7 Public Policy Free Online FlashCards

What is public policy?

Public policy is the set of government decisions and actions addressing public concerns, including laws, services, taxes, subsidies, and decisions not to act.

What are the commonly described stages of the policy process?

The stages are agenda setting, formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation. They can overlap, and later problems or findings can return an issue to earlier stages.

How can indicators bring an issue onto the government agenda?

Indicators are statistics or trends that document a condition, such as rising housing costs or increased illness, and can help draw government attention to it.

What are the three streams in the multiple streams framework?

The problem stream concerns recognized public problems, the policy stream contains proposed solutions and their feasibility, and the politics stream includes factors such as public mood and elections.

What happens during policy formulation?

Policy formulation develops and compares possible responses by considering goals, affected groups, costs and benefits, legal authority, and unintended consequences.

What makes a policy proposal authoritative?

Adoption makes a proposal authoritative through approval by an actor with the power to approve it, such as a legislature enacting a law.

What is policy implementation?

Implementation turns an adopted policy into practice through activities such as setting procedures, allocating funds, staffing, delivering services, and coordinating organizations.

What does a process evaluation examine?

Process evaluation examines how a policy is delivered and whether it operates as planned.

When may a policy window open?

A policy window may open when the problem, policy, and politics streams align, creating an opportunity to advance action.

What does a policy entrepreneur do?

A policy entrepreneur invests time and influence to advance an issue or proposal, often connecting a recognized problem with a workable solution and political support.

What does the Administrative Procedure Act provide for many federal rules?

For many federal rules, the Administrative Procedure Act provides for notice of a proposed rule and an opportunity for interested people to comment; some rules or circumstances are exempt.

What factors can shape how an adopted policy is implemented?

Implementation depends on resources, staff capacity, clear instructions, organizational routines, cooperation, and frontline workers’ discretion.