PP - Public Policy Module Overview

Public Policy: Issues & Implementation

Introduction

Public Policy: the means by which a government maintains order or addresses the needs of its citizens Policymaking is the result of questions asked by citizens of their government. Should we have nationalized healthcare? Should state-run agencies be owned by the private sector or the public sector? Should we change our currency? Policies are set through the legislative vote, executive decision, judicial ruling, or a combination of the three. For governments, issues surrounding policy making include economic performance, social welfare, civil liberties, rights and freedoms, and the environment. Should the government take a big interest in protecting the environment? What is the government's responsibility toward social welfare? How is our economy affected by international imports and exports? How do we know what civil liberties will be preserved? These and other questions are answered by governments through policymaking. Policies are set by institutions within a government, through a legislative vote, executive decision, or judicial ruling. Policy concerns are broad and differ from country to country. In this unit, we will comparatively look at domestic and global policy matters. In addition, we will discuss how policymaking is influenced by political institutions, shifts, and changes in policy requirements, and global pressures put forth on policy makers in both developed and developing countries. Make sure to read the chapters in your e-text that deal with Public Policy. 

 

Module Key Terms

Before you begin your studies, make certain you are familiar with the vocabulary. 

  • Economic Performance - the economic functioning of a country as measured by GDP, GNP, GNP per capita, and PPP.
  • Gender - socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.
  • Discrimination - The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, esp. on the grounds of race, age, or sex.
  • Feminization of poverty - the idea that in which women represent disproportionate percentages of the world's poor.
  • Gini Index - The extent to which the distribution of income among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution.
  • Human Development Index - a comparative measure of life expectancy, literacy, education and standards of living for countries worldwide.
  • GNP per capita - Divides the GNP by the population of the country
  • Cycle of poverty - set of factors or events by which poverty, once started, is likely to continue unless there is outside intervention
  • Domestic Policy - also known as public policy, presents decisions, laws, and programs made by the government, which are directly related to issues in the country.
  • International Policy - Strategies and decisions made by a country based on international needs.

Now that you have reviewed the module key terms, you are ready to complete the Public Policy Key Terms Activity below. 

 

 

At the end of this unit, you should be able to answer these essential questions:

  • What factors influence domestic and global policymaking in the six countries, as well as comparatively?
  • How does economic performance drive policy within a country?
  • What is gender discrimination and how is it addressed in the six core countries?
  • What policies are in place to address poverty in the six core countries?
  • How do the six core countries respond to environmental issues?

 

Module Lessons Preview

In this module, we will study the following topics:

Economic And Social Welfare Policy: What determines the policies that are set relating to the economy of a given country? Discover ways to measure the economy and how those may be used to address citizens' social welfare needs such as access to healthcare, employment, and education.

Gender and Environmental Policy: Explore issues related to gender equality and protecting the environment while evaluating how each of the 6 nations addresses these topics.

Public Policy Making and Implementation: Who and what influences Public Policy? What steps go into implementing policies that affect all citizens? How does all of that impact policy outcomes? Learn more in this lesson.

 

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