The term public policy is used to refer to what the government
The term public policy is used to refer to what the government chooses to do and what it chooses not to do. The decisions that are made by the government greatly impact the life of the public. Therefore public policy allows for the government to regulate behavior, distribute benefits, organize bureaucracies, and extract taxes from the public. Through an analysis of the chapter, it is evident that public policy is directly related to societal needs. The greater the level of societal needs, the greater the extent of public policy implemented by the government. This is reflected in the fact that as an increasing number of Americans turned to the government for assistance, the government grew in size and its public policy expanded to cover different aspects of social life. The chapter also demonstrates that the expansion of public policy is usually aimed at improving society’s welfare. This is reflected in the fact that spikes in government expenditure and policy are witnessed during periods of extreme difficulties like the two World Wars and the depression.
In reviewing the scope of public policy, it is evident that most people equate scope to government spending. This is due to the fact in the execution of most of its policies; the government has to spend resources to facilitate the process. As a result of this in most cases, an expansion of policy is usually reflected by an increase in government expenditure. However, it is imperative to note that government expenditures do not effectively cover the scope of public policy. There exist some activities that the government engages in which are not included in the government’s budget and hence are not in the expenditure.
Public policy is studied through political science which is the description and explanation of consequences and causes of the government’s activity. Through political science, we are able to attain a better understanding of the government’s activities on the social, economic, and political spheres of the public. Understanding the consequences of public policies allows for the identification of areas where they are effective in enhancing social welfare and areas where it is essential to redesign the policies.
One way through which the impact of public policy can be effectively evaluated is through policy analysis. Policy analysis refers to a review of the actions the government takes, why it takes them, and the differences stemming from the government’s action or inaction. The analysis of public policy allows people to better understand what the government is doing. This is important as it helps them understand the role of the government and its importance. It also helps the government to better keep track of its activities. Policy analysis also helps in developing an understanding of what causes the government to act. By understanding the factors that drive the government into taking action, the public is able to better compel the government into taking action that benefits them.
Through policy analysis, one is able to develop a systems model that relates societal conditions to political processes and institutions and to the outcomes of the policies. However, it is imperative to note that a key disadvantage of policy analysis is the fact that it is usually limited by the disagreements that exist over the nature of societal problems, subjectivity in result interpretation, limitation in policy research design, and the complexity of human behavior. Hence it is evident that though effective, policy analysis has a number of limitations that significantly restrict its effectiveness.