HY 357 Lecture Notes - Lecture 58: Patriot Act
6 Jun 2018
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The Policymaking Process
Public policy refers to the actions taken by government — its decisions that are intended to solve
problems and improve the quality of life for its citizens. At the federal level, public policies are
enacted to regulate industry and business, to protect citizens at home and abroad, to aid state and
city governments and people such as the poor through funding programs, and to encourage social
goals.
A policy established and carried out by the government goes through several stages
from inception to conclusion. These are agenda building, formulation, adoption,
implementation, evaluation, and termination.
Agenda building
Before a policy can be created, a problem must exist that is called to the attention of the
government. Illegal immigration, for example, has been going on for many years, but it
was not until the 1990s that enough people considered it such a serious problem that it
required increased government action. Another example is crime. American society
tolerates a certain level of crime; however, when crime rises dramatically or is perceived
to be rising dramatically, it becomes an issue for policymakers to address. Specific
events can place a problem on the agenda. The flooding of a town near a river raises
the question of whether homes should be allowed to be built in a floodplain. New
legislation on combating terrorism (the USA Patriot Act, for example) was a response to
the attacks of September 11, 2001.
Formulation and adoption
Policy formulation means coming up with an approach to solving a problem. Congress,
the executive branch, the courts, and interest groups may be involved. Contradictory
proposals are often made. The president may have one approach to immigration
reform, and the opposition-party members of Congress may have another. Policy
formulation has a tangible outcome: A bill goes before Congress or a regulatory agency
drafts proposed rules. The process continues with adoption. A policy is adopted when
Congress passes legislation, the regulations become final, or the Supreme Court
renders a decision in a case.
Implementation
The implementation or carrying out of policy is most often accomplished by institutions
other than those that formulated and adopted it. A statute usually provides just a broad
outline of a policy. For example, Congress may mandate improved water quality
standards, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides the details on
those standards and the procedures for measuring compliance through regulations. As
noted earlier, the Supreme Court has no mechanism to enforce its decisions; other
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Document Summary
Public policy refers to the actions taken by government its decisions that are intended to solve problems and improve the quality of life for its citizens. A policy established and carried out by the government goes through several stages from inception to conclusion. These are agenda building, formulation, adoption, implementation, evaluation, and termination. Before a policy can be created, a problem must exist that is called to the attention of the government. Illegal immigration, for example, has been going on for many years, but it was not until the 1990s that enough people considered it such a serious problem that it required increased government action. American society tolerates a certain level of crime; however, when crime rises dramatically or is perceived to be rising dramatically, it becomes an issue for policymakers to address. Specific events can place a problem on the agenda.
