_________________ (leg & exec)
Provide Defense
Regulate Commerce
___________
Protect Basic Rights, Rule on Fed law
__________
Infrastructure & social welfare
__________
Protect rights in state constitutions
Rule on state law
The Constitutional
Framework
Over time the Federal role has ________
Regulation of health and safety (FDA,
CPSC, OSHA…)
Regulation of Fraud (FTC, Postal
Service, FCC…)
State role is still large
State rules often stricter than federal
rules
Why would/wouldn’t a state want to
regulate more strictly than Feds?
Other Constraints on
Policy
Ideology
Should government be involved in this
type of issue?
Differences of Opinion
Is there really a problem?
Is the problem likely to be fixed or
made worse by government?
How should the problem be solved?
The Public Policy Process
Stages of Policy Development
Pre-Policy Development
Policy Adoption
Policy Implementation
Policy Evaluation
Pre-Policy Development
__Recognition of a Problem__
___Demand for Action____
Public becomes aware/alarmed
Policymakers are asked to do something
__Formulation of an Agenda___
The reality of the ease/cost of dealing
with the issue becomes known
Issue is addressed/prioritized
Issue may make it to the decision agenda
Will Issue Get on Decision
Agenda?
Leadership push
Is leadership interested in the issue?
Issue Coalitions
Are interest groups in favor or against?
Media Attention
Has media been reporting on the problem?
Political Timing
Is the political atmosphere ripe for action?
Policy Adoption
Identify the Problem
Establish Context, Assemble Evidence
Delineate the Problem
__Notify affected persons___
Regulation: Federal Register, media
outreach
Law: Congressional Quarterly Pubs, media
Policy Evaluation
Ideal, but rarely done internally
Where is evaluation done?
Media
Academics
Think Tanks
Interest Groups
External Government Agencies
Why doesn’t govt do much internal evaluation?
No incentives to do so, advance careers
The Role of External
Agencies
___Government Accountability Office (GAO)____
Upon request by Congress, performs an
independent analysis of proposed or existing
programs
___Office of Management and Budget
(OMB)_____
Office in the White House that reviews all major
regulations developed by executive branch agencies
What incentives do these agencies give
government managers? Checks and Balances