Policy Making
4 chapters,
100 pages,
14 slides,
You’re Welcome….
Setting The Agenda
The Political Agenda:
“What are we going to make policy about?”
What are legitimate issues to put on the
agenda? Based on:
• Shared political values
• Custom and tradition
• Impact of events
Scope of Government Action
• What is legitimate?
–Always gets larger
• General belief that government
should continue to do what “it
always” has done
• Events change our perception
What Prompts Change?
• Groups
– Organized or disorganized
– “Relative deprivation”: Worse than you expect
– Can change values and beliefs of others
• Institutions
– Courts
– Bureaucracy
– Senate
• Media
– Power of Agenda Setting (Gatekeeper)
• The States
Decision Making
• Now that something is on the agenda how is the
decision made?
– Determined by nature of the issue
• Impacts groups that become politically active
• Affects intensity of conflict
• Best viewed through Cost/Benefit Analysis
– Cost: Any burden that people must bear (or expect to
bear) from the policy
– Benefit: Any satisfaction that people must receive (or
expect to receive) from the policy
– Viewed through perception and legitimacy (should
that group benefit?)
Types of Politics
• Majoritarian Politics
– Distributed Benefits (large numbers)
– Distributed Costs (large numbers)
– Appeals to large group of voters
– Examples
• Military
• “Obamacare”
Types of Politics
• Interest Group Politics
–Concentrated benefits (small number)
–Concentrated costs (small numbers)
–Debate between interest groups with
minimal public involvement
–Example
• Labor Unions v. Businesses
Types of Politics
• Client Politics
– Concentrated Benefits (small numbers)
– Distributed Costs (large numbers)
– Called “client” politics because those that benefit
are getting policies that serve their needs
– Examples
• Farm Subsidies
• Welfare
Types of Politics
• Entrepreneurial Politics
– Distributed Benefits (large numbers)
– Concentrated Costs (small numbers)
– Success dependent on…
• A policy entepreneur who works on behalf of
unorganized majority OR
• Large number of voters or legislators become frustrated
with another’s benefits
– Examples
• Seat belts in all cars
• Superfund for environmental clean up
Types of Politics
Distributed Benefits
Concentrated Benefits
Distributed Costs
Majoritarian
Client
Concentrated Costs
Entrepreneurial
Interest Group
Social Welfare in the United States
• Four Factors make us unique
– Restrictive view on who is entitled to
government assistance
– Slower than other nations to embrace
welfare
– Large role for states and private institutions
– Nongovernmental agencies play a role
Two Kinds of Social Welfare
• Majoritarian
– Social Security
– Medicare
• Client Politics
– Medicaid
– Food Stamps
– “Means Tested”
– Legitimacy
Social Welfare
• Entitlements
– Programs that legally guarantee benefits to people
who meet certain criteria
– Examples
• Social Security
• Medicare
• Medicaid
• Issue
– Hard to reform because benefits are “guaranteed” yet
make up over 40% of federal budget (impacts budget
process)
War Powers Act
• Provisions
– President can commit troops to hostile situations
but must report to Congress within 48 hours
– Initial commitment is 60 days and Congress can
extend (they always have)