session 2 by REZA

1. American Public Policy:
Promise and Performance
- B. Guy Peters
Presented by:
mohammad REZAul Karim

2. Issues to be discussed
Defining Public Policy
Instruments of Public Policy
- Law, Services, Money, tax, Other
Economic Instruments. Suasion
Effects of Tools
The Environment of Public Policy
- Conservatism, Participation, Pragmatism,
Wealth, Diversity, World Leadership

3. What is Public Policy ?
Public Policy is the sum of government
activities, whether pursued directly or
through agents, as those have influence
on the lives of citizens.
-Guy, Peters B. 2007, pp13
Public Policy is whatever governments
choose to do or not do.
-Dye, Thomas R. 2008, pp1

4. Three levels of
American Public Policy
Public Choices
Policy Outputs
Policy Impacts

5. Some aspects of
American Public Policy
Different levels of governments often
experience conflicts over policy. For
example, role the US department of
Agriculture and the Office of Surgeon
General regarding tobacco contradicts.
Government policies are also implemented
by private or individuals.
A number of steps is required to put the
legislation into an operating program to see
the effects of policies

6. Instruments of Public Policy
A number of government
mechanism for implementing Public
Policy
Have effects on socio-economic
conditions of citizens
Effectiveness depends on the
circumstances

7. Law
Easy to issue for compliance but
monitoring and enforcement are still
crucial
Laws are used as the means of producing
government outputs, rights. ….
The US uses laws to regulate economic
and social conditions.
Laws can be used as benefits as well as
burdens

8. Features of Service
Education service is the largest one of all
public services directly provided to the
citizens.
pressure to control expenditure and to
privatize.
Contracting out
Use of quasi-government organizations
The George W. Bush Administration has
pushed to use not-profit organization

9. Money
Approximately 74% tax money is returned to
public for social security, unemployment
benefits
 Categorical grants channel resources are
directly to problem identified by the federal
government
The federal government has less control over
the block grants which allows greater
autonomy for state and local government to
determine their own priorities

10. Tax
• Tax holes or tax expenditure
(granting tax relief for an activity is the same as
subsidizing that actively directly through an
expenditure program)
For example, in 1999 the federal government
did not collect &54.5 billion in income
payments because of mortgage interest
deduction.
• Taxes are used more directly to implement
policy decisions.

11. Other Economic Instruments
Credits activities of purchasing land and
supplies
Guarantee loans for students loans
Government insure certain activities
such as federal food insurance made
possible the development of some lands
along with coasts of the United States

12. Suasion
It is used when all instruments fail
It is an effective instrument because
people believe government is legitimately
doing for their interests
Suasion declines when government loses
legitimacy for Vietnam, Watergate, the
savings-and-loan crisis, Iran contra but
reverse in war on terror

13. The Effects of Tools
Influence the economy and society
Government confer the rights of
citizens
Governments distribute goods and
services
Government distribute burdens and
benefits

14. The Environment of PP: Conservatism
• Social and economic services are less
developed than those in Europe.
• The government of the US regulates and
controls the economy, such as consumer
product safety
• But it gives the opposite picture regarding
the defense expenditure.
• ‘ideological conservatives’ and operational
liberals

15. Participation
• People’s desire to participate in
government
• No taxation without representation
• Effective participation is difficult
• Government fosters participation
• Citizens tend to demand local control and
regard federal government as less
benevolent

16. Pragmatism
Policies in the US tend to change
slowly and incrementally
The pragmatism seems to be
declining
( abortion issue, or issue of religious
or ethnic basis)

17. Wealth
• Great wealth of the country
• Federal government provides huge
funding for programs
• The US economy depends on the rest of
the world
• Wealth is threatened by the capital
investment and slow productivity

18. Diversity
Diverse economy
Uneven distribution of wealth between
Rich and poor
Racial and linguistic diversity affects
public policy
Socio-economic characteristics are also
diverse

19. World Leadership
Economic, political and military world
leader
Huge impact on world economy and
politics
This position creates burden on policy
makers
This issue makes the policy large and
extremely complex

20. Conclusion
American policy emerges through
complex interaction among various
organizations
This process involves a wide range of
values and ideas
Public policy is also affected by the
complex society and diverse economy
Involvement of public sectors is
increasing

21. Any question?

22. Thank you very much
for you kind attention

23. American Public Policy
Taken by Politicians, Civil
servants, government
Step 1
Policy Choices- authority, Congressmen,
Decisions President, governor,
administration, pressure
groups
Policy outputs-
Step 2 Programs being put into
Policy choices action
putting into action
Policy impacts-
Impacts on lives of citizens
Step 3 Impact of choices &
outputs

24. Expenditure in Defense
194 195 199
8 7 9
Total public 37 8%
expenditure 29 %
%
Expenditure in Social Services
Federal health, social welfare, housing)
(Education, 36 62 14
expenditure % 194 199
% %
8 9

25. Poverty in California