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Summary Political Science 354: Policy Analysis
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Detailed notes on policy analysis following the structure of the lectures supplemented by the various readings
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POLITICAL SCIENCE 354POLITICAL ANALYSIS
Think of a policy problem as a public problem that government is paying attention to - eg poverty
In SA we have wonderful policy, but poor implementation of the policy
We cannot just say “corruption” when things go wrong, if we think of it as the element of what went
wrong, we are showing a limited ability
“How has the climate change act been translated into practice in SA?”
POLICY ANALYSIS
- Policy: anything a government chooses to do or not
- Choice about what, government makes choices about what?
• Choices about governance, leading the country, implementing policy and making them
• Policy = government choices
• Policy analysis - dissects these choices
- Who is government?
• Think institutions, executive, president, cabinet, ministers they make choices
- People make choices through voting
- Who makes decisions on our behalf in a representative democracy it is legislature
- Policy manifests in the form of legislation acts
- The executive: part of the legislature, executive also makes choices and we recognize them
as policy decisions
- Different ways in which choices are made by government
• Analysis
• A detailed examination of anything complex
• Policy is complex
• What is the logic behind the choices?
• Ideological beliefs that inform policy solutions
• Policy focused on diagnosing something that is problematic
• Essential features
• Thorough investigation
Harold Lasswell - The emerging conception of the policy sciences
- In the past, there has been a dominant approach to studying public policy processes (the policy
stages / policy cycle approach).
- It is important as it leaves us with ideas as to how policy works
- Talks about 2 types of knowledge
1. Knowledge of the policy process
2. Knowledge in the policy process
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,- The careers of those who specialise in some aspect of knowledge-of-policy develop in much the
same way as the specialists who belong to the knowledge-in-policy category. One group, for
instance, is interested in a specific computer model, and may or may not provide the
enlightenment or skill required to gear it effectively into the policy process of a customer or client.
Another advocates or sells a specific cost- benefit-risk system; another emphasises particular
simulation procedures; another stresses a survey technique for obtaining estimates of the future;
another promotes free-association techniques of creativity (e.g., "brainstorming"); and so on. In a
competitive world-whether of profit or nonprofit operations-those who devise specific techniques
are likely to adapt to the prevalent selling patterns of the society, and to leave problems of
integration-if they think of them at all-to the invisible hand celebrated by Adam Smith.
- Field of policy sciences knowledge in and knowledge of, the PS is problem focused
- We want to sort out the issues in our communities and societies
- Want to use scientific methods, we add as policy sciences
- Focus on problems and use scientific methods to study policy problems such as:
• High levels of unemployment
• Land disposition within SA
• To come up with solutions to these policy problems
- Recognise the importance of context and values
- Understanding problems mean something different in a different context ie which country it
occurs in (health issues differs from SA vs US)
Pay attention to values, often excluded because its messy, beliefs inform action
- Values important, what supports their logic what do they value
- We want to understand and make interventions
- Need to understand their values and beliefs and then you can strategically intervene
Policy science → important to values and context
- Multi-disciplinary
• Political scientist focuses on power
• health system learning how they work
• Bringing in your policy brain
• Bring that all together and draws on all sources of knowledge and expertise
• Her purpose is to unpack the world as a policy scientist
• Make a contribution to the improvement of society
Harold Lasswell’s insight
- Describes features of the emerging field of political sciences
- For him, we are to do research to address society’s problems
- In the current context, the expectations should be to look at poverty, employment, and inequality
as they effect the majority of South Africans
- Our task is to provide inputs that can address these policies
- Recently, people have been wanting evidence based policy processes
- We are taught to value evidence, but we are socialised to believe in different kinds of knowledge
(science vs community vs belief). How do we filter these through policy makers?
- Lasswell saw political science as a field that should contribute to the bettering of society
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, - Every comprehensive system of reference to policy can be expanded beyond categories for
prescriptive outcomes to include as many coordinate outcomes as it is convenient to distinguish.
For instance, functional equivalents can be used for the following: intelligence, or votes to pass
on or block information, including plans; promotion, or commitments for or against party or
pressure group platforms resolutions; invocation, or a preliminary characterising of terms of
prescriptions; application, or the final characterisation criminal complaint is an invocation; an
administrative application); termination, or ending a prescription and aroused when the
prescription was in force (e.g., compensation plants); appraisal, or a declaration of success or
failure in realising and an imputation of responsibility
- A comprehensive policy model can be employed which any person, group, or structure is
involved in each of arena where it is situated (national, transnational,
Features of Lasswell’s science:
1. Problem orientation
2. Contextually
3. Use of multiple methods to obtain evidence
In SA, we have very good policies, but poor implementation
- Lasswell also refers to a cognitive map which is how society and policy processes work. A policy
scientist is someone who is in constant reflection. Ones mind has been framed by various
socialisations. Usually its about the existence of a rational process, but as a politics student one
should be aware that policy processes are influenced by far more than rationale.
- We cannot just say “corruption” as an explanation. Even though it effects policy, when we think
about corruption as the element of what went wrong, we’re showing an oversimplification of the
problem
- Lasswell says the policy scientists should be open to many methods. You need to choose what
is appropriate based on relevance.
- He characterised policy scientists as half man, half brain. These people are mediators and
integrators
- There seems to be a sense of concern for some academics about how some of their work will be
used
A distinctive outlook: Problem-oriented
Think of five components which it is convenient to distinguish in any problem-oriented undertaking:
1. The clarification of the goal
2. Orientation toward trend
3. Scientific
4. The projection of future possibilities and probabilities of value-institution change
5. Invention, evaluation, and selection of alternative objectives and strategies
The policy cycle approach
1. Agenda setting
• How government recognises a problem it will pay attention to
2. Policy formulation
• How are problem solving options put together, and who puts them together?
3. Decision making stage
• The choice on how to solve the problem
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