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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Study Chapter Summary ·
Public policy is a government plan of action
to solve a common social problem. Social problems may affect many citizens and
require government action because individuals, groups, businesses, or other
private actors either cannot handle these problems or have no incentive to
address them. ·
Public policy is generally one of three
types: redistributive, distributive, or regulatory. Redistributive policies
attempt to shift wealth, income, and other resources from the haves to the
have-nots. Distributive policies address particular needs of an identifiable
group, and the costs are shared among all taxpayers. Regulatory policies limit
the actions of a specific, targeted group. ·
Creating public policy involves many steps
(agenda setting, formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation) and a
multitude of groups (including Congress, the president, the courts, the
bureaucracy, special interests, and the public). ·
Social policies include government programs
that seek to provide economic security for people who cannot help themselves,
as well as other government assistance that improves the quality of life for
individuals. Social policies, including Social Security and social welfare, may
be redistributive or distributive, taking from the whole pool of resources to
help particular groups of citizens. ·
Environmental policy is a regulatory policy
that often leads to debates on balancing the protection of the environment with
the protection of business. Learning Objectives
After
reading this chapter, you should understand ·
what policy is, who makes it, and how it is
made ·
social policy, focusing primarily on the
issues of welfare, Social Security, and health care ·
environmental policy, examining the history
of environmental programs in the United States and their effect on the
environment today ·
the responsiveness of public policy to
citizens' wishes |
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