1. What Is Public Policy? Why Study It?
Public Policy:
Definitions
2. Public Policy: Definitions
Public policy is the
authoritative allocation
of values for the whole
society (D. Easton;1953)
Public policy is a
purposive course of
action followed by
government in dealing
with some topic or
mater of public concern
(J. E. Anderson , 1975)
4. Public Policy: Definitions
Public policy consists
of political decisions for
implementing programs
to achieve societal
goals (C. L. Chochran
& E. F. Malone, 1995)
Public policy is also a
study of who get what,
when and how
5. What Is Public Policy? Why Study It?
Why Study Public
Policy
6. Why Study Public Policy
To Make Personal Decisions
It is important to know
the decisions which
effect our lives? For
example,
7. Why Study Public Policy
• The decisions of federal
government of Pakistan
• Provide loans to
students?
• Encourages private
sector investment in
higher education?
• Enforces standards for
education?
• Allows banks to provide
car financing?
• Shuts down restaurants
which sell adulterated
food?
8. Why Study Public Policy
To Make Personal Decisions
We can make decisions
about personal lives by
knowing public policies. For
example,
Access loan to open a
business
Prepare to secure admission in
educational institutions
9. Why Study Public Policy
To Understand Public Action
It is important to know why
government makes particular
decisions?
It helps us know the causes of
government action.
Sometimes governments
adopt policies
• To solve problems
• To resist social pressure
• To meet international
requirements
• To secure legitimacy deficits
• To secure political mileage
• To penetrate society
10. Why Study Public Policy
To Understand Public Action
Policy is an exercise in
problem solving; but
governments don’t solve all
social problems
Sometimes government prefer
not to do anything about some
problems
• It is important to know why
governments prefer not to act
11. Why Study Public Policy
To Know Who Benefits
It is important to know who
benefits from a particular
public policy?
The benefits of public policies
may not be distributed
equitably. For example, some
policies, such as
• privatization of higher
education benefit rich people
• English-medium school give
advantage to their students in
finding jobs and opportunities
of foreign study
• the consumer financing have
benefitted banks, motor car
entrepreneurs, and related
businesses
12. Why Study Public Policy
To Know Who Benefits
The “losers” or “excluded”
sections may become
dissatisfied, which can
• contribute to instability or
conflict
13. Why Study Public Policy
To Improve Governance
The states and societies
across the world are becoming
complex, highly complex
It is difficult for the governments
to ‘govern’ alone
Governance can only be
improved with partnerships
between state and non-state
actors
Governments across the world
seek citizen participation in
decision making
• Citizen participation improve
public policy making and its
implementation
15. Summarizing
General Reasons:
To be informed
Scientific/Academic
Reasons:
To build general knowledge of
policy process, policy change,
etc
Professional Reasons:
Policy analysts inside and
outside of government
• Political and Social Reasons:
To seek ways to achieve
political mileage; Policy
advocacy for policy changes