Philosophy and Elements of the Policy Approach

Policies may simply be defined as the guidelines that govern the desired way of life of a group of people, and as a result they are often designed around the norms and values of a society. A policy is a plan of action designed to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes; they may apply to government, private sector organizations and groups, as well as individuals. Jenkins defines policies as “a set of interrelated decisions taken by a political actor or group of actors concerning the selection of goals and the means of achieving them within a specified situation where those decisions should, in principle, be within the power of those actors to achieve.” (Jenkins, 1978, pp.5). Jenkins stresses the point that policy is more than a single definition. The study and analysis of policies must take into consideration the process involved in making critical decisions, identification of alternative courses of action, and ultimately, choosing the best courses of action on the basis of the impact it will have.

Policies may be understood as political, management, financial and administrative mechanisms arranged to reach explicit goals. The term “public policy” in particular, refers to the general principles by which a government is guided in its management of public affairs. Miyakawa argues that “if a definition of public policy is to indicate the essential characteristics of public policy, it must distinguish between what governments choose to do and what in fact they actually do.” (Miyakawa, 2000, pp.10). Public policies refer to the actions of government and the intentions that determine those actions. Peters defines it as “the sum of government activities, whether acting directly or through agents,

as it has an influence on the life of citizens.” (Peters, 2003, pp.6). “The public policy process refers to all the mechanisms through which decision making and the implementation of public policy are made in our society. It is a process in the sense that

Bibliography: 1. Jenkins, W. Policy Analysis: A Political & Organizational Perspective. Palgrave Macmillan Press, 1978. 2. Peters, B. G. Handbook of Public Administration. Sage Publication Ltd. London, 2003. 3. Rainwater, L. Social Problems & Public Policy: Deviance & Liberty. Aldine Publishing Company, Chicago, 1974. 4. Miyakawa, T. The Science of Public Policy: Essential Reading in Policy Science. Routledge Press, New York, 2000. 5. DeLeon P. Democracy & the Policy Sciences. State University of New York Press, U.S.A., 1997. 6. Sidney, M.S., Fischer, F. & Miller, G. Handbook of Public Policy Analysis: Theory, Politics & Methods. CRC Press, 2007. 7. Brunner, G. D. & DeLeon, P. The Foundation of Policy Analysis. Brook/Cole Press, 1983. 8. Brunner, R. D. Seminar on the Introduction to the Policy Sciences. University of Colorado, 2006. 9. http://www-personal.umich.edu/~alandear/glossary/p.html. 10. http://www.policysciences.org/