Instruction
Question 1: Which of the many evaluative criteria are the most important? Economic costs or efficiency? Policy effectiveness? Equity? Why do you think so? Are some criteria more important for certain kinds of policy questions than for others?
Responds 1: This question unfortunately requires a negative response since most public policy shows a lack of interest in the public, or costs are so significant they cannot backtrack on a policy that has been implemented. While costs are a significant determination in policy, due to tax revenue spending, it should not be the only factor considered. The priority lies in the policy itself. For example, a policy change that is extremely important is border security. While the means may not justify the end, the evaluation process is significant. Is there a price on national security? This is an example where being fiscally conservative may help, but definitely not the determining factor of policy implementation. Policy effectiveness would be an evaluation tool for this scenario. In most cases governments have a significant investment in the policy they are pushing forward, and cost should always be part of the evaluation to be responsible with taxpayer money (Dye, 2017). Considering that the costs of implementation may be significant, it is likely that a public entity will not revert back to the original policy based on public appearance. In a perfect world, policy implementation would cost very little, while impacting millions of people in a positive way.
Reference:
Dye, T. R. (2017). Understanding public policy. Boston: Pearson.
Question 2: State an example of different governmental organizations contradicting each other policies (Example: GAO vs OMB). Explain whether this example is an effective public policy.
Responds 2: The understanding of public policy makes it difficult to see why there would be a discrepancy between organizations. With states having many exclusive powers, the contradiction may be very obvious. Marijuana, for example, is practically legal across the United States and currently 46 states legalized medicinal purposes for marijuana (safeaccessnow.org, 2019). The federal government does not recognize marijuana as a medical use and treats cannabis as a controlled substance such as heroin. The Controlled Substances Act allows for the Federal government to not have a discrepancy between any type of drug listed within that Act (safeaccessnow.org, 2019). Whether you are an advocate for marijuana, or against it, I would like to see consistency amongst the government organizations as I do not feel this is an effective way to govern. This type of governing is counter-productive and has much room to improve. As a citizen, I feel it is important for government agencies to work together to foster a positive outcome for the country. Unfortunately, I see government overreach and the differing agencies battling against each other to be “top dog”. If the public was really in their best interest I think we would see more collaboration, less government, and more policy directed for the public they serve.
Reference:
Federal Marijuana Law. (n.d.). Retrieved February 15, 2019, from https://www.safeaccessnow.org/federal_marijuana_law