UNIT 2

MEANING OF PUBLIC POLICY

The policy is the government’s course of action to achieve the desired ends.

Public policy includes whatever the government intends to undertake or not

undertake.

As said by Thomas Dye, policy can be defined broadly as “whatever government

choose to do or not to do”.

Public Policies are the governmental rules and programmes, considered

individually and collectively, formulated for the purpose of affecting positive
change.
The term Public Policy always refers to the actions of the government and the intentions that
determine these actions.
Definitions of Public Policy
According to Brooks, “Public Policy is the broad framework of ideas and values within
which decisions are taken and action, or inaction, is pushed by governments in relation to
some issues or problems”.
Clark Cochran, “Public policy is the outcome of the struggle in government over who gets
what.”
“A course of action adopted by the government in response to public problems.” Rinfret,
Scheberle, and Pautz
Guy Peters - “Stated most simply, public policy is the sum of government activities, whether
acting directly or through agents, as it has an influence on the life of citizens.”
 - First, public policy is created by the government, and private business activity is not
included in its definition.

For instance, popular social networking websites owned by private entities can make it their
policy to prohibit specific individuals (suspected terrorists, hate groups, criminals) from using
their platforms.

This practice is not truly public policy since it does not originate from the government.

- Second, public policy occurs as a response to a public problem.

Public problems are issues that the government has the power to resolve. It is important to note
that while the government might have the power to resolve public problems, the government
faces many problems it has yet to resolve, such as drug addiction, poverty, or homelessness.

- The typologies of policies are based on the nature of the policy’s impact on society and the
relationships among the participants in the policy-making process.
Distributive Policies

- Distributive policies allow government actors to

provide beneficial goods and services to a majority of
the population at the expense of all taxpayers.
- They are designed to improve the equitable
distribution of goods and services by providing
benefits to a large portion of the population.
Redistributive policies

- Reallocate wealth, property, political or civil rights, or some other valuable item
to the advantage of class-based groups.
- While these policies often involve economic decisions, they can also involve the
redistribution of social status.
- For instance, redistributive economic policies redistribute income and wealth
from the wealthiest population to the poorest.
- Civil rights policies are intended to provide social benefits to minorities and
women so that they may obtain economic and social equality.
 - Redistributive policies are more controversial than distributive policies because they
provide benefits to specific groups at the expense of others.
- In India, the government made efforts to redistribute wealth and opportunities.

Examples

1. Progressive taxation

2. Land reforms

3. Affirmative action
- Despite the ever-present controversy associated with redistributive policies, they are
frequently utilised when policymakers perceive that economic growth is not evenly
distributed.
Regulatory Policies

- One of the most important services the government provides is the protection of
individual rights, which are necessary for establishing law and order in any
civilisation.
- These policies impose restrictions or limitations on the behaviour of individuals and
groups.
- These policies are concerned with the regulation of trade, business, safety measures,
public utilities, etc, performed by independent organizations working on behalf of the
government like LIC, RBI, SEBI, STATE ELECTRICITY BOARDS, etc. Policies
pertaining to these services and organisations rendering these services are known as
regulatory policies.
Constituent policies
- Involve the creation and regulation of
government agencies and can also refer to
policies that establish how a government
functions.
Conflict Policy

- Policy conflict occurs when, in attempting to achieve one objective, another objective is
sacrificed.
- A conflict may arise between two or more groups over issues relation to the distribution of
positions or resources, and may be created by situations such as Unfairness or bias in the
distribution of positions or resources; Framing of an issue for personal or group gain.

Bargaining Policy

- Negotiation and compromise processes involved in the formulation, implementation, and

evaluation of public policies.
- It includes the interactions among various stakeholders, including government bodies,
political parties, interest groups, civil society organizations and the general public, who
engage in bargaining to influence policy decisions.
KEY FACTORS AND CONSIDERATIONS IN PUBLIC POLICY
DEVELOPMENT

These factors will be used by others to judge whether the policy and
the process of developing the policy, is or has been sound.
i) Public Interest: What is the interest of society as a whole?
How is the common good balanced against any private or
special interests?
Is the process fully inclusive, especially of those who are often
overlooked or unable to participate?
ii) Effectiveness: How well does a policy achieve its goals?
iii) Consistency: Degree of alignment with broader goals

and strategies of government with constitution, legislature

and regulatory regime.

iv) Fairness and Equity: The degree to which the policy

increases the equity of all members and sectors of society.