Chapter 1: Public Policy and Politics
Study
Public policy deals
with just about everything, affecting life in ways that are sometimes obvious
and sometimes not so obvious. This chapter provides the foundation for the rest
of the text. It clarifies basic concepts, such as policy and policy analysis,
and discusses why citizens should be aware of public policy decisions.
Public policy is not
made in a vacuum, and this chapter explores a number of contexts (social,
economic, political, governing, and cultural) that affect the development and
implementation of policy decisions. Rationales for government intervention also
are discussed in detail. These rationales (political, moral/ethical, and market
failures) provide students with the knowledge of when and why governments
choose to act.
Finally, the concept of policy analysis is introduced. The criteria used throughout the book for analyzing public policy (effectiveness, efficiency, and equity) are presented so that students understand these terms prior to exploring the rest of the text.