PUBLIC POLICY

Public Policy

Public Policy

Introduction

The policy contains basic core position in relation to the strategies to be pursued by those fundamental values within a subsystem. This involves, for example, the priority of values such as economic development versus environmental protection. The policy also includes core assumptions about the magnitude of the problem and the effectiveness of various control instruments (e.g., market versus the state).

This paper analyzes the concept of two theories and their relation to public policies and public services. The two selected theories are Punctuated-Equilibrium theory and the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF).

Punctuated-Equilibrium Theory

Punctuated equilibrium is an empirical finding about the shape of the agenda change. In order to be a theory it would require a mechanism that explains its shape. We suggest that, in fact, there are several ways in which agenda change might include punctuations and the major original mechanism - positive feedback - will not necessarily be connected to the punctuations as empirically demonstrated in the literature. We thus dismiss punctuated equilibrium as a theory of policy change - Baumgartner and Jones specify mechanisms that would go under better names. We explain why the analogy to Eldredge and Gould's punctuated equilibrium model of evolution is not a good one to punctuated equilibrium in policy change.

The theory holds that conditions for large-scale change happen when:

An issue is defined differently or new dimensions of the issue get attention (typically a fundamental questioning of current approaches)

New actors get involved

The issue becomes more salient and receives heightened media and broader public attention.

The following underlying assumptions related to the policy challenges are involved in the punctuated equilibrium theory:

Government institutions typically maintain the status quo and have a “monopoly” over the way issues are defined and decisions are made.

Though institutions try to maintain their “monopoly,” the American political system of separation of powers and overlapping jurisdictions means there are many venues through which to pursue change.

People pay attention to only a few issues at a time, and large scale change is unlikely without more attention focused on an issue.

People typically become mobilized through redefinition of the prevailing policy issue or story, a narrative that should include both facts and emotional appeals.

Media can play an integral role by directing attention to different aspects of the same issue and shifting attention from one issue to another. However, media attention does not cause policy change directly—it typically precedes or follows the change.

Large-scale change typically involves creating or eliminating institutions (e.g., departments, agencies).

Gould and Eldredge provide a rival model of speciation to that in 'standard' Darwinian accounts of evolution. In the standard model, genes are naturally selected given their phenotypic vehicles success within the environment. Small changes in the gene's vehicles over long periods of time leads to the development of new species and the extinction of others. Gould and Eldredge argue that evolution is not as incremental as they take the standard Darwin argument to be. They argue that gaps in the fossil record do not merely mark missing records but that species evolve rapidly during certain phases ...