Public policy refers to the actions taken by government — its decisions that are intended to solve problems and improve the quality of life for its citizens. At the federal level, public policies are enacted to regulate industry and business, to protect citizens at home and abroad, to aid state and city governments and people such as the poor through funding programs, and to encourage social goals.
A policy established and carried out by the government goes through several stages from inception to conclusion. These are agenda building, formulation, adoption, implementation, evaluation, and termination.
Agenda building
Before a policy can be created, a problem must exist that is called to the attention of the government. Illegal immigration, for example, has been going on for many years, but it was not until the 1990s that enough people considered it such a serious problem that it required increased government action. Another example is crime. American society tolerates a certain level of crime; however, when crime rises dramatically or is perceived to be rising dramatically, it becomes an issue for policymakers to address. Specific events can place a problem on the agenda. The flooding of a town near a river raises the question of whether homes should be allowed to be built in a floodplain. New legislation on combating terrorism (the USA Patriot Act, for example) was a response to the attacks of September 11, 2001.
Formulation and adoption
Policy formulation means coming up with an approach to solving a problem. Congress, the executive branch, the courts, and interest groups may be involved. Contradictory proposals are often made. The president may have one approach to immigration reform, and the opposition-party members of Congress may have another. Policy formulation has a tangible outcome: A bill goes before Congress or a regulatory agency drafts proposed rules. The process continues with adoption. A policy is adopted when Congress passes legislation, the regulations become final, or the Supreme Court renders a decision in a case.
Implementation
The implementation or carrying out of policy is most often accomplished by institutions other than those that formulated and adopted it. A statute usually provides just a broad outline of a policy. For example, Congress may mandate improved water quality standards, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides the details on those standards and the procedures for measuring compliance through regulations. As noted earlier, the Supreme Court has no mechanism to enforce its decisions; other branches of government must implement its determinations. Successful implementation depends on the complexity of the policy, coordination between those putting the policy into effect, and compliance. The Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education is a good example. The justices realized that desegregation was a complex issue; however, they did not provide any guidance on how to implement it "with all deliberate speed." Here, implementation depended upon the close scrutiny of circuit and appeals court judges, as well as local and state school board members who were often reluctant to push social change.
Evaluation and termination
Evaluation means determining how well a policy is working, and it is not an easy task. People inside and outside of government typically use cost-benefit analysis to try to find the answer. In other words, if the government is spending x billions of dollars on this policy, are the benefits derived from it worth the expenditure? Cost-benefit analysis is based on hard-to-come-by data that are subject to different, and sometimes contradictory, interpretations.
History has shown that once implemented, policies are difficult to terminate. When they are terminated, it is usually because the policy became obsolete, clearly did not work, or lost its support among the interest groups and elected officials that placed it on the agenda in the first place. In 1974, for example, Congress enacted a national speed limit of 55 miles per hour. It was effective in reducing highway fatalities and gasoline consumption. On the other hand, the law increased costs for the trucking industry and was widely viewed as an unwarranted federal intrusion into an area that belonged to the states to regulate. The law was repealed in 1987.
FAQs
Policymaking is traditionally depicted as a process that unfolds in neat, predictable stages. First the issue is placed on the agenda and the problem is defined. Next, the legislative branches of government examine alternative solutions and write the right ones into law. The executive agencies implement the solutions.
What are the 5 stages of the policy process? ›
We break this policy process into five stages: (1) agenda setting, (2) formulation, (3) adoption, (4) implementation and administration, and (5) evaluation. Naturally, reality is more complex: stages overlap, do not necessarily follow in this order, and are not fulfilled for every policy.
What is the policy making process? ›
A policy established and carried out by the government goes through several stages from inception to conclusion. These are agenda building, formulation, adoption, implementation, evaluation, and termination.
What is the policymaking process in Quizlet? ›
The process of public policy making includes the manner in which problems get conceptualized and brought to government for solutions; governmental institutions formulate alternatives and select policy solutions, and those solutions get implemented, evaluated and revised.
What are the six basic stages of the policy development process in the correct order? ›
The six stages of the Policy Change Process (based upon the Generalist Intervention Model of Social Work practice) include: Assessment, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation, Maintenance, and Termination.
What are the six major steps for a policy evaluation? ›
THE POLICY ANALYSIS PROCESS
- Verify, define and detail the problem.
- Establish evaluation criteria.
- Identify alternative policies.
- Assess alternative policies.
- Display and distinguish among alternatives.
- Implement, monitor, and evaluate the policy.
Public policy can generally be categorized into four different types: substantive, regulation, distribution, and redistribution. Each type has a specific purpose and focuses on resolving specific challenges within our society.
What is a policy process and procedure? ›
Processes - the steps of tasks that need to be completed in order to complete a project. Procedures - the set of instructions for completing a process. Policies - the guidelines that dictate how processes and procedures should be carried out.
What is the most important and most difficult step in the policy making process? ›
The most difficult step in any policy process is policy integration, which involves integrating new problems into existing policies and creating linkages between existing policy systems .
What are the first stages of policymaking? ›
Issue identification and definition is the first stage of the policy cycle and involves problem identification and diagnosis. Issues for policymaking can be identified proactively, such as those articulated in a national migration strategy, or they can be identified reactively, where a gap or problem arises.
Thus, policy scholars have often characterized the process as involving a series of five stages. These stages are: problem definition, agenda setting, policy adoption, implementation, and evaluation (Eyestone 1978).
What does the policymaking process look like in Congress? ›
First, a Representative sponsors a bill. The bill is then assigned to a committee for study. If released by the committee, the bill is put on a calendar to be voted on, debated or amended. If the bill passes by simple majority (218 of 435), the bill moves to the Senate.
What are the 7 stages of the policy making process? ›
Using a scenario, it walks learners through each of the seven stages of this process: (1) Issue identification and definition; (2) Data, research and analysis for policymaking; (3) Policy formulation; (4) Consultation; (5) Policy adoption; (6) Policy implementation; (7) Policy monitoring and evaluation.
What happens during the policymaking process? ›
Policymaking is traditionally depicted as a process that unfolds in neat, predictable stages. First the issue is placed on the agenda and the problem is defined. Next, the legislative branches of government examine alternative solutions and write the right ones into law. The executive agencies implement the solutions.
What is the cycle of policy making? ›
The policy life cycle consists of policy formation, policy adoption, policy implementation, policy implementation evaluation, and policy maintenance.
What are the 5 public policies? ›
What are some US public policies? U.S. public policies at the federal level include Medicare, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Social Security, unemployment insurance, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps).
What are the 5 steps in the public policy process for developing a plan to resolve a state or local problem? ›
The public policy making process involves 5 main steps following the traditional model: Agenda setting, policy formation, decision making, policy implementation, and policy evaluation.
What is the life cycle of a policy? ›
The policy life cycle consists of policy formation, policy adoption, policy implementation, policy implementation evaluation, and policy maintenance. All of these make up the policy life cycle and flow into each other in a continuous circle.
What are the four major phases of the public policy process? ›
Although they are in theory unbiased, their findings often reflect specific political leanings. The public policy process has four major phases: identifying the problem, setting the agenda, implementing the policy, and evaluating the results.
