Public Policy Problems

Dye (2010 p.4) explains policy analysis as the process of getting to know the activities of governments, why they have to undertake such events, and the difference they realize from the activities. Policy analysis is primarily concerned with an explanation as opposed to the prescription of policy matters.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Public Policy Problems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It involves a rigorous investigation into the causes of public policies and the associated consequences. Generally, policy analysis includes an effort to come up with and test propositions about events and activities that lead to public policy and the consequences thereof, to collect enough and reliable findings from a research activity of significant relevance (Dye, 2010, p.5). According to Jans (2007) public policy is concerned with the public and the problems it faces, that is, how the issues and problems are desc ribed and constructed, how they fit in the policy and political agenda, how options in policymaking emerge, why governments act or fail to work and the effects of the system. Through policy analysis, it becomes possible to describe, using factual information, what a given government is doing, and what it is not doing. Policy analysis also sets the platform for an inquiry into determinants and causes of particular public policy issues. From the established causes and determinants, the consequences and impacts of public policy can be inquired, including evaluation of the system in a clear and precise way (Dye, 2010, p.6). Policy analysis reveals time and context as the significant determinants of the government agenda; for instance, similar agenda items are likely to be prioritized in states whose welfare levels are identical. Moreover, issues are determined by economic cycles, for example, flexibility in labor terms and increase in efficiency alleviates public crises while the improv ed quality of life and enhanced worker welfare leads to overall growth in the economy (Jans, 2007). Generally, issues that conform to the policy paradigm that is, the leading policy ideas determine the policy that is adopted by the government at a given time. Policy analysis culminates in the understanding of public policy. It is both an art and a craft. As an art, it requires creativity, imagination, and insight in identification and description of problems in the society, in coming up with public policies to alleviate the issues, and in determining whether the systems improve the state of things or not. As a craft, policy analysis requires a broad knowledge base in economics, public administration, political science, psychology, sociology, statistics, engineering, law, natural sciences, and others. Policy analysis is, in fact, an applied subfield that encompasses all the above traditional academic disciplines (Dye, 2010, p.8).Advertising Looking for research paper on governme nt? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For the policymakers to perfect their craft to come up with policies that will improve the society, they need to bring together technocrats from the various fields to work together in the process of policy formulation and implementation. Policymakers from different areas will view the public problems from multiple dimensions hence solve the issues more comprehensively. Participation of technocrats from multiple areas of specialization, therefore, is an effective way of ensuring the craft of policymaking is perfected. Moreover, the policymaking process should be reviewed and scrutinized through public participation and incremental development. Policy analysis has limitations that include subjectivity in interpretation, the possibility of disagreeing over policy problems, defects in the design of human research and the fact that government power on policy is limited and human behavior is complicate d. References Dye, T.R. (2010). Understanding Public Policy (13th Ed.). Longman: Pearson Prentice Hall. Jans, M. T. (2007). A framework for public policy analysis and policy evaluation. Brussels: Vrije University This research paper on Public Policy Problems was written and submitted by user Mathew E. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. Public Policy Problems Introduction Public policy is a system of laws and regulations that define the state objectives relating to various aspects (CQ Press, 2011). Additionally, public policy issues require high attention and collaborative engagement for both members of the public and state. The government, through the ministry of finance, has a broad responsibility towards ensuring that there is adequate funding to all sectors of the economy.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Public Policy Problems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The budget should be set such that the most urgent needs of the society are given priority. Issues such as health care, education, and training should be prioritized. Over the years, Mississippi and some parts of the United State have not been experiencing public policy problems. This discussion will focus on public policy problems in Mississippi. This is because Mississippi State is ranked as the poores t state in the United States (Conforti, 1994). The focus will be on some of those public policy problems in Mississippi. Health care issues The evaluation of health care system in Mississippi by Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) revealed that there are some aspects that needed to be prioritised. Priority was given to activities such as disease prevention, healthcare protection, and health promotion. Other policy aspects include health care for a certain population, implementation of a state-wide trauma system, and health care for people with mental illness. The government should not forget to address critical issues such as the enhancement of detection and response to the public health emergencies like the bio-terrorism (Conforti, 1994). The state should improve the economic situation of its people by allocating adequate funds to health care system to address the problems. The U.S. government should further ensure that trauma victims receive adequate attention from the experts. T his can be achieved by allocating sufficient funding to cater for training expenses (Cochran, 2012). Additionally, the federal government should provide Mississippi health care system with modern technological system to provide services to patients. Education and training issues Over the recent years, Mississippi has been experiencing serious problems in the education sector. The problems are due to unequal funding to schools. The public school funding comes from federal state and the local resources. In addition, the problems have escalated since almost half of the funding comes from local property taxes. The system generates large funding disparities between the rich and the poor states (Conforti, 1994). This means that a student schooling in New Jersey is provided more than twice the student schooling in Mississippi. The large disparity in funding translates to poor learning facilities and the inability to hire highly trained teachers. Therefore, this leads to poor performances b y students in underfunded public schools. Poor performances deny students an opportunity to enhance their education. This leads to the unemployment problem and escalated poverty (American Legion, 1937).Advertising Looking for coursework on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Arguments that support public policy problems have not been addressed Unequal distribution of resources in Mississippi and other parts of the U.S. is a growing matter of concern. For example, according to Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), there are some unmet needs in the health sector that should be addressed (Conforti, 1994). Also, there are high disparities in income and education standards between the rich and poor states. Therefore, adequate policy framework should be adopted to address the issues before they become critical (Peters, 2004). Conclusion The U. S. government should prioritise the allocation of funds on its budget t o the most urgent sectors of the economy. From the above discussion, the U.S. government should promote the economic development of Mississippi by allocating sufficient funds to various sectors. This will ensure that the economy of Mississippi will grow, and the perceived inequality on resource distribution will be addressed comprehensively. References American Legion (1937). The American Legion magazine. Washington, D.C.: American Legion Magazine. Cochran, C.E. (2012). American public policy: An introduction. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Conforti, M. (1994). Minnesota 1900: Art and life on the upper Mississippi, 1890-1915. Newark: University of Delaware Press. CQ Press (2011). Issues for debate in American public policy: Selections from CQ Researcher. Washington, D.C: CQ Press, a division of SAGE. Peters, B.G. (2004). American public policy: Promise and performance. Washington, D.C: CQ Press.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Public Policy Probl ems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This coursework on Public Policy Problems was written and submitted by user Eli W. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.