Theories and Models of Public Policy Essay

Public policy is a guide of the administrative steps that are taken when addressing issues affecting the public in line with existing laws. To this end, there may be different forms that will be preferred depending on the subjects and what is working best for them. The primary basis of public policy is adhering to the laid down laws and regulations. The objective of this exercise is to solve problems using the most efficient and effective modes possible. This paper looks at and compares and contrasts the different theories or models of public policy.

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The neo-utilitarian model is associated with the idea of a having a market that is completely liberal. There is little interference from the government, and the individuals work on the basis that they are transacting from a level of equality and wit freedom for their activities (Anyebe, 2018). There is an understanding that even though they are free to make their own choices, they are ready to face the consequences of the same. An example is the voting process where the citizens will have decided the mode that they will use and go for it in selecting their leaders or going for one idea over the others. It needs to be noted that the individuals in this model cannot protect themselves but rather have to rely on the mechanisms put in place by the state, but it does not make decisions for them.

The pluralist model comes in to address the concerns of the neo-utilitarian model while retaining most of its structure. This comes to curtail the individual freedom and the independence that they enjoy from the authority of the state. With this model, Vertical News Correspondents (2015) assert that individuals are put concerning groups on the understanding that they are in need of socialization. These groups are the ones that are going to provide some balancing to the authority that could have been provided by the state. Hence each group will be in charge of controlling their members, and they will also moderate their demands at reasonable levels. An example here is individuals belonging to a welfare group or cooperative society which has its set of rules to govern their conduct while taking care of their interests. They are therefore in a position to negotiate with the state as a group or push for their interests within other larger groups.

The etatist model has standards that are used to not only judge but control the inputs into the public process and therefore the desired output. The system has in place a substantive criterion to control the inputs and outputs that is independent of influence from the political processes to take care of all the interests of members irrespective of their numbers within the group (Orazio & Weber, 2010). A business may have its goals of getting the highest profits and lowering their production costs irrespective of the damage that it may cause to other individuals who are not part of the system. For example, a factory may pollute their environment while carrying out its production processes to the detriment of the ones concerned about the environs. With this model, there will be regulations calling for it to clean up their emissions or alter their production processes at an additional cost for the sake of stemming the pollution to the environment. It is essential to look for means of curtailing the perceived powerful individuals or institutions from domineering over others.

The institutionalist model comes in with the understanding that groups may not have the interests of the common good of everyone. There is also some biases in the formation of groups as there is a likelihood that people with similar interests which do not conform to those of others will have been brought together. Anyebe (2018) observes that their interests and manipulations may distort the objectives of the state in taking care of the interests of the majority which is likely to represent an imbalance in their needs. Proponents of this model are concerned with substantive controls just like the elitist model but refrain from defining what is good and instead opt for a universal guide to policymaking. It strives to provide institutionalized procedures that will be used in defining and representing and taking care of individual demands and values. This prevents bias that is associated with interest groups that may have presented their interests to the detriment of nonmembers or the ones belonging to smaller groups (Orazio & Weber, 2010). An example is in the formulation of schools syllabi which take care of the varied interests of the cosmopolitan nature of all the citizens irrespective of their numbers.

Conclusion

Coming up with a balanced policy system model is a progressive process as it has been established above. The simpler it is, the more prone it is to errors and manipulation and hence non-inclusive of the individual interests. This not only leads to a system where the individuals feel is non-inclusive but one that becomes a source of conflict. The models above have some similarity with systems of controls being introduced as one progresses to improve on the weaknesses of the former.

References

Anyebe, A. A. (2018). An Overview of Approaches to the Study of Public Policy. E-bangi Journal, 13(1), 1-14.

Orazio, A. P., & Weber, G. (2010). Consumption and Saving: Models of Intertemporal Allocation and Their Implication for Public Policy. Journal of Economic Literature, 48(3).

Vertical News Correspondents. (2015). Theories and Models of Public Policy Paper. Toyonaka: Osaka University.