PUBLIC POLICY: CHP One + Five

• Public policy = bound up with actions of the government and consequently the lives of people.
• Policy is the most obvious way in which politics affect us, whether inn form of decision to raise or cut taxes, fund a service, alter eligibility requirements for a benefit- or alter the direction of government investment in tertiary education.
• POLICY decisions determine who gets what, when and how.
• Also affects who does not receive resources.
• TES: acknowledges that in a tight fiscal environment, govt is unable to provide significant funding increases to meet the growing demand for tertiary education.

Slide 2

• Policy making: a political activity, requiring difficult and often contentious choices over the scope, cost, and design of policies.
• Thus.. is frequently characterised by heated debates over ..
• government's role in the economy
• the values which inform policy decisions
• whether or not scarce resources are being disturbed efficiently
• the effectiveness of policy interventions
• the appropriate role of the state the economy and individual's lives.
• What Policy-related roles does government play?
• 1. REGULATORY:
• Government regulates relations between individuals, employees and employers, consumers and producers.
• 2. ALLOCATIVE:
• Government influences allocation of resources in the economy
• -> direct role : provide public goods and services that markets cannot.
• ->indirect influence: using fiscal policy or regulatory policy to encourage certain activities and discourage others.
• 3. STABILISATION:
• Government policy helps smooth the business cycle
• 4. Distributive:
• When income is unequally distributed within a society, governments can choose to redistribute resources to those in need.

Slide 3

• What are the various modes of government intervention?
• 1. Government may coerce (compel certain conduct) induce (through incentives such as subsidies) or use suasion (eg. funding a public campaign to convince people of the health risks associating with smoking).
• MODES OF GOVERNANCE:
• authority transaction and persuasion
• usually about enforcement governments marshal their resources ( legal, fiscal , etc) to regulate, impose and or delivers public goods and services.
• Governments requires compliance determines and dries the 'how, what, and where of policy'.
• Government by transaction
• Government as persuasion
• DEFINING POLICY:
• The 'sum of government activities' ( that have an influence on the lies of citizens'
• an authoritative response to a public issue or problem'
• 'a web of decisions and action that allocate ...values'.
• PUBLIC POLICY INVOLVES GOVERNMENT:
• Governments promote legislation, monitor and enforce compliance with the law, directly provide services and increasingly fund service delivery by non statutory organisations.

Slide 4

• GOVERNMENT:
• Numerous individuals ( incl ministers, public servants, members of parliament(MP), and judges, institutes ( cabinet, and other public agencies) who interact in the policy process.
• MINISTERS:
• most powerful POLICY ACTORS ( engages with policy process on the basis of a professional or personal interest)
• POLICY STAKE HOLDER:
• an individual or organisation with a stake in an issue, who seeks to influence or shape policy developments.
• MEMBERS OF POLITICAL EXECUTIVE:
• Collectively responsible overseeing the governments policy programme and make important decisions regarding taxation and spending significant new policy developments and proposals for new legislation.
• Some officials also monitor the performance of publicly funded organisations , while others purchase service from non-government agencies (eg. voluntary, and community sector groups) or evaluate the effectiveness of policy implementation.
• MP's: = Central to development of public policy:
• One of their core functions = scrutinise governments policy initiatives on behalf of the citizens they represent.
• Many of these activities take place in Parliament, select committees, where MP's consider proposed government legislation ( frequently recommended changes).
• Conduct inquires into the implementation of policy
• review the financial performance of department and other public organisations.
• Provide forum for public debate on range of matters
• Members of public and MP's who sit on the committee have the opportunity to comment on the provisions of legislative proposals, suggests as changes.

Slide 5

• MEMBERS OF JUDICIARY:
• Judges of the highest courts - review activities of government ministers and officials.
• Judges interpret the meaning of legislation and apply under social, cultural and political circumstances.
• creates common law
• review the government decisions and actions to ensure powers are exercised by ministers for officials are used legally and properly.
• PUBLIC POLICY involves DECISIONS to ACT ( and decisions not to act).
• what governments do
• decisions to intervene in matters which require government attention
• Policy objective = 1. positive ( rise in economic )or 2. negative ( reduction in the incidence of child abuse).
• AIM OF MOST PUBLIC POLICY:
• bring improvement in a state of affairs.
• Decision moments:
• high level decisions
• 'HOW TO' issues and questions which policy makers must address:
• Design of policy programmes ( what sort of practical assistance will help resolve the issue)
• The level and scope of service delivery ( how much assistance will be provided , where, when and whom')
• Eligibility requirements:
• who will be entitled to receive support and at what levels?
• Policy instruments ( will services be delivered through public agencies, markets, or mix of both).

Slide 6

• Public policy entails the commitment of resources:
• especially in the implementation phase
• if the policy decision makes tangible difference in people's lives, the government must provide at best some of the resources required to design and deliver programmes.
• resources need to publicise new services, pay benefits, remunerate those delivery services, purchase commeditiors, and meet administration costs.
• GOVT BUDGET:
• overall plan for allocation of resources
• NZ's govt cannot levy taxes, raise loans or spend public resources without Parliament's permission
• The government prepares documents structured around specific policy areas called votes and scrutinised by Parliament's select committees following the delivery of the budget.
• PUBLIC POLICY HAS A NORMATIVE DIMENSION:
• how things should be
• decision making is based on own values
• What constitutes a pressing policy issue?
• What is the best way of tackling the problem?
• What is the appropriate role for the government in solving matters?
• How much responsibility do individuals and familiies bear for their circumstances?

Slide 7

• AS A LABEL FOR A FIELD OF ACTIVITY:
• Policies concerning economics, health, housing immigration, defence, conversation
• Within there are more defined areas.
• SPECIAL PROPOSALS:
• specific actions that might ben undertaken at some future point
• maybe linked with achievement , wider goal or stand alone initiatives
• DECISIONS OF GOVERNMENT:
• things the government decided to do
• specific policy proposal constitutes a possible course of action
• FORMAL AUTHORISATION:
• usually in formal, legal status
• most powerful way i the Act of Parliament -has sovereign law making powers in the highest form, cannot be invalidated by the courts.
• most legislation made each year is not passed by Parliament but made by individuals or organisations under the powers which have been delegated to them by Parliament.
• DELEGATED LEGISLATION:
• given effect through a range of legal instruments including orders in council decees, proclamations, warrants, by-laws.
• most common are government legislations by the governor general, which are applied to the administration of legislation instead of the questions of broad policy
• the principle and reviewed by parliament's legislations review the committee.

Slide 8

• POLICY PROGRAMME:
• 'sphere of government activity involving a particular package of legislation, organisation, and resources.
• Programme will typically comprise (often set out in legislation)
• volume and mix of resources ( human and financial) to be deployed in support of the policy.
• Specific initiatives to be carried out ( details of which are usually developed by the implementing agency)
• AS OUTPUT:
• POLICY OUTPUT= actually delivered
• defined by public finance as 'goods or services' that are produced by the department, (own agency, office of Parliament, or other person or body.