Steps for Making Public Policies

Public policy-making is the principal job of elected officials

Each step in the making of public policy at any level of government and in any country is time-consuming, complicated and sometimes controversial. Policies tend to fall primarily into one of three overlapping categories: foreign, social or economic. They typically result from a five step process. The steps are identification of a problem, formulation of policy alternatives, adoption of a policy, implementation of the policy and evaluation of the policy.

Instructions

1. Identify a problem that needs improvement or a solution. How you frame the problem has a significant impact on the alternatives proposed and the eventual outcome of the adopted policy. If you think people are poor because they are lazy and irresponsible, you probably will devise different remedies than people who believe that social forces rather than the actions of individuals are the primary cause.

   Problem identification works best when based on evidence rather then untested belief. However, evidence is also subject to the beliefs of individuals and groups. While many climatologists believe that evidence supports the idea that the earth's climate is rising because of man-made factors, some people do not accept their data as fact and reject their conclusions. Some parents refuse to vaccinate their children against common childhood diseases because they believe vaccines are not safe.

   Reaching consensus on the problem is a precondition of effective policy-making.

2. Develop alternative solutions that can improve or solve the problem. How you describe a solution often impacts a willingness to adopt it. You may not think it fair if a business locates in your city with the agreement that it pay no tax for ten years. If you learn that the business will hire so many unemployed workers that their taxes will more than equal the amount the business would have paid, you may decide it is fair.

3. Adopt an alternative or combination of alternatives. Many public policies are compromises that different groups affected by the policies agree to. People in wheelchairs need curb cut ramps at street corners so they can cross without difficulty. Blind persons need a curb to locate with their canes where the sidewalks begin. The policy in every place with curb cuts is to start with about a one inch lip to make a smooth transition for wheelchairs and still allow blind persons to identify the beginning of a sidewalk.

4. Implement the adopted policy. People must know what the policy is and understand it for it to work effectively on the problem it addresses. Allow a time after the policy begins without enforcement so everyone has a chance to learn about it. The writing of regulations or time to gear up the necessary equipment or personnel may delay implementation for a longer period.

   Policies that affect the public but do not involve them directly often start immediately. A delay in screening blood for contaminants may cause illness or death.

5. Evaluate the effect of the policy on the problem it addresses and on the people who are affected by it. Policies sometimes have unintended consequences in addressing the original problems for which they were adopted. Modify or remove policies that have negative or ineffective outcomes.

References

• University of Kentucky: Public policy making in America

Resources

• Municipal Research Services Center: Local government policy-making process