APPROACHES IN PUBLIC POLICY

• Policy


  set of ideas or a plan of what to do in particular situations that has been agreed upon by a group of people
• Policy


  designating behavior of actor(s) in area of activity such as public enterprise or poverty reduction
• Public Policy


  tool used by the government to address and meet societal issues and concerns for the benefit and common good of its people
• Policy Making


  game where the goal is to make society better and make things done
• Policy Making


  Four player game refereed by the media, played by the (1) public, (2)NGOs, (3)experts, (4)private sections; jostle for power and influence
• ELITE THEORY


  Focuses on the structure or system that benefits the needs of the elite groups than the public
• ELITE THEORY


  Elite group is divided into governing and non-governing ones
• ELITE THEORY


  The few that possess unique qualities such as skills, material wealth, cunning and intelligence have the rights to supreme leadership, bulk of the population is destined to be ruled; social classes are formed
• ELITE THEORY


  Policies made by elites reflect elite values and prefer status quo to radical changes
• ELITE THEORY according to Thomas Dye and Harmon Zeigler


  -society is divided into the few who have power and the many who do not have

  -masses do not decide public policy elite are drawn disproportionately from upper socio-economic strata of society

  -avoid revolution

  -public policy does not reflect demands of the masses but the prevailing values of the elite
• GROUP THEORY


  Focuses on how the groups in power mobilize to achieve positive outcome or the success of a policy
• GROUP THEORY


  Public policy is the product of group struggle
• GROUP THEORY


  Public policy is a temporary point of compromise reached in the course of competition between interest groups with cross-cutting membership
• GROUP THEORY


  Ability of a group to tilt a policy to its favor depends on:

  -Wealth

  -Organizational skill

  -Leadership quality

  -Bargaining skill

  -Access to decision-makers
• SYSTEMS THEORY


  Focuses on the political groups in power and interested in what the people want (inputs) and what the government produces (outcomes)
• according to easton


  the political system comprises those identifiable and interrelated institutions and activities
• INSTITUTIONALISM THEORY


  Focuses on how the government institutions affect the outcomes which involves the formal and legal aspects in the process
• INSTITUTIONALISM THEORY


  Political life generally revolves around the government institutions (legislatures, executives, judiciary)
• RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY


  Focuses on how everyone acts on their own interests as a rational actor and maximizes social gain
• RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY


  Deals with construction of public policies that ensure better ones
• GAME THEORY


  Focuses on the idea of competition and cooperation that will result in the formation of incentives to a greater satisfaction of all