1. Define the concept of production, bargaining, and opportunism costs. Please provide an example of each concept to illustrate your understanding of the concepts. Your response should be at least 200 words in length. You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for your response. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. 2. Define and describe field research and document research. Make sure to outline the advantages and disadvantages of both methods of gathering data. Your response should be at least 200 words in length. You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for your response. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. 3. Unit VII Essay Unit VII examined organizational boundaries and information gathering in regards to public policy analysis. For this assignment you are asked to examine the concept of assessing and building public agency capacity. First you will need to locate a public-private partnership in your community (ATLANTA) or state (GEORGIA) . Once you have researched the public-private partnership, you will want to describe the P3 and provide an overview of the process used to consider the partnership. Finally, you will want to discuss your own personal observations of the P3 and reflect on your findings. Provide an overview on public-private partnerships. Define public-private partnerships and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. Research and describe the public-private partnership which you are examining. Provide an overview of the process used to consider the partnership. Defend your personal observations and reflect on your viewpoint. Your assignment must: Be a minimum of 600 words. Be typed, double-spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment (Public-Private Partnerships Essay), the students name, the professors name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. 4. Imagine you are the mayor in a small community in a developing country. A company is seeking a contract that would give itself rights of way for installing cables to provide TV and modern services within the community. In your opinion, what process/steps would you take to assess this proposal? APPROX 100 WORDS Written Lecture In Unit VII we will look at the concepts of production costs, bargaining costs, and opportunism costs. In addition we introduce public-private partnerships, and finally, we introduce the important component of gathering information for policy analysis. As we saw in Table 10.1, Weimer and Vining (2011) provide an overview of the broad policy categories that we have seen in the readings. Specifically, the authors note that policies may be characterized as freeing, facilitating, and stimulating. Each category is contextual and is used by policy makers to address particular market issues facing them at that time. For example, the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) was adopted by Congress in early 2008 to attempt to curb the ongoing financial crisis of 2007-2008. The TARP gives the U.S. Treasury purchasing power of $700 billion to buy up mortgage backed securities (MBS) from institutions across the country, in an attempt to create liquidity and un-seize the money markets (Investopedia, 2012). Philosophically, this represented an intrusion into the markets. As we see, there has been increased interest in providing more regulatory oversight of markets since this period as we have seen considerable financial turmoil. As illustrated in the readings for this unit (and Table 10.1) there are different methods of market intervention. Obviously, TARP and stimulus funding has been one method used by the U.S. and numerous other countries to stabilize the financial systems. Another method being considered is changes in the taxation system. In this area we see advocates of tax reductions on individuals and corporations. Specifically, advocates of tax cuts argue that reducing taxes improves the economy by boosting spending; those who oppose them say that tax cuts only help the rich because it can lead to a reduction in government services upon which lower income people rely. In other words, there are two distinct sides to this economic balancing scale. The Tax System: The federal tax system relies on a number of different types of taxes to generate revenues. The largest source of funds is the personal federal income tax. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), approximately 43% of tax revenues are generated through this tax (2012). Personal income taxes are levied against income, interest, dividends, and capital gains, with higher earners generally paying higher tax rates. The second largest source of funds for the IRS, accounting for nearly 40% of total revenues, is the payroll tax. Cloutier (2010) described the payroll tax as a tax levied at a fixed percentage on salaries and wages, up to a certain limit, and is paid equally by both employer and employee. Payroll taxes have become an important source of revenue for the federal government and have grown more quickly than income taxes as the government has raised rates and income limits. Commonly known as the FICA (the Federal Insurance Contributions Act) tax, the payroll tax is used to pay Social Security benefits, Medicare, and unemployment benefits (Cloutier, 2012). Clearly, taxation is a very emotional issue which includes discussions of revenue required to operate government, fairness, and equity. Policy makers are warned by economists that higher taxes mean less disposable income, which translates into fewer sales and fewer jobs. In that regard, a critical aspect of policy intervention in the markets is the adoption step. As we consider this step it is helpful to reflect on the overall public policy cycle. The key steps are as follows: Problem definition: In the first step we see that the identification on the problem to be resolved is important. During this step we see that an issue is identified and debated. Often, there are possible examined solutions that may be advanced in a preliminary basis. Agenda setting: This step is about framing the agenda. Within this step, we see that advocates tend to try to raise the importance of the issue and keep it on the front burner. In this step we see communities of common interest are organized, the media is involved, and coalitions are developed to advance the issue. Policy adoption: The adoption step can take a variety of forms. The specific solution must be crafted and funded. The resolution might involve new rules or laws. There may need to be public-private partnerships that are considered. Fundamentally, this is an important step as we want to ensure that the desired outcomes are achieved. Often, we see more direct public involvement in this step within recent years as through ballot measures and referenda. Implementation: The implementation step represents the day-to-day operational aspects of delivery of the policy. Here we see the use of resource allocation (assigning people and money) to get the job done. PUA 5306, Public Policy 3 Evaluation: Once adopted and implemented we see an increased emphasis on ensuring that the policy is efficient and effective. In this step we are collecting performance data including client satisfaction information. Our goal is to develop modifications or adjustments to the policy implementation that will see enhanced outputs. This is a continuous improvement phase of the initiative which often includes benchmarking (comparison to other similar programs elsewhere). Most observers note that these steps are cyclical in nature as there may be inputs into the problem identification phase. As we can see, information gathering is important in each of these steps. This information can include literature reviews and field research. Figure 14.1 provides an illustration of how we can combine these research methodologies. Building and using data properly is a very important aspect of the policy process and it is important that this component is handled well. Lastly, it is important to note that this policy cycle takes considerable time as it involves numerous stakeholders. Our system is complex and at times, not as responsive as we would like. However, it is designed to afford citizens with the opportunity to be a part of the process. References Cloutier, R. (2010). Do Tax Cuts Stimulate The Economy?. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/articles/07/tax_cuts.asp#ixzz2DvlnFxGW Investopedia. (2012). Troubled Asset Relief Program-TARP. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/troubled-asset-relief-program-tarp.asp#ixzz2DviALn91ocilitatinfg Weimer, D. L., & Vining, A. R. (2011). Policy analysis: Concepts and practice (5th ed.). New York, NY: Longman

1. Define the concept of production, bargaining, and opportunism costs. Please provide an example of each concept to illustrate your understanding of the concepts.

Your response should be at least 200 words in length. You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for your response. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.



2. Define and describe field research and document research. Make sure to outline the advantages and disadvantages of both methods of gathering data.

Your response should be at least 200 words in length. You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for your response. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.

3. Unit VII Essay
Unit VII examined organizational boundaries and information gathering in regards to public policy analysis. For this assignment you are asked to examine the concept of assessing and building public agency capacity. First you will need to locate a public-private partnership in your community (ATLANTA) or state (GEORGIA) . Once you have researched the public-private partnership,
you will want to describe the P3 and provide an overview of the process used to consider the partnership. Finally, you will want to discuss your own personal observations of the P3 and reflect on your findings.

Provide an overview on public-private partnerships. Define public-private partnerships and discuss their
advantages and disadvantages.
Research and describe the public-private partnership which you are examining.
Provide an overview of the process used to consider the partnership.
Defend your personal observations and reflect on your viewpoint.

Your assignment must:
Be a minimum of 600 words.
Be typed, double-spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations
and references must follow APA format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment (Public-Private Partnerships Essay), the students
name, the professors name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not
included in the required assignment page length.



4. Imagine you are the mayor in a small community in a developing country. A company is seeking a contract that would give itself rights of way for installing cables to provide TV and modern services within the community. In your opinion, what process/steps would you take to assess this proposal? APPROX 100 WORDS


Written Lecture
In Unit VII we will look at the concepts of production costs, bargaining costs, and opportunism costs. In addition we introduce public-private partnerships, and finally, we introduce the important component of gathering information for policy analysis.
As we saw in Table 10.1, Weimer and Vining (2011) provide an overview of the broad policy categories that we have seen in the readings. Specifically, the authors note that policies may be characterized as freeing, facilitating, and stimulating. Each category is contextual and is used by policy makers to address particular market issues facing them at that time. For example, the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) was adopted by Congress in early 2008 to attempt to curb the ongoing financial crisis of 2007-2008. The TARP gives the U.S. Treasury purchasing power of $700 billion to buy up mortgage backed securities (MBS) from institutions across the country, in an attempt to create liquidity and un-seize the money markets (Investopedia, 2012). Philosophically, this represented an intrusion into the markets. As we see, there has been increased interest in providing more regulatory oversight of markets since this period as we have seen considerable financial turmoil.



As illustrated in the readings for this unit (and Table 10.1) there are different methods of market intervention. Obviously, TARP and stimulus funding has been one method used by the U.S. and numerous other countries to stabilize the financial systems. Another method being considered is changes in the taxation system. In this area we see advocates of tax reductions on individuals and corporations.
Specifically, advocates of tax cuts argue that reducing taxes improves the economy by boosting spending; those who oppose them say that tax cuts only help the rich because it can lead to a reduction in government services upon which lower income people rely. In other words, there are two distinct sides to this economic balancing scale.
The Tax System: The federal tax system relies on a number of different types of taxes to generate revenues. The largest source of funds is the personal federal income tax. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), approximately 43% of tax revenues are generated through this tax (2012). Personal income taxes are levied against income, interest, dividends, and capital gains, with higher earners generally paying higher tax rates.
The second largest source of funds for the IRS, accounting for nearly 40% of total revenues, is the payroll tax. Cloutier (2010) described the payroll tax as a tax levied at a fixed percentage on salaries and wages, up to a certain limit, and is paid equally by both employer and employee. Payroll taxes have become an important source of revenue for the federal government and have grown more quickly than income taxes as the government has raised rates and income limits. Commonly known as the FICA (the Federal Insurance Contributions Act) tax, the payroll tax is used to pay Social Security benefits, Medicare, and unemployment benefits (Cloutier, 2012).
Clearly, taxation is a very emotional issue which includes discussions of revenue required to operate government, fairness, and equity. Policy makers are warned by economists that higher taxes mean less disposable income, which translates into fewer sales and fewer jobs. In that regard, a critical aspect of policy intervention in the markets is the adoption step. As we consider this step it is helpful to reflect on the overall public policy cycle.
The key steps are as follows:
Problem definition: In the first step we see that the identification on the problem to be resolved is important. During this step we see that an issue is identified and debated. Often, there are possible examined solutions that may be advanced in a preliminary basis.
Agenda setting: This step is about framing the agenda. Within this step, we see that advocates tend to try to raise the importance of the issue and keep it on the front burner. In this step we see communities of common interest are organized, the media is involved, and coalitions are developed to advance the issue.
Policy adoption: The adoption step can take a variety of forms. The specific solution must be crafted and funded. The resolution might involve new rules or laws. There may need to be public-private partnerships that are considered. Fundamentally, this is an important step as we want to ensure that the desired outcomes are achieved. Often, we see more direct public involvement in this step within recent years as through ballot measures and referenda.
Implementation: The implementation step represents the day-to-day operational aspects of delivery of the policy. Here we see the use of resource allocation (assigning people and money) to get the job done.
PUA 5306, Public Policy 3


Evaluation: Once adopted and implemented we see an increased emphasis on ensuring that the policy is efficient and effective. In this step we are collecting performance data including client satisfaction information. Our goal is to develop modifications or adjustments to the policy implementation that will see enhanced outputs. This is a continuous improvement phase of the initiative which often includes benchmarking (comparison to other similar programs elsewhere). Most observers note that these steps are cyclical in nature as there may be inputs into the problem identification phase.

As we can see, information gathering is important in each of these steps. This information can include literature reviews and field research. Figure 14.1 provides an illustration of how we can combine these research methodologies. Building and using data properly is a very important aspect of the policy process and it is important that this component is handled well.

Lastly, it is important to note that this policy cycle takes considerable time as it involves numerous stakeholders. Our system is complex and at times, not as responsive as we would like. However, it is designed to afford citizens with the opportunity to be a part of the process.

References

Cloutier, R. (2010). Do Tax Cuts Stimulate The Economy?. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/articles/07/tax_cuts.asp#ixzz2DvlnFxGW

Investopedia. (2012). Troubled Asset Relief Program-TARP. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/troubled-asset-relief-program-tarp.asp#ixzz2DviALn91ocilitatinfg


Weimer, D. L., & Vining, A. R. (2011). Policy analysis: Concepts and practice (5th ed.). New York, NY: Longman