Policy Process emerges when the government responds to current policy issues in
the light of past experiences. Attempts to resolve problems at present are also a
futuristic exercise because they create better conditions for the future. Policy
process is a ‘Policy Cycle’ with several phases. Implementing a policy through a
government institution, evaluation of the policy outcome, revision of the policy and
termination are stages of the policy cycle.
Source: James Lester, Joseph Stewart. JR.2000 P.5
Policy agenda is the list of subjects or issues that officials are working on.
Policy - making is making laws to resolve an existing problem or prevent an
unfavourable situation in the future.
Policy evaluation is drawing attention to consequences of policy. It considers
possible outcomes of a policy and whether the outcomes have been reached or not.
Policy revision is change of policy after policy evaluation.
Policy termination is abandoning outdated policies, or ones that cannot be revise.
11.2 Public Policy and Political Authority
A political authority can be defined as
There are three such public authorities involved in resolving public issues:
the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary.
Common Issues
Step I -
Agenda Setting
Step II -
Policy Formulation
Step III -
Policy Implementation
Step IV -
Policy Evaluation
Step V -
Policy Revision
Step VI -
Policy Termination
Political Science - Grade 13
Role of Legislature in Public Policy
Legislature enacts laws by combining (a) the authority which the people’s
representatives posses through people’s sovereignty to resolve problems of
the people, (b) with the authority derived from the sovereignty of the state.
People’s representatives initiate government action on public issues or social
demands through the legislative process.
The legislature has the power to allocate public funds necessary for the
implementation of policy initiative to respond to public demands.
At present, powers and authority of the legislature with regard to public
policy is diminishing due to several reasons. Some of them are:
(a) Spread of the political party system: Because of the party system,
voters vote for political parties to make specific policy choices.
Legislature usually comes under the influence of the political party
with majority of seats which has its own policy priorities.
(b) Because of the increasing complexity of social problems, the capacity
of the legislature to shape public policies is also declining. Its role is
being taken over by policy specialists. The legislature has become a
rubber stamp which approves policies formulated by specialists and
the bureaucracy.
(c) Policy makers of the legislature can only indicate the b road directions
of policy. What becomes policy is what is implemented at the end.
Thus, empirical studies show that the bureaucracy, which implements policy
in detail, has a greater say in determining the nature of policy
20 сен 2024
