Public Policy Analysis

            Public policies affect almost each feature of individual’s daily lives from the economic, cultural and political environment. Individual’s economic well-being is thus determined by monetary and fiscal policies that are developed by the government while the public policies affect individuals socially.  Therefore since public policy evaluation explores issues of the public it should consider cultural and social forces in the formulation of policies. The policy analysis world should consider social, political and ideological factors while developing policies as these forces play a huge part in policy development (Heineman, Bluhm, Peterson, & Kearny, 2001).  What are the social forces that policy analysis should consider? Every day’s operations should additionally be included in the analysis environment as cultural norms and practices are essential. Policy analysis normally defines its aims and limitations as narrowly as it fails in considering social justice like values and norms in its formulation.  The role of policy analysts, for instance, is ‘’ to implement programs that are less focused technically and that are narrow’’ (Heineman, Bluhm, Peterson, & Kearny, 2001). The above quotation, therefore, shows that the policy is less detailed.

The public policy consists of the actions that are developed by the government in the quest to address particular issues that affect the public members (Pal, 2013).  Policy developing has reacted to the increasing transformations of public values, information technology, globalization decentralization as well as cultural assumptions.  Citizen’s holds numerous expectations from the governments but the expectation that they hold is decision making that is based on intelligence.  The government can generate most of its decisions without the use of intelligence as being decisive requires intelligent planning.  Public policies should, therefore, be developed with consideration of all aspects. This is because policies rarely handle a single issue as they are faced with entangled issues clusters which have solutions that are contradictory (Pal, 2013). Should the public policies be simplified? Public policies are complex based on their breadth and content which makes the policies boundaries difficult to identify.

            Question: should the policy analysis define the purpose and limitations in details?

 

           

 

            References

            Heineman, R.A., Bluhm, W.T., Peterson, S.A., & Kearny, E.N. (2001). The World of the Policy Analyst. 3rd ed. New York: Chatham House Publishers, Seven Bridges Press, LLC. FROM PAGE 1-55

            Pal, L.A. (2013). Beyond Policy Analysis: Public Issue Management in Turbulent Times. 5th ed.  Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Nelson. FROM PAGE 1-42