POL 358POL 358Week 2Week 2

Public Policy and the Public Policy and the EnvironmentEnvironment

Issues and PerspectivesIssues and Perspectives

Today’s lectureToday’s lecture

Overview of public policyOverview of public policy The 5 WsThe 5 Ws

Environmental policy making and Environmental policy making and assessment.assessment. New issues and trendsNew issues and trends

Public Policy DefinitionPublic Policy Definition

“ A course of action or inaction chosen by public authorities to address a given problem (or opportunity) or set of interrelated problems.” (Pal, Ch 1)

Q: Key policy issues for Canada?

Public Policy RationalePublic Policy Rationale

Public policies provide guidance for governments and accountability to citizens.

Demonstrate intent and provide a way to measure effectiveness of government.

Counter market/social failures and problems (PE debate).

Reduce the number of ad-hoc/haphazard decisions. Take actions in the ‘public interest’ (contested).

Public PolicyPublic Policy

Ways to studyWays to study The processThe process The outcomes (evaluation)The outcomes (evaluation) The actorsThe actors The issuesThe issues

Normative vs positive policy analysisNormative vs positive policy analysis Rational/linear/deductive vs Rational/linear/deductive vs

complex/contextual/inductivecomplex/contextual/inductive

Levels of policy/ policy Levels of policy/ policy analysisanalysis

Local/MunicipalLocal/Municipal ProvincialProvincial NationalNational InternationalInternational

Public PolicyPublic Policy

Who makes public policy?Who makes public policy? Policy communities/networksPolicy communities/networks BureaucratsBureaucrats CourtsCourts Elected officialsElected officials Domestic/international actorsDomestic/international actors The public, civil society, NGOsThe public, civil society, NGOs

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Agenda-settingAgenda-setting

““Out of the set of all conceivable Out of the set of all conceivable subjects or problems to which subjects or problems to which officials could be paying attention, officials could be paying attention, they do in fact seriously attend to they do in fact seriously attend to some rather than others. So the some rather than others. So the agenda-setting process narrows this agenda-setting process narrows this set of conceivable subjects to the set set of conceivable subjects to the set that actually becomes the focus of that actually becomes the focus of attention.” (Kingdon, 1984: 3-4)attention.” (Kingdon, 1984: 3-4)

Problem/Issue DefinitionProblem/Issue Definition

All problem definitions have a causal character.

In the story of what the problem is we have ideas about why we got there.

Shaped by values, by philosophies, ideologies. Not just a matter of ‘simple’ problem

identification and efficient solving.

Types of Reasoning (Pal Types of Reasoning (Pal p.17)p.17)

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Science and PolicyScience and Policy

The difficulty with ‘facts’ and ‘experts’- The difficulty with ‘facts’ and ‘experts’- whose experts?.whose experts?.

Tension between bureaucracy and Tension between bureaucracy and scientists.scientists.

Diversity of opinions between scientists.Diversity of opinions between scientists. Trust, uncertainty and authority (black Trust, uncertainty and authority (black

box).box). Principle-agent problems.Principle-agent problems. Rent-seeking behaviour.Rent-seeking behaviour.

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Considerations for toolsConsiderations for tools

What tools exist; What is acceptable (culturally, financially,

NAFTA, separation of powers); What is feasible; and What you think will work.

Policy EvaluationPolicy Evaluation Criteria for evaluation and problem Criteria for evaluation and problem

definition are very important. definition are very important. Consistency is a real issue- internal, vertical,

horizontal. Common tools of measurementCommon tools of measurement

Quantitative/QualitativeQuantitative/Qualitative GDP growthGDP growth Job creation/Employment figuresJob creation/Employment figures

Good policy analysis is:Good policy analysis is: Self critical/aware of bias.Self critical/aware of bias. Systematic.Systematic.

Trends affecting Public Trends affecting Public Policy Policy

Globalization of the economy and of trade.Globalization of the economy and of trade. Internationalization of environmental and Internationalization of environmental and

nature protection.nature protection. Privatization and a changing understanding Privatization and a changing understanding

of the role of the state.of the role of the state. Participation of stakeholders and the Participation of stakeholders and the

public.public. Influence of non-governmental Influence of non-governmental

organizations in public decisions.organizations in public decisions. Diversification of society’s demand for Diversification of society’s demand for

goods and services.goods and services.

Environmental PolicyEnvironmental Policy

Problem definition - what’s the issue?Problem definition - what’s the issue? Security, health, economic, social, moral.Security, health, economic, social, moral.

Policy communities/actorsPolicy communities/actors Jurisdictional issuesJurisdictional issues Policy analysis tools (old and new)Policy analysis tools (old and new) ChallengesChallenges

Interdisciplinarity (Howlett)Interdisciplinarity (Howlett) Intertemporality (Fuji-Johnson)Intertemporality (Fuji-Johnson) Uncertainty (Beck)Uncertainty (Beck)

SummarySummary

Ethical rationale for environmental Ethical rationale for environmental policy:policy:

Enlightened self-interest.Enlightened self-interest. Obligation as a member of community.Obligation as a member of community.

Public policyPublic policy Study of what governments do, andStudy of what governments do, and The ideas which inform the ‘possible’ and The ideas which inform the ‘possible’ and

define the issues.define the issues. QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?