I Skill level: understand, 3 point

1. What are the characteristics of main public policy instruments that government
policymakers have available? Support your answer with examples

II Skill level: analyze, 3 point

5. Demonstrate differences between distributive policies and redistributive

policies. Support your answer with examples

- Conflict is what makes redistributive policies different from distributive policies.

For every redistributive policy, winners and losers are associated with its
approval, which makes such policies controversial and difficult to adopt. Because
redistributive policies provide benefits to one category of individuals at the
expense of another, they often reflect ideological or class conflict.

- Distributive policy collects from the many and benefits the few, Redistributive
policy shares the wealth and income of some groups with others

- EX: Distributive: College research grants, weapons procurement, agricultural

subsidies, highways and bridges
 Redistributive: Welfare, Social Security, affirmative action, and tax policy.

Chapter 3 Understanding Public Policy making (p139-187, in Kraft)

Câu Analyze the Strengths and Weeknesses of the unitary system of government. Since
Vietnamese government system is unitary, which public policies are applied by Vietnamese
government to overcome those weaknesses? Support your answer with examples.

1. What are different stages in the policy process model? Review the role of each stage.
Support your answer with examples

Stage of The role Examples

the process

Agenda How problems In the context of Covid 19

setting are perceived pandemic, many businesses
and defined, faced weakened finances.
command To deal with these
attention, and problems, many companies
get onto the reported to government to
political have some new policies to
agenda. help them deal with the
pandemic negative impact
on business

Policy The design The 2001 tax cut reflected

formulation and drafting of conflicting economic
policy goals assumptions and forecasts
and strategies and differing estimates of
for achieving future impacts on domestic
them. Often programs.
involves the
use of policy
analysis

Policy The The passage of health care

legitimation mobilization of reform in 2010 saw intense
political lobbying on the part of many
support and of the affected interests.
formal Ultimately, the bill was
enactment of passed in the face of
policies. unanimous Republican
Includes opposition because
justification or Democrat supporters
rationales for argued that the reform plan
would provide for better
 the policy health coverage for most
action. citizens.

Policy Provision of Implementation of the

implementa institutional federal Endangered Species
tion resources for Act has lagged for years
putting the because of insufficient
programs into funding, which reduced its
effect within a effectiveness.
bureaucracy.

Policy and Measurement Efforts to measure the

program and effectiveness of No Child
evaluation assessment Left Behind, an education
of policy and policy that set national
program education standards to
effects, improve public education,
including have produced mixed
success or results.
failure.

Policy Modification New national security,

change of policy goals airport security, and
and means in immigration reforms were
light of new adopted following the
information or terrorist attacks of 2001,
shifting and subsequent changes
political were made in these areas
environment. such as the development of
TSA Pre✓ to improve
screening for low-risk
travelers.
ĐỀ DEMO

Question 2 (3 points)

Compare the main functions of different branches of government. Support your

answer with examples.

ANSWER

Branches of Functions Participants

government

Legislative Makes laws Includes legislators or members of

houses of parliament

Parliament

- Unicamel (House/Legislative
council)

- Bicameral (House/Senate)

Executive Administers laws Includes public servants organised into

ministries and departments

Head of state

- (President/Monarch)

- (Governor-General, Governor)

Head of government

- (Prime Minister/Premier/Chief
Minister)

Cabinet

- Cabinet/Executive council
 Judicial Interprets laws Includes judges of the various law courts

Courts

- Migistrate courts

- High courts

- Supreme courts

- Caribbean Court of Justice/Privy

Council

Example in US:

Legislative branch Executive branch Judicial branch

 The congress The president The supreme courts of the United States

Senate/House The vice president

Executive office of the president

100 Senators 15 cabinets members 9 justices

435 Representatives

White house office United States Courts of Appeals

Architect of the Capital Office of the vice president United States District Courts

United States Botanic Garden Council on environmental quality Territorial Courts

Government Printing Office National security council United States Court of International Trade

Library of Congress Office of administration United States Court of Federal Claims

Congressional Budget Office Office of Management and budget Administrative Office of the United States
Courts
US Capitol Police Office of National Drug Control Policy
Federal Judicial Center
Office of Science and Technology Policy
United States Sentencing Commission
Office of Science and Technology Policy

Office of the US trade Representative

Question 3 (4 points)

After reading Section 10.5: Financial Crisis and Non Incremental Policy Change
in Dye, 2017, Understanding public policy, 15th edition, p.185, answer this
question below:

Outline the causes of the financial crisis and briefly evaluate efforts to
counteract its effects.

ANSWER:
Causes of the financial crisis:

- Because of the subjectivity of the lenders, despite the risks: Mortgage lenders
approved loans for borrowers without fully examining their ability to pay. Loans
were often made with little or no down payment.

- Some mortgages were “predatory,” with the initial low payments followed by
steep upward adjustable rates.

- Federally sponsored corporations, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, encouraged

mortgage loans to low-income and minority homebuyers. A nationwide market in
“subprime mortgages” attracted financial institutions seeking quick profits.

- The main cause of the crisis was the disloyalty to lend from the banks and the
greed of people: Banks and financial institutions bundled mortgages together and
sold these mortgage-backed securities as “derivatives.” Risks were frequently
overlooked. Banks,insurers, and lenders all assumed that housing prices would
inevitably rise. Housing construction boomed. Eventually the bubble burst.
Housing prices fell dramatically. The number of houses for sale greatly exceeded
the number of people willing to buy them. Homeowners found themselves holding
“upside down” mortgages—mortgages that exceeded the value of their homes

Thus, Many were unable or unwilling to meet their mortgage payments.

Foreclosures and delinquencies spiraled upward. Investors who held
mortgage-backed securities began to incur heavy losses. Investment banks, such
as Bear Stearns, and mortgage insurers, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,
found themselves in serious financial trouble. Bankruptcies and federal bailouts
multiplied. The stock market plummeted. Financial crisis began to erupt when a
series of banks went bankrupt, the stock market collapsed simultaneously.

Efforts to counteract financial crisis effects:

- Wall Street Bailout:

● The nation’s largest insurance company, American International Group

(AIG), was bailed out by the Fed. But the hemorrhaging continued, and it
was soon clear that the nation was tumbling into a deep recession.

● The nation’s top leadership—President Bush, the Treasury Secretary, Fed

Chairman, House and Senate Democratic and Republican leaders, and
even the presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain—all
supported ‘plead for a massive $700 billion bailout’.

● When this thing is through the information by any accept of the level of
high function the stock market plunged. The Senate responded by passing
 it with a comfortable margin, while adding various sweeteners, mostly tax
benefits to gain House support. Tensions were high when the House voted
on the Senate version of the bill. In a sharp reversal of its earlier action,
the House approved the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.
President Bush promptly signed it into law.

- Treasury’s TARP:

● Use the $700 billion appropriation by Congress to buy up “toxic

assets”—mortgage-backed securities whose value had dropped sharply.
The program was named the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).
● Afterward, Paulson reversed course and decided to use the TARP money
to inject cash directly into banks by purchasing preferred shares of their
stock.

- GM Bankruptcy :

● In bankruptcy the federal government took majority ownership of GM.

President Obama declared that the federal government had no interest in
the day-to-day operations of General Motors. Yet The White House issued
guidelines for limiting the salaries of top executives of GM and of other
institutions receiving TARP funds.

- Fed Responses:

● The Federal Reserve Board made a dramatic decision to pump over $1.25
trillion into the nation’s financial system in order to unlock mortgage,
credit card, and college and auto lending. The Fed lowered its discount rate
to less than 1 percent, and then later to zero percent, to encourage banks to
make loans.
● The objective was to lower interest rates on all forms of credit and thereby
inspire consumers to borrow and lenders to lend, jump-starting the
economy.

→ The government and inter-agency agencies have tried to find ways to bring the
economy out of the crisis with subsidies, supporting banks and businesses, lowering
interest rates and increasing loans to stimulate demand. It can be said that their
efforts to bring the economy out of the crisis are extremely necessary and important,
this is also an important place to make policies for the country at that time.
 ĐỀ KÌ TRƯỚC

ĐỀ 1
Question 1: What are the characteristics of main public policy instruments that
government policy makers have available? Support your answer with examples?

Mục đích của các công cụ chính sách:

- Đạt được sự thay đổi hành vi trong các cá nhân

- Nhận ra các điều kiện xã hội, chính trị, kinh tế

- Cung cấp dịch vụ cho cộng đồng

Public policy Characteristics Example

instruments

- Government decrees (nghị

Regulation định) that require or prevent ws enacted by the legislature
individuals, corporations, and
Quy định other units of government from t do cơ quan lập pháp ban hành
doing something.
- The most widely used
instrument.

- Các nghị định của chính phủ

yêu cầu hoặc ngăn cản các cá
nhân, tổ chức, và các đơn vị
của chính phủ làm điều gì đó

- Là công cụ được sử dụng rộng

rãi nhất

Government Perform services or manage cation and defense

regulation resources directly to citizens
o dục và quốc phòng
Quy định của chính Thực hiện các dịch vụ hoặc
phủ quản lý nguồn lực trực tiếp cho
công dân
 Education, Education of citizens in attempt ng everyone to support after
information and to make them to behave in a al disasters
persuasion certain way
u gọi hỗ trợ các nỗ lực cứu trợ
Giáo dục, thông tin Giáo dục công dân nhằm nỗ lực hiên tai
và thuyết phục thuyết phục họ cư xử theo một
cách nhất định (kiểu cư xử theo
một tiêu chuẩn xã hội)

Taxing and Collect or spend money to rette tax to discourage smoking

spending achieve policy goals
Thuế và chi tiêu Thu hoặc chi tiêu tiền để đạt
được mục tiêu chính sách
aise revenue for other
ams
uế thuốc lá để hạn chế hút thuốc
ng doanh thu cho các chương
khác

Market mechanism Use of the market to enue-neutral carbon tax to limit

encourage the public to make se of fossil fuel
Cơ chế thị trường choices or correct problems
dụng thuế carbon để hạn chế sử
Sử dụng thị trường khuyến nhiên liệu hóa thạch
khích cộng đồng đưa ra lựa
chọn hoặc sửa chữa các vấn đề

Question 2: Demonstrate differences between distributive policies and

redistributive policies. Support your answer with examples?
 Content Example

A policy that collects

Distributive policy payments or resources across ple: public education,
the board but focuses ways,…
relatively few direct benefits
on a market economy. : giáo dục công, đường cao
A school of thought that …
believes that the quantity
supplied, the quantity
demanded, operating without
government intervention, is
the most efficient way of the
market.

Một chính sách thu các khoản

thanh toán hoặc các nguồn
lực trên diện rộng nhưng tập
trung lợi ích trực tiếp tương
đối ít vào nền kinh tế thị
trường.
Một trường phái tư tưởng tin
rằng lượng cung, lượng cầu,
hoạt động không cần có sự
can thiệp của chính phủ, là
cách hiệu quả nhất để thị
trường hoạt động
 A policy in which costs are ple: poverty policy
Redistributive policy paid by a relatively small : chính sách nghèo đói
number of groups or
individuals.
But benefits are expected to
be enjoyed by a different
group in society.
Two types: money transfers
and educational transfers. The
first can be used by recipients
for consumption, bequests or
education spending, while the
second just argues for human
capital

Một chính sách trong đó chi

phí do các nhóm nhỏ hoặc cá
nhân gánh chịu. Nhưng lợi ích
được mong đợi bởi một nhóm
khác trong xã hội.
Hai loại: chuyển tiền và
chuyển giao giáo dục. Cái
trước có thể được người nhận
sử dụng để tiêu dùng, thừa kế
hoặc chi tiêu cho giáo dục,
trong khi cái sau chỉ lập luận
về vốn con người

ĐỀ 2
Question 1: What are different stages in the policy process model? Review the
role of each stage. Support your answer with examples

(Giống câu 1 demo-final exam)

Step Activity Example

Step 1: Problem - Publication of social
identification problems
- Expressing demands for
government action
- Công bố các vấn đề xã hội
- Bày tỏ nhu cầu cho hoạt động
chính phủ.
Step 2: Agenda Deciding what issues will be
setting decided, what problem will be
solved by the Government
Quyết định các vấn đề nào sẽ
được quyết định, vấn đề nào sẽ
được giải quyết bởi Chính phủ
Step 3: Developing policy proposals to The Government and businesses
Formulating resolve issues and improve
policy problems
Phát triển các đề xuất chính
sách để giải quyết vấn đề và
cải thiện vấn đề
The government recognizes the
need to subsidize those who have
lost their jobs because of the
covid-19 pandemic
Chính phủ nhận thấy cần trợ cấp
cho những người bị mất việc làm
bởi đại dịch Covid 19
Determine problems do
governments and businesses need
to solve to support workers
Xác định vấn đề mà chính phủ và
doanh nghiệp cần giải quyết để hỗ
trợ người lao động
propose several policies to support
workers such as unemployment
benefits, job search support,...
Chính phủ và doanh nghiệp đề
xuất nhiều chính sách để hỗ trợ
người lao động như trợ cấp thất
nghiệp, hỗ trợ tìm việc, …
Step 4: Policy - Selecting a proposal To support unemployed workers,
legitimation the Government signed Resolution
- Developing political support 116/NQ-CP
for it
Để hỗ trợ người lao động bị thất
- Enacting it into law nghiệp, Chính phủ đã ký Nghị
định 116/NQ-CP
- Deciding on its
constitutionality

- Lựa chọn một đề xuất

- Phát triển chính trị hỗ trợ cho

nó

- Ban hành nó vào luật

- Quyết định về tính hợp hiến

của nó

Step 5: Policy - Budgeting and appropriations Ministries and agencies shall

implementation coordinate in implementing
- Organizing departments and Resolution 116/NQ-CP
agencies
Bộ và ban ngành phối hợp thực
- Providing payments or hiện nghị định 116/NQ-CP
services

- Impose taxes.

- Lập ngân sách và phân bổ

- Tổ chức các phòng ban và

các cơ quan

- Cung cấp khoản thanh toán

hoặc dịch vụ

- Đánh thuế
Step 6: Policy - Reporting outputs of
evaluation government programs
- Evaluating impacts of
policies on target and
non-target groups
- Proposing changes and
“reforms”
The government evaluates the
effectiveness of the policy
according to the satisfaction of the
people.
Chính phủ đánh giá hiệu quả chính
sách theo sự hài lòng của người
dân.

- Báo cáo kết quả đầu ra

chương trình của chính phủ

- Đánh giá tác động của chính

sách lên nhóm mục tiêu và phi
mục tiêu

- Đề xuất các thay đổi và cải

cách

Step 7: Policy Modify policy objectives and Change in slow policy

change means according to new disbursement
information or a changing
political environment. Thay đổi trong giải ngân chậm

Sửa đổi các mục tiêu và

phương tiện chính sách theo
thông tin mới hoặc môi trường
chính trị thay đổi.

Step Activity Example

Step 1: Problem - Công bố các vấn đề xã hội Chính phủ nhận thấy cần trợ cấp
identification cho những người bị mất việc làm
- Bày tỏ nhu cầu cho hoạt bởi đại dịch Covid 19
động chính phủ.

Step 2: Agenda Quyết định các vấn đề nào sẽ Xác định vấn đề mà chính phủ và
setting được quyết định, vấn đề nào doanh nghiệp cần giải quyết để hỗ
sẽ được giải quyết bởi Chính trợ người lao động
phủ

Step 3: Phát triển các đề xuất chính Chính phủ và doanh nghiệp đề
Formulating sách để giải quyết vấn đề và xuất nhiều chính sách để hỗ trợ
policy cải thiện vấn đề người lao động như trợ cấp thất
nghiệp, hỗ trợ tìm việc, …

Step 4: Policy - Lựa chọn một đề xuất Để hỗ trợ người lao động bị thất
legitimation nghiệp, Chính phủ đã ký Nghị
- Phát triển chính trị hỗ trợ định 116/NQ-CP
cho nó

- Ban hành nó vào luật

- Quyết định về tính hợp hiến

của nó

Step 5: Policy - Lập ngân sách và phân bổ Bộ và ban ngành phối hợp thực
implementation hiện nghị định 116/NQ-CP
- Tổ chức các phòng ban và
các cơ quan

- Cung cấp khoản thanh toán

hoặc dịch vụ

- Đánh thuế
 Step 6: Policy - Báo cáo kết quả đầu ra Chính phủ đánh giá hiệu quả chính
evaluation chương trình của chính phủ sách theo sự hài lòng của người
dân.
- Đánh giá tác động của chính
sách lên nhóm mục tiêu và
phi mục tiêu

- Đề xuất các thay đổi và cải

cách

Step 7: Policy Sửa đổi các mục tiêu và Thay đổi trong giải ngân chậm
change phương tiện chính sách theo
thông tin mới hoặc môi
trường chính trị thay đổi.

Question 2: Demonstrate differences between democracy and monarchy as

forms of government. Support your answer with examples

Democracy Monarchy

Origin Democracy originated in Greece. Monarchy was prevalent in the

Athenian Democracy is often Medieval and Ancient times
described as the first known and still continues in a few
democracy in the world. countries.

Content A democracy is a government in In a monarchy, a government

which political power – influence and a state administration, there
over institutions, leaders, and policies is one ruler, usually a hereditary
– rests in the hands of the people. ruler, who holds political
power.
haracteristics - The elected representatives make
the laws, rules and regulations on
behalf of the people, for the welfare
of the people.
- The elected representatives are held
accountable by the people of the
country. Hence elections are held and
representatives lose their right to rule
if they do not meet the expectations
of the people
- People have the freedom to give
their feedback on policies, have the
option to bring about changes in the
policies and they have the right to
condemn the Government.
- People do not face oppression from
a democratically elected Government
- People are considered equal in a
democracy
Types 2 types of democracies are direct
democracy and a representative form
of democracy.
Example Some of the examples of democracy
are India, USA, France etc.
- The laws are framed by the
Kings and Queens. People have
no say in the formulation of
laws.
- The Kings and Queens have
no accountability. People do not
have the power to remove
Kings and Queens from power
if they are dissatisfied with
their administration.
- People do not have the right to
condemn the Monarchy.
- People may face oppression if
the ruler is a tyrant.
- In a Monarchy people are not
considered equals.
Many different types of
monarchies: absolute
monarchy, semi-constitutional
monarchy, constitutional
monarchy, subnational
monarchy, commonwealth
realms.
Some of the examples of
Monarchy are Middle East
countries like the United Arab
Emirate (UAE) and Saudi
Arabia.
Question 3: (Chung 2 đề)

“The global reach of Covid - 19 presents opportunities to compare policy

responses to the pandemic and the role of knowledge across political contexts.
This article examines the case of Vietnam’s Covid - 19 response. Recognized
for its early effectiveness, Vietnam exhibits the standard characteristics of
unitary states but has also engaged communities, strengthening the legitimacy of
and buy-in to response efforts. This article identifies six factors that shaped
Vietnam’s response to the pandemic: (i) com-mand-and-control governance, (ii)
extensive preparation, (iii) fos-tering cooperative sentiment and solidarity, (iv)
political readiness and communication, (v) policy coordination, and (vi)
adaptation. The article contributes to practical discussions about country-spe-

cific responses to the pandemic, and to scholarship on policy effectiveness and

success within the policy sciences and public management.

Identify and analyze factors that have substantially shaped Vietnam ‘s response
to the Covid - 19 pandemic . What are the benefits of unitary system of
government in dealing with the Covid - 19 pandemic over a federal system of
government?

ANSWER:

1. Identify and analyze factors that have substantially shaped Vietnam ‘s response
to the Covid - 19 pandemic

(1) Command and control governance

Vietnam’s administrative systems facilitated more effective coordination to manage activities

for pandemic mitigation:

- Isolation of positive or at-risk cases

- Surveillance, restrictions on movement

- Targeted mobilization of resources to high - need area

- Strict controls at national borders controls at provincial borders

- Isolution of individuals, hospitals and entire localities where outbreaks were

discovered were the cornerstones of top-down mitigation efforts

(2) Extensive preparation:

 - Vietnam was relatively well prepared to manage the COVID-19 pandemic by
virtue of its capacity, expertise, and coordination practices across the health sector.

- Vietnam informed response strategy: included not only response capacity but also
scenario and preparedness planning, networking among public health facilities,
and contact-tracing systems.

- Vietnam’s preparation emerged also from its experience in responding to past

healthcare crises.

(3) Fostering cooperative sentiment and solidarity:

- The current COVID-19 success may be leading to warmer political sentiments on

the part of the public.

- Social solidarity and unity have arguably played a substantial role

- Willingness to embrace social distancing was credited with helping mitigate the
spread of COVID-19 in Vietnam

(4) Political readiness and communication:

Timely communication on any developments of the outbreak from the government and the
media, combined with up-to-date research on the new virus by the Vietnamese science
community, have altogether provided reliable sources of information.

(5) Cross-sector cooperation: Emergency control measures in the epidemic areas and
integration of resources from multiple sectors including health, mass media,
transportation, education, public affairs, and defense.

(6) Adaptation:

- Vietnam eventually adapted, even without a significant increase in cases, by

instituting stricter measures based on scientific and epidemiological data.

- “As COVID-19 evolved, both central and local governments continually

amended and created new policies”.

- Examples of such efforts are the creation of web pages and mobile applications,
the collection and analysis of data to inform preventive or anticipatory exercises,
and targeted isolation and quarantine measures for higher-risk areas. The training
of healthcare professionals, including those operating at various levels of the
health system, also enabled Vietnam to adjust capacity where needed in
accordance with updated response guidelines

2. Benefits of unitary system of government in dealing with the Covid - 19 pandemic

over a federal system of government:
 - Central and local pandemic response efforts were effectively harmonized,
facilitated in large part by the unitary state apparatus through which policies are
coordinated horizontally across central government units and vertically from
central to local levels.

- Vietnam’s administrative structures played a role in virus containment and

mitigation. Vietnam’s communist organizational structures extend to the
city block and village hamlet → These structures are somewhat loose, but
can quickly be mobilized to inform the community in a crisis, conduct
contact tracing, or investigate matters related to individuals’ travels or
evasion of quarantine procedures.

REVISION

1. Distinguish between policy and law?

SIMILARITY

Function a management tool of the State

Issuer State

Impact object All people

Target Always contain the goal

Nature Always ensure to be systematic, stable and consistent

with the political views of the planning actors

Expression form Legal documents

 DIFFERENCES

Policy Law

Feature - Framed for achieving - Framed for bringing

certain goals justice to the society

- Only guides actions - Can restrict or prohibit

behaviors

Measures to implement - Mainly using propaganda, - Administered through the

education, economic and courts
administrative measures
- There are sanctions to
ensure compliance with the
law

Flexibility - More flexible, localities - Less flexible, same

have the right to choose implementation across the
implementation measures. country.

- Tend to evolve and adapt - Tend to remain unchanged

over time for long periods of time

2. Policy evaluation? Policy evaluation criteria?

Policy evaluation:

A government general judges about quality, goal attainment, policy effectiveness, impact, and
costs can be determined.

Help a government to understand how and why a policy has the potential to succeed, and to
ensure the efficient allocation of their financial resources.
Policy evaluation criteria

1. Impact:

- Measures the suitability of the normative objectives of a policy in terms of the

real behaviour of target groups.

- The evaluation of impact involves an assessment in the sense of the comparison

of planned impacts and real impacts.

- Focus on quantitative and qualitative aspects.

+ Quantitative evaluation analyses whether the desired changes can be observed in

all instances in which implementation acts have been applied.

+ Qualitative evaluation is concerned with the scope of these impacts.

2. Effectiveness

- It refers to the relationship between the anticipated effects of a policy and those
that emerge in social reality.

- The review and evaluation of the effectiveness of a policy are carried out on the
basis of a comparison between the objectives defined in the PAP and effects
actually triggered among the policy’s end beneficiaries.

3. Efficiency

- It refers to the relationship between the resources invested in a policy and the
effects achieved. Thus, it describes the relationship between the cost and benefits
of a policy.

- Two methods are mainly applied in evaluative research to judge the efficiency of
policies or some of their measures:

+ Cost benefit analysis: quantify cost and the effects (benefits), and then compare
them.

+ Cost utility analysis: compares different measures in terms of the achievement of

a specified effect.

4. Relevance

The criterion of relevance examines the link that exists – or should exist – between the
objectives defined in the PAP, on the one hand, and the nature and pressure of the public
problem to be resolved, on the other.

5. Productive economy
- The criterion of productive economy, which is rooted in a more managerial
rationale, relates the outputs produced to the resources invested.

- Thus, this criterion makes it possible to evaluate administrative implementation

processes.