SOCS3100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Policy Network, Accrual, Individualist Feminism
25 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
SOCS3100
Policy Development, Program Management, and Evaluation
March 21, 2018
WEEK 4
Policy Formulation: Stakeholder Interests, Evidence and Struggles
Why study this policy formulation stage?
Howlett and Ramesh:
. . . knowing how and why certain options are discarded can provide
pointers to which option will ultimately be decided upon at the decision-making
stage
Policy Formulation Readings
1. Some emphasize policy formulation as political – competition and struggle
a. Howlett and Ramesh
i. Not a brainstorming, scientific process. Contested process.
b. Maddison and Denniss
i. About who you know, not what you know – communities and
networks
2. Policy formulation as technical – collection and analysis of evidence
a. Althaus, Bridgeman and Davis
i. Evidence based Policy
1. Advantages – thoughtful reflection about nature of problem,
explores many options
2. Disadvantages – dont have data, expensive and difficult,
resource intensive
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
→ Fisher – bridge technical and political
b. Policy Toolkit – multidisciplinary
i. Economic Framework
ii. Social Framework
iii. Environmental Framework
iv. Legal Framework
v. Political Framework
How do technical and political considerations interact?
• Not straightforward process
• Contests between powerful/less powerful groups
• Most maintain status quo
• But there are instances when less powerful groups get ideas on the board
Political and technical views of policy making not totally separate. Today…
1. Policy formulation as politics – specialist actors in competition
2. Communities and networks
3. Symbiosis – ideas and interests
4. Advocacy coalitions of ideas and interests
5. Concentration – competition or monopoly?
6. Subsystem concentration and policy change
Relationship to other stages of policy development
1. Agenda-Setting (AS)
a. Societal and/or state actors perceive a problem that needs a response
2. Policy Formulation (PF)
a. Smaller communities of policy development specialists
b. Societal and/or state actors articulate possible solutions/responses to the
problem
c. State actors narrow down the options (like a short list)
3. Public Policy Decision-Making (DM)
a. Governments select one option from the short list
b. In the rational model, some overlap, many options canvassed
EXAMPLE: Public Housing
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
• State-Level
o AS
▪ 1933-1836
▪ Methodist clergymen/activists research into the slums
o PF
▪ 1936-1938
▪ NSW Parliament Committee visit to Europe and USA
▪ Report on overseas model for slum clearance/rehousing
o DM
▪ 1941
▪ NSW legislation to establish Housing Commission
• National
o AS
▪ 1940-1942
▪ Expanded Commonwealth war-time role raises expectations of a
greater post-war role
o PF
▪ 1943-1944 – Commonwealth Housing Commission inquiry
▪ 1943-1944 Department of Post-War Reconstruction planning
o DM
▪ 1945
▪ Commonwealth State Housing Agreement
Societal Actors
• Pre-budget submissions
• Research and policy papers, lobbying
o Can make submissions to public inquiry that governments hold
o EXAMPLE: Firefighters and airports
▪ Published on webpage
▪ Went to parliamentarians
▪ Labor party put on board some issues and compared to
government policy
▪ Slowed process down
• Pre-election party priorities
Government (not in public)
• Departmental research and issue papers
• Submissions to interdepartmental committees (IDCs) and Cabinet
Government (public enquiries)
• Issues Papers, Discussion Papers
• Green Paper – document setting out situation and options
• White Paper – statement of policy intent
• Consultancies
• Consultations
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Howlett and ramesh: (cid:1688). knowing how and why certain options are discarded can provide pointers to which option will ultimately be decided upon at the decision-making stage(cid:1689) Policy formulation readings: some emphasize policy formulation as political competition and struggle, howlett and ramesh, maddison and denniss, not a brainstorming, scientific process. Fisher bridge technical and political: policy toolkit multidisciplinary, economic framework, social framework, environmental framework, political framework. How do technical and political considerations interact: not straightforward process, contests between powerful/less powerful groups, most maintain status quo, but there are instances when less powerful groups get ideas on the board. Political and technical views of policy making not totally separate. Today : policy formulation as politics specialist actors in competition, communities and networks, symbiosis ideas and interests, (cid:1688)advocacy coalitions(cid:1689) of ideas and interests, (cid:1688)concentration(cid:1689) competition or monopoly, subsystem concentration and policy change. Government (not in public: departmental research and issue papers, submissions to interdepartmental committees (idcs) and cabinet.
