Course Learning Outcomes for Unit I Upon completion of this unit, students

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit I Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to: 1. Explain the policy environment to include official policy makers and unofficial participants. 1.1 Describe how public policy takes place and differentiate stakeholder’s responsibilities. Course/Unit Learning Outcomes Learning Activity 1.1 Unit Lesson Chapter 1 Chapter 12, pp. 219-230 Unit I Essay Required Unit Resources Chapter 1: Policy Analysis Chapter 12: International Trade and Immigration, pp. 219-230 Unit Lesson Introduction When one hears the term public policy, the conversation usually turns to government ineffectiveness, laws that cannot be enforced, or corruption in government. This course may touch on some of these items, but the true intent of the course is to address the process more than the effect of policymaking. This unit’s lesson starts with an introduction of what public policy is, why it should be studied, and its implications in the domestic sphere. Lastly, we will address the important concepts of government, politics, and how the international economy integrates into global policy. UNIT I STUDY GUIDE Introduction and Scope of Public Policy PA 5306, Public Policy 2 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title Each year, we hear of park ride accidents coming from our most popular amusement parks such as Six Flags Magic Mountain or the Disneyland theme parks. Amusement parks sponsored by Disney or Six Flags provide fun and excitement for all ages; however, who is to blame if a ride malfunctions? Some of these accidents are even fatal. The accidents usually occur because of mechanical malfunctions, operator error, or because of the state of health of the riders. When families go to these theme parks, they expect to have fun using the park’s facilities and amenities; the last thing on their mind is to become seriously injured or have a friend or family member become unresponsive after riding a roller coaster. Who has the responsibility to ensure safety is adhered to or that the ride is certified for use? What controls and regulations are in place to guarantee these rides are safe? The stakeholders of manufacturing, park ownership, ride operations, the county or state in which the park operates, and federal government agencies can all have responsibility for oversight. Consumer products are usually the responsibility of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC, 2016). CPSC is the regulatory agency that oversees consumer products that we commonly use at home, from can openers to baby strollers. This agency also has a partial mandate responsibility for park rides; however, these rides only include the kind that travel from county fairs to state fairs and from one state to another. The CPSC oversight does not include rides permanently situated in parks such as the Disney Parks system in California or the many Six Flags parks located in a number of states. The states themselves usually are the regulatory agents for these types of organizations. Exceptions to the rule are determined by the number of employees working for an organization. If more than 1,000 employees work for an organization, the state does not have regulatory responsibility for the safe operation of these rides. Why do you think these differences exist between state oversights? In some instances, legislatures have proposed that policy needs clarification on who and what agencies need to be involved for stricter control and safety to consumers (Sunstein & Vermeule, 2014). Of course, parks want less oversight because more safety measures usually equate to more cost. Should the overall deciding factor on government oversight be determined based on risk factors? From this philosophy, we can certainly see a long list of products that should require greater oversight such as lawn mowers and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), along with thousands of other products that have safety standards to keep the citizenry relatively safe. Government representatives who are appointed and elected address these types of issues when drafting public policy. This example helps us to consider the realm of realistic expectations and importance of the process of policymaking in day-to-day activities. It also helps to identify the many agencies involved in these processes, ensuring the safety of the public. Realistically, public policy deals with all facets of daily living. Public Policy If a public problem exists, usually a public policy is drafted to solve that problem. At the seat of the intervention process are government representatives and the constituents they represent. What is perceived to be unacceptable by the public is usually left to public officials to research, collaborate on with parties of interest, and find viable solutions for that are acceptable by all—or most. The government’s role is debated at times due to competing attitudes in society and how policy will affect daily life or organization operations. Our amusement park example provides one instance of how different ideologies compete with one another. Some organizations believe self-regulation is sufficient; whereas, others place less confidence in the private organization’s ability to police itself. Thomas (2013) simply characterizes the principal public policy players as the originator and the end user. Why Study Public Policy Interest in public policy and its governance provides the citizenry with background knowledge in regards to how a democracy operates and how best to evaluate policy effectiveness. Citizen involvement in local governance usually does not draw large crowds to county board public sessions, which in effect results in low voter turnout because large segments of voting citizens are not aware of or do not understand the policy Vacationers on roller coaster (Bayers, 2016) PA 5306, Public Policy 3 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title implications that they are voting on. Studying public policy helps one understand the importance of being involved in the voting process and improves citizen contribution during the policy process, which also influences policy decisions. Where can we retrieve necessary information to become better educated about the political process and become involved with public policymaking? Researchers often state that citizens can join public interest groups in order to stay informed and gain knowledge from candidates’ perceptions about public issues, but Thomas (2013) disagrees because there is almost no personal gain achieved in the process. Today, there are a multitude of interest groups that heavily influence and advance causes that include public policy topics such as gun control, social inequality, environmental protection, or equal pay for all genders. Cigler and Loomis (2012) note that with technological advances, major interest groups have their own websites, Twitter pages, and Facebook accounts. With the advent of the Internet and social media applications, citizens now acquire knowledge quickly and can make informed opinions on policy matters. Government Involvement and Implications Government intervention can be a hotly debated topic because personal convictions, political ideology, or even religion can define our reasons for supporting or not supporting certain public policy. The three types of justifications for why government becomes involved in policy development are political reasons, ethical reasons, or economic failure. Correcting a social challenge usually entails drafting a policy that solves the problem, but because of society’s different ideologies and an increasingly diversified population, resolutions become more complex. Political differences usually become evident in the voting process. Some political parties embrace and support government becoming actively involved in social or economic programs. Other political parties do not support big government, but encourage less government involvement and free markets. A noticeable shift in public opinion usually reflects changing social norms. From the development of Social Security programs to providing affordable health care for all citizens, the U.S. government has a reputation of being involved in caring for its citizens. An example includes providing aid to immigrant population groups in the United States. This type of public policy practice has been a common theme for past and current public policy makers and has been supported by elected public officials and the voting populace. Public policy development also becomes active when market conditions tilt the balance of too much demand versus too little supply of products and services; this struggle can also be defined as economic freedom versus government regulation. Global Public Policy Global public policy, which also includes foreign policy, for the United States encompasses a variety of topics including the following issues: immigration procedures, intelligence gathering, economic sanctions, foreign aid, military assistance, and trade policy. From a global stance, some of the agencies that administer foreign aid include the following agencies: World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. PA 5306, Public Policy 4 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title As depicted in the chart below, top foreign aid recipients have shifted from Europe to different parts of the world (Epstein, Lawson, & Tiersky, 2012). In past years, interest and support has increased to Middle Eastern countries. Why do you think this shift has occurred? Recipients certainly receive more attention and support from the United States because homeland security is one of the more important policy concerns for public leaders. The elements of risk and solutions are measured with a variety of pros and cons for each international policy scenario. The benefits and expected outcomes can also cause unexpected chaos because each nation has its own integration challenges of poverty, business development, disease threats, energy development, or international terrorism. Public policy actions should be a win-win scenario for each case. The intended results include building effective rapport, political support, and successful public policies for current and future populations. Summary This unit’s guidance defines what and how public policy is formulated, understanding the important concepts of integration within supporting agencies, and defining why there are many stakeholders that become involved in public policy development. In the domestic and international realm, we note that personal freedoms must also be taken into consideration. Difficult decisions that impact personal safety and individual freedom can cause clashes between different parties and interest groups. Prioritizing and developing realistic, effective policy decisions will not make every group content with the outcome. It is the effort of the policy maker to conduct a complex policy analysis prior to finalizing viable options. In Unit II, we will introduce the formal steps of policy analysis and discover that policymaking can be consensual or contentious. References Bayers, J. [JenniferBayers]. (2016). Rollercoaster amusement park fun ride fast tracks [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/en/rollercoaster-amusement-park-fun-1168670/ Cigler, A. J., & Loomis, B. A. (2012). Interest group politics (8th ed.). Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly. Recipients of U.S. foreign aid (Epstein et al., 2012) PA 5306, Public Policy 5 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title Consumer Product Safety Commission. (2016). Who we are-What we do for you. Retrieved from https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Guides/General-Information/Who-We-Are—What-WeDo-for-You Epstein, S. B., Lawson, M. L., & Tiersky, A. (2012). State, foreign operations, and related programs: FY2013 budget and appropriations (CRS Report No. R42621). Retrieved from www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R42621.pdf Sunstein, C. R., & Vermeule, A. (2014). The law of “not now”: When agencies defer decisions. The Georgetown Law Journal, 103(157), 159-195. Thomas, J. C. (2013). Citizen, customer, partner: Rethinking the place of the public in public management. Public Administration Review, 73(6), 786-796.