POG 214 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Advocacy Group, Responsible Government, Soft Law

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Politics and Public Administration
• Course: POG 214
• Professor: Patricia O' Reilly

Document Summary

Both state and societal actors involved in policy systems and subsystems. State actors: political (leaders, elected officials, political staff, bureaucratic leaders and officials, can be international and/or domestic. Societal actors: wide range of societal actors, political parties, interest groups, lobbyists, private sectors, non-profit/ngo, think tanks and other policy research organizations. Decision making in government is a process in which evidence, both from systematic research and practically experience, mixes with a complex interaction of ideas, interests, ideologies, institutions and individuals. Rooted firmly in the previous stages of the policy process. Evidence based, yet most overtly political stage. Can be positive: towards some action. Negative or non-decisions where the decisions is for government to do nothing but maintain the status quo. Controversial policy topic sometimes in this limbo zone as they are contested at the earlier stages of the policy process. Law is the most formal policy there is. Decisions made involving one or more national governments or jurisdictions.