21 September

Public Policy

Models in Public Policy and Federalism:  Interrelationships & Tensions

Silos - Desserts - Fences  & Starbucks.  Hmmm?

Administrative Items for Class

PUBLIC POLICY 

WHY UNDERSTAND PUBLIC POLICY MODELS?        Scient. - Prof. - Polit.

SOME Contexts of Public Policy 

MODELS OF PUBLIC POLICY

  1. Systems Theory - Easton

  2. Normative &/or Empirical

  3. Institutionalism

  4. Process

  5. Rationalism - 'The Rational Actor"...and others...through to Game Theory

FEDERALISM

Multiple governments sharing power

Nearly 100,000 governments in America.   We discussed the types...

Historical Evolution:  The "yummy" gift of Morton Grodzins

Representational - states are protected ONLY through US House and Senate members NOT in the Constitution

Preemption - Supremacy Clause - Article VI - US Constitution

 

 

Why have so many governments anyway?     Culture/Tradition, Growth 

One Good Scientific Policy Analysis reason - 

Louis D. Brandeis - the 50 "Labs"

It is one of the happy incidents of the federal system, that a single courageous State may if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory, and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country. Louis Brandeis  - In New State Ice Co. v. Leibmann (1932),

National Government Champion? IGR - Intergovernmental Relations State Government Champion?

 

Tensions among governments:

Which government is "in charge, or has the final say?"

Can one level of government "make" another layer of government do something, or not do something? 

If no, why?  If yes, under what conditions?

Tools used

Legal - Constitution or Elections? Regulatory - Mandates - Total, Partial, Unfunded Fiscal  - SHOW ME THE MONEY! - Grants in Aid

HELPING TO UNDERSTAND POLICY CAPACITY

Three types of Federalism - TODAY

Allocational - public goods services

Developmental - econ enhancement

Redistributional - income transfer among groups

FOUR POLICY ISSUES

The Context

The Models to use in analysis

Outcomes - Scient - Prof. - Polit.

CELL PHONE POLICY

What evidence (data, information) could be used to begin an analysis using a specific type of public policy?

Example: Institutional - What gov't agency(ies) "make" cell phone policy

http://www.morganlee.org/safety.htm

http://www.aaafoundation.org/resources/index.cfm?button=cellphone

 
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS POLICY

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/images/98dis.gif

 What evidence (data, information) could be used to begin an analysis using a specific type of public policy?

Example: Institutional - What gov't agency(ies) "make" disaster preparedness policy - an agency's report can be the data to help with policy analysis.

http://www.globexplorer.com/disasterimages/index.shtml

 

BUT FIRST - A QUESTION:  WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DISASTER AND A CATASTROPHE?  HOW DOES THAT IMPACT THIS POLICY? 

What are some examples of disasters?

And what makes them catastrophes?

What information would help us understand this policy?  From where?

 Minimum Wage

http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm

ALASKA

 Future
Effective
Date		 Basic
Minimum Rate
(per hour)		 Premium Pay After
Designated Hours 2
Daily Weekly
$7.15 8 40
 

MISSISSIPPI

 Future
Effective
Date		 Basic
Minimum Rate
(per hour)		 Premium Pay After
Designated Hours 2
Daily Weekly
No state minimum wage law. N/A

http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/issueguides_minwage 

http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/datazone_fambud_budget 

1996 4.75 4.75
1997 5.15 5.03
1998 5.15 4.96
1999 5.15 4.85
2000 5.15 4.69
2001 5.15 4.56
2002 5.15 4.49
2003 5.15 4.39
2004 5.15 4.28
2005 5.15 4.14
2006 5.15 4.04

 

Source:  http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0774473.html 

Birth Control