Description
Assignment: Application: Public Policy Tools and Practices
In this week’s Discussion, you analyzed leadership as a tool for implementing public policy. For this Assignment, you are asked to review a case study that presents a general challenge to implementing public policy. As a student of public policy, you should weigh which tools and practices may be most useful in addressing challenges related to the implementation of public policy. Before you begin the Assignment, think about which tools of democracy you might use as a policy maker in the implementation of public policy in general.
Policy makers may use a variety of means to help them implement public policy. Regulations, tax incentives, grants, and public-private partnerships are a few examples of tools and practices of democratic governance. Ideally, the tools selected for policy implementation are well suited for the task, but this is not always the case. Unfortunately, many public endeavors fail not because of bad policy but because of poor choice and implementation of tools and practices. The success or failure of public policy may depend greatly on the tools selected for implementation. Tools and practices that may be well suited for implementation in one policy area may lead to failure in another. Therefore, it is important that tools and practices are wisely chosen and appropriate for the policy area at hand.
To prepare for this Assignment:
- Review the “Case Study: The Winds of Change” document (located in this week’s Learning Resources) and think about the challenges encountered in the scenario.
- Select the tools and/or practices that you think might be effective in implementing the policy change presented in the case study.
- Consider the strengths and limitations of the tools and practices you selected.
- Reflect on whether tools and practices of democracy are effective in implementing public policy.
The Assignment (2–3 pages):
- Briefly describe each of the tools and/or practices you selected for the Assignment.
- Explain why you think each might be effective in implementing the policy change presented in the case study.
- Evaluate the tools and/or practices you selected in terms of their strengths and limitations.
- Based on your evaluation, draw at least one conclusion about the effectiveness of tools and/or practices of democracy in implementing public policy.
Support your Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are asked to provide a reference list only for those resources not included in the Learning Resources for this course.
The resources
Blair, R. (2001). Managing urban growth: Can the policy tools approach improve effectiveness? Public Works Management and Policy, 6(2), 102–113.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Boin, A., & Christensen, T. (2008). The development of public institutions: Reconsidering the role of leadership. Administration and Society, 40(3), 271–297.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Sandfort, J., Selden, S. C., & Sowa, J. E. (2008). Do government tools influence organizational performance? Examining their implementation in early childhood education. The American Review of Public Administration, 38(4), 412–438.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Schneider, A., & Ingram, H. (1990). Behavioral assumptions of policy tools. Journal of Politics, 52(2), 510–529.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Haberman, F. W. (Ed). (1972). Martin Luther King Jr.: Biography. In Nobel lectures. Amsterdam: Elsevier. Retrieved June 2, 2014, from http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laure…
The Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies. (2003). Policy tools and government performance. Retrieved from http://ccss.jhu.edu/publications-findings?did=242
May, P. (n.d.). Social regulation workbook. Retrieved from http://ccss.jhu.edu/publications-findings?did=61
The White House. (n.d.a). Abraham Lincoln. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/abraham…
The White House. (n.d.b). Franklin D. Roosevelt. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/frankli…
The White House. (n.d.c). George Washington. Retrieved https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/georgew…
Document: Case Study: The Winds of Change (PDF)
Required Media
Laureate Education (Producer). (2014g). Tools of democracy [Audio file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
In this media piece, a subject-matter expert discusses what leadership looks like in public policy and considers effective leadership principles and practices in public policy.
Optional Resources
Prewitt, K. (1965). Political socialization and leadership selection. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 361(1), 96–105.
The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science by Prewitt, K., in the ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 361(1). Copyright 1965 by Sage Publications Inc. Journals. Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Inc. Journals via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Wiatr, J. J. (1988). Introduction: Political leadership from a comparative perspective. International Political Science Review, 9(2), 91–94.
Introduction: Political leadership from a comparative perspective by Wiatr, J. J., in International Political Science Review, 9(2). Copyright 1988 by Sage Publications Inc. Journals. Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Inc. Journals via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Biography.com. (2007). Mary Harris Jones biography. Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/mother-jones-93574…
Background
Many scholars view the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring as the
beginning of the environmental movement. Concerns over air quality, safe
drinking water, climate change, and scores of other issues related to
environmental health and safety have been constant issues on the public agenda
for many years. The public policy solution for some of these problems comes in
the form of federal regulatory measures. Fines and sanctions often are used to
punish those who do not comply with the regulations. Environmental regulations
often come under heavy criticism. Early criticisms of environmental regulations
frequently came from the political right in the form of free market advocates who
viewed regulation as an illegitimate intrusion of government into the economy. In
more recent times, various segments of the political spectrum have shown
interest in using non-regulatory means for improving environmental quality.
Situation
Senator George T. McClure served on the U.S. Senate Committee on
Environment and Public Works since its inception in 1977. For more than twenty
years, Senator McClure also served as chair of the committee when his party
controlled the Senate and as the ranking minority member when his party was
not in control. Senator McClure retired from the Senate in 2008. His longtime
friend and political ally James J. Envigood assumed the chairmanship of the
committee upon McClure’s retirement.
Senator McClure was a skillful legislator who knew the ways of the Senate and
was very adept at stopping legislation and moving it forward. Bills coming out of
McClure’s committee usually were passed by the Senate with few amendments.
Although McClure was a skillful legislator, he was not always the most
knowledgeable person in terms of public policy. McClure depended on Envigood
to be his policy expert on the committee. McClure was fond of saying that an
environmental matter that Envigood did not know about was not worth knowing.
One of Envigood’s first actions as chair was to ask John Bury, the committee’s
chief of staff, to provide him with a document outlining several nonregulatory
ways to implement environmental protection policy. Bury was a holdover from the
McClure regime and did not get along with Envigood. Bury thought that Envigood
was a know-it-all and, unlike his old boss, naive in the ways of the Senate. Bury
also thought that because of his strong relationship with McClure, Envigood
would never fire him. Bury dismissed McClure’s assignment because he did not
think it was worth his time or effort. After a few heated exchanges with Envigood,
Bury resigned his position and formed his own consulting firm. Word of Bury’s
problems with Senator Envigood spread throughout Washington and it was
difficult for him to attract clients to his firm. Several times Bury was heard saying
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that he wished he had his old job back. Bury finally contacted George McClure
and asked him to speak with Senator Envigood on his behalf.
McClure was able to convince Envigood to rehire Bury. Bury was hired as a
senior staff member but not as chief of staff. His first assignment was to write a
document outlining several non-regulatory ways to implement environmental
protection legislation. This time around, Bury was determined to do an excellent
job and prove his worth to Envigood.
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