what does Public Policy means ?

Concept, Relevance

Formulation, Implementation and Evaluation

public policy refers to the policy that is formulated for the benefit of the public.

A comprehensive comprehension of public policy is essential for grasping the intricate dynamics between the state and its populace. The essence, progression, prioritization, and repercussions of policies exhibit considerable divergence among countries, influenced by social, political, and economic factors, as well as prevailing priorities, available resources, and stakeholder engagement.

In the context of India, policy formulation is intricately woven into addressing challenges such as poverty, illiteracy, widespread unemployment, and food insecurity. The overarching priorities encompass social and gender justice, the empowerment of marginalized segments of society, the advancement of agriculture and industries, sustained economic growth, improved human security indicators, environmental sustainability, and national security.

Thomas R. Dye says that “public policy is whatever government chooses to do or not to do”.

David Easton defined public policy “as the authoritative allocation of values for the whole society”.

Robert Eyestone mentions public policy as “the relationship of government units to its environments”.

Richard Rose says that “public policy is not a decision, it is a course or pattern of activity”.

Characteristics of Public Policy

1. Public policy is a purposeful and goal-oriented action designed to achieve predetermined objectives through planned courses of action, utilizing available resources and infrastructure.

2. Public policy is the result of ‘doing, it is ‘action-oriented’ and it is not about what the government is obligated or intended to do. It is formulated based on considerations such as resource availability, financial commitments, priority groups, problem complexity, data availability, and stakeholder engagement within a specific political environment within in a specific administrative system.

3. Public policy is the result of collective action of government decisions. It shows the action pattern of the government officials and reflects their concerns and commitments towards the citizens.

4. Public policy is a well-planned, well-researched course of action. And, it gets implemented with a sanction of law and authority to it.

MODELS OF public policy

1. Process Model

the pattern of political activities that is the ‘process’ of policy making is examined. The various stages of the process model are:

Problem identification: the policy problem is identified by analyzing the demands that the various groups within society or society as a whole present to the government for

Agenda setting- key stakeholders like administrative officials and the media directing attention to specific demands.

policy formulation- policy proposals are developed by various stakeholders involved.

Policy legitimation- the policy is now executed through public officials and government institutions.

Policy evaluation: the outcome and further implications are analyzed. Government agencies themselves, and various other actors like media, think tanks, private consultancies, and civil society, the general public evaluate the policy outcome.

This model is beneficial to understanding of the various activities of policy-making in a structured way.

2. Institutional Model

Thomas Dye mentioned that “the relationship between public policy and government institutions is very close. A policy does not become a public policy until is adopted, implemented, and enforced by government institutions”

1. Legitimacy: It gives legitimacy to the policies. Government policies become legal obligations and seek the compliance of the citizens for the same. established through government institutional activities.

1. Universality: The government institutions are the only legal institutions through which government policies are extended to all people in a society.
2. Coercion: Government can use authoritative force against the people who are not complying to the policies and government regulations. Only government has the legitimate authority to use force against the violators.

3. Rational Model of Public Policy Making

Thomas Dye mentioned that “a rational policy achieves "maximum social gain"; that is, governments should choose policies resulting in gains to society that exceed costs by the greatest amount, and governments should refrain from policies if costs exceed gains”.

Thomas Dye, “a policy is rational when the difference between the values it achieves and the values it sacrifices is positive and greater than any other policy alternative.”

4. Elite Model

public policy is the result of the preferences and values of elite. It reflects the interests of the elites and achieving their ends through the policies.

Thomas Dye explains that “elite model suggests that the people are apathetic and ill-informed about public policy, that elites actually shape mass opinion on policy questions more than masses shape elite opinion.

According to Dye, “public policy reflects elite values, serves elite ends, and is a product of the elite”.

Thomas Dye's summary of the elitist theory can be distilled into several key points:

1. Power Division:

“Society is divided into the few who have power and the many who do not. Only a small number; of persons allocate values for society; the masses do not decide policy.

1. Elite Composition: .

Elites are drawn disproportionately from the upper socio-economic strata of society.

1. Slow Social Mobility:

from non-elite to elite positions is gradual to maintain stability and prevent revolution. Only those who align with elite values can enter governing circles.

1. Consensus among Elites:

Elites share a consensus on fundamental social values and aim to preserve the existing system.

1. Policy Origins:

Public policies does not reflect demands of the masses but rather the prevailing values of the elite. Changes in public policy will be incremental rather than revolutionary.

1. Limited Mass Influence:

Active elites experience minimal direct influence from apathetic masses. Elites tend to shape public opinion more than they are influenced by it.

Robert Eyestone mentions public policy as “the relationship of government units to its environments”.

Richard Rose says that “public policy is not a decision, it is a course or pattern of activity”.