The document discusses the rational model of public policymaking. It describes the rational model as a scientific, problem-solving process that involves identifying issues, analyzing options based on research, and recommending evidence-based solutions. However, in practice public policymaking is often messier due to competing interests, ideas, and political power. The document also introduces the concept of bounded rationality, which recognizes that decision makers have limited information, mental capacity, and time, so it is impossible to rationally consider all factors in policy decisions.

1. Public policy

2. the rational model of public policy
making??
 Public Policy-making (often called policy
planning) is often seen to be a rather
scientific or rational process. the process of
public policy-making involves a more shift
from problem identification to analysis of
options based on knowledge and research
to recommended policy solutions.
 strict rationality may be difficult to achieve
in practice, it is nevertheless seen as an
ideal to be aimed at. Policy is, in this view,
very much a task for “experts”.

3.  All possible options or approaches to
solving the problem are identified and the
costs and benefits of each option .The
option that promises to yield the greatest
net benefit is selected. The main problem
with rational-public policy approaches is
that it is often very costly in terms of time
and other resources that must be devoted
to gathering the relevant information.

4.  However, in practice, the policy process is
often much more messy. It is much more
about competing interests, competing
ideas and power. Not only are policy
solutions open to debate, but basic
questions like deciding on policy
objectives often cause conflict..

5.  Public Policy-Making:
 Implementation
Change
Termination
 Evaluation

6.  Definition:
 Bounded rationality recognizes that it is impossible to
sense and analyze all of the potentially relevant
information in making choices.
 The only possible way of coping with the complexity
of the world is to be more developed.
 In decision-making, rationality of individuals is
limited.
Bounded Rationality

7. Concept that decision makers have to
work under three unavoidable
constraints:
 1- only limited, often unreliable,
information is available.
 2- human mind has only limited capacity.
 3- only a limited amount of time is
available to make a decision.

8.  The point of bounded rationality is not
that people might decide differently if they
had more or different information, or
differently with different items in the
utility function. Rather it is that they can't
process all the information even if they
had it