8 Public Policy and Governance Free Online FlashCards

What does public policy include?

Public policy is the set of government decisions and actions addressing shared problems, including laws, budgets, public services, and choices not to act.

What is governance?

Governance is how public authority is organized and exercised: how decisions are made, carried out, monitored, and revised.

What are institutions in policymaking?

Institutions are formal rules and organizations that structure political decisions, along with informal practices that influence how those rules work.

How do electoral rules and party systems affect policymaking?

Elections and party systems shape representation and how easily governments can pass laws. Legislatures, courts, coalition partners, and organized interests may amend, delay, or challenge proposals.

What is one benefit and one trade-off of decentralized authority?

Decentralization can let regional and local governments adapt policies to local needs and test different approaches, but services and outcomes may vary across the country.

What are the common stages of the policymaking cycle?

A common policy cycle identifies a problem, considers options, adopts a policy, implements it, and evaluates its results.

What can policy evaluation help officials determine?

Evaluation helps officials judge whether a program meets its goals and whether public resources are being used effectively.

What is state capacity?

State capacity is the ability of public institutions to carry out their responsibilities. It can depend on trained staff, funding, reliable information systems, management, and coordination.

What are three ways governments can arrange public service delivery?

Governments may provide services directly, fund other organizations to provide them, or regulate a mix of public and private providers.

What basic guarantees do social protection floors include?

Social protection floors provide nationally defined basic guarantees, including access to essential health care and basic income security. Countries may use different systems and methods.

What is fiscal policy?

Fiscal policy uses taxes and government spending to influence economic activity, support public priorities, and affect how resources are distributed.

What trade-off can arise when a government expands a service?

Expanding a service may improve access but require additional revenue, borrowing, or changes to other spending.