UAPP225 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Behaviorism
15 Mar 2017
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Official actors and their roles in public policy. Institutionalism: the study of politics and policy based on the interaction of formal institutions in government, such as the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Behaviorism is an approach that sought to study social phenomena based on the postulated and observed behavior of individuals. Behaviorism was a response to the more common approach of its day known as institutionalism. Institutions are now described as organizations as well as systems in which individuals interact and achieve political and policy goals through explicit or implicit rules that evolve over time through cooperative means. Two categories of participants in policy making. Official actors are involved in public policy because their responsibilities are sanctioned by laws or the constitution and they have the power to make and enforce policies. Unofficial actors include those who play roles in the policy process without any explicit legal authority to participate. Not any less important than official actors.
