WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF PUBLIC POLICY

To have a proper understanding of public policy, it is necessary to understand its categories. A comprehensive understanding of the concept therefore, covers such areas, among others, as policy demands, policy decision, policy statements, policy outputs and policy outcome (Anderson, 1975).
Policy demands
These are demands or claims made upon public officials by other actors (private or official) in the political system for action or inaction on some perceived problem. Such demands may take the form    of insistence that government ought to “do something” to a proposal for specific action on
the matter.
Policy decisions
These are decision made by public official that authorize or give direction and content to public policy actions. Examples are decisions to enact statutes issues executive orders or edicts, promulgate decrees, et cetetra.
Policy statements
Policy statements, according to Anderson (1975) are the formal expressions or articulations of public policy. They include legislative statue, decrees, presidential orders, administrative rules and court opinions, as well as indicating the intentions and goal of government, and how to realize tem, it is important to mention that      policy statements are sometimes ambiguous and conflicting, they are sometimes conflicting in the sense that different and contradictory policy statements may be issued by different levels branches, or units of government.
Policy Output
Policy statements, according to Anderson, are tangible manifestation of policies that is the things actually done in pursuance of policy decisions and statements. They are, therefore, what government does as distinguished from what it says it will do. Examples are health centers actually built, roads constructed, school built, industries built, et cetera. It is worth to not that policy outputs may sometimes differ from what policy statements indicate they should be.
Policy Outcomes
These are the consequences for society (intended or unintended) that result from action or inaction by government. For example, the intended consequences of the current privatization   policy currently being implemented in Nigeria are efficiency and high profit of the privatized firms, removal of government subsidies of public enterprises thereby saving billions of naira worth of public funds spent on them over the years, et cetera. But the unintended consequences are inflation and the consequent hardship for families due to       low purchasing power of the naira. Again the capitalization policy and the merging of banks being currently implemented by the central bank of Nigeria might achieve the intended consequences of strengthening the banks thereby securing public funds, but, it has led to retrenchment of worker of banks which did not meet the deadline for capitalization as fixed by the central bank of Nigeria. These retrenched workers now join the mass of the unemployed   in Nigeria.
Share on Google Plus

Declaimer - Unknown

The publications and/or documents on this website are provided for general information purposes only. Your use of any of these sample documents is subjected to your own decision NB: Join our Social Media Network on Google Plus | Facebook | Twitter | Linkedin

READ RECENT UPDATES HERE