American Public Policy:Promise and Performance

- B. Guy Peters

Presented by:

mohammad REZAul Karim

Issues to be discussed

Defining Public Policy

Instruments of Public Policy

- Law, Services, Money, tax, Other Economic Instruments. Suasion

Effects of Tools

The Environment of Public Policy

- Conservatism, Participation, Pragmatism, Wealth, Diversity, World Leadership

What is Public Policy ?

Public Policy is the sum of government activities, whether pursued directly or through agents, as those have influence on the lives of citizens.

-Guy, Peters B. 2007, pp13

Public Policy is whatever governments choose to do or not do.

-Dye, Thomas R. 2008, pp1

Three levels of American Public Policy

Public Choices

Policy Outputs

Policy Impacts

Some aspects of American Public Policy

Different levels of governments often experience conflicts over policy. For example, role the US department of Agriculture and the Office of Surgeon General regarding tobacco contradicts.

Government policies are also implemented by private or individuals.

A number of steps is required to put the legislation into an operating program to see the effects of policies

Instruments of Public Policy

A number of government mechanism for implementing Public Policy

Have effects on socio-economic conditions of citizens

Effectiveness depends on the circumstances

Law

Easy to issue for compliance but monitoring and enforcement are still crucial

Laws are used as the means of producing government outputs, rights. ….

The US uses laws to regulate economic and social conditions.

Laws can be used as benefits as well as burdens

Features of Service

Education service is the largest one of all public services directly provided to the citizens.

pressure to control expenditure and to privatize.

Contracting out

Use of quasi-government organizations

The George W. Bush Administration has pushed to use not-profit organization

Money

Approximately 74% tax money is returned to public for social security, unemployment benefits

Categorical grants channel resources are directly to problem identified by the federal government

The federal government has less control over the block grants which allows greater autonomy for state and local government to determine their own priorities

Tax

• Tax holes or tax expenditure

(granting tax relief for an activity is the same as subsidizing that actively directly through an expenditure program)

For example, in 1999 the federal government did not collect &54.5 billion in income payments because of mortgage interest deduction.

• Taxes are used more directly to implement policy decisions.

Other Economic Instruments

Credits activities of purchasing land and supplies

Guarantee loans for students loans

Government insure certain activities such as federal food insurance made possible the development of some lands along with coasts of the United States

Suasion

It is used when all instruments fail

It is an effective instrument because people believe government is legitimately doing for their interests

Suasion declines when government loses legitimacy for Vietnam, Watergate, the savings-and-loan crisis, Iran contra but reverse in war on terror

The Effects of Tools

Influence the economy and society

Government confer the rights of citizens

Governments distribute goods and services

Government distribute burdens and benefits

The Environment of PP: Conservatism

• Social and economic services are less developed than those in Europe.

• The government of the US regulates and controls the economy, such as consumer product safety

• But it gives the opposite picture regarding the defense expenditure.

• ‘ideological conservatives’ and operational liberals

Participation

• People’s desire to participate in government

• No taxation without representation

• Effective participation is difficult

• Government fosters participation

• Citizens tend to demand local control and regard federal government as less benevolent

Pragmatism

Policies in the US tend to change slowly and incrementally

The pragmatism seems to be declining

( abortion issue, or issue of religious or ethnic basis)

Wealth

• Great wealth of the country

• Federal government provides huge funding for programs

• The US economy depends on the rest of the world

• Wealth is threatened by the capital investment and slow productivity

Diversity

Diverse economy

Uneven distribution of wealth between Rich and poor

Racial and linguistic diversity affects public policy

Socio-economic characteristics are also diverse

World Leadership

Economic, political and military world leader

Huge impact on world economy and politics

This position creates burden on policy makers

This issue makes the policy large and extremely complex

Conclusion

American policy emerges through complex interaction among various organizations

This process involves a wide range of values and ideas

Public policy is also affected by the complex society and diverse economy

Involvement of public sectors is increasing

Any question?

Thank you very much

for you kind attention

American Public Policy

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Policy Choices-Decisions

Policy outputs-Policy choices

putting into action

Policy impacts-Impact of choices &

outputs

Taken by Politicians, Civil servants, government

authority, Congressmen,

President, governor, administration, pressure

groups

Programs being put into action

Impacts on lives of citizens

Expenditure in Defense

194

8

195

7

199

9

Total public

expenditure 29

%

37

%

8%

Federal

expenditure

36

%

62

%

14

%194

8

199

9

Total public 7% 21

Expenditure in Social Services(Education, health, social welfare, housing)

Poverty in California