UNIT 1 PUBLIC POLICY :

MEANING AND NATURE

Structure
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Relationship between Politics and Policy
1.3 Meaning of Public Policy
1.4 Characteristics of Public Policy
1.5 Types of Public Policy
1.6 Stages in Public Policy Process
1.7 Importance of Public Policy
1.8 Let Us Sum Up
1.9 Key Words
1.10 References and Further Readings
1.11 Answers to Check Your Pragress Exercises

1.0 OBJECTIVES

After studying this Unit, you should be able to:

explain the meaning of public policy
discuss the relationship between politics and policy
distinguish between policy, decision and goal
throw light on the characteristics of public policy
discuss the different types of policy
highlight the stages in public policy process; and
discuss the importance of public policy.

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Public policies are as old as governments. Whatever be the form, oligar~hy,

monarchy, aristocracy, tyranny, democracy etc., - whenever and wherever
governments have existed, public policies have been formulated and implemented.
To cope with the varied.problems and demands of the people the government has
t o make many policies, these policies are called public policies. This Unit tries to
explain the meaning and types of public policy. It will highlight the different
components of a policy and distinguish between policy, decision and goal. An
attempt will be made to bring out the relationship between politics and policy, and
importance and characteristics of public policy will also be discussed.

1.2 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLITICS AND

PUBLIC POLICY

Before discussing the meaning of public policy, it would be better if we are clear
about the relationship between public policy and politics.
Policy making process is a part of politics and political action. According to Gabriel
! Almond, political system is a set of interactions having structures, each of which
i performs its functions in order to keep it like an on-going concern, it is a set of
processes that routinely converts inputs into outputs. Almond classifies illputs of
political system into generic functional categories like politica! socialisation and 5
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Introduction to Public Policy recruitment, interest aggregation, interest articulation and political communication.
Output activities are those which are carried on by a political system in response to
demands or stresses placed upon the system in the form of inputs. Outputs can take
the form of governmental policies, programmes, decisions etc.
Another model on politics-policy relationship is the Feedback or the 'Black Box
Model' coined by David Easton. According to this model the remaining demands
which have not been included in the decisions and policies will again be fed back
through the same process for the purpose of its conversion into decisions. These
two models establish clear19 the relationship between politics and policies in a
political system.
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: 1.3 MEANING OF PUBLIC POLICY

There are various studies about public policy and many scholars have attempted to
define public policy from different angles. Before explaining the meaning of public
policy, let us first go through some of its definitions.
Robert EyeStone terms public policy as "the relationship of government unit to its
environment. Thomas R. Dye says that "public policy is whatever government
chooses to do or not to do" Richard Rose says that "public policy is not a decision,
it is a course or pattern of activity. In Carl J. Friedrich's opinion public policy is a
proposed course o: action of a person, group or government within a given
environment providing opportunities and obstacles which the policy was proposed
to utilise and overlcome in an effort to reach a goal 01 realise an objective or
purpose.
From these definitions, it is clear that publi: policies are governmental decisions,
and are actually the result of activities which the government undertakes in
pursuance of certain goals and objectives. It can also be said that public policy
formulation and implementation involves a well planned pattern or course of
activity. It requires a thoroughly close knit relation and interaction between the
important governmental agencies viz., the political executive, legislature,
bureaucracy and judiciary.
The following points will make the nature of public policy more clear in your minds:
1) P,ublic Policies are goal oriented. Public policies are formulated and
implemented in order to attain the objectives which the government has in view
for the ultimate benefit of the masses in general. These policies clearly spell out
the programmes of government.
2) Public policy is the outcome of the government's collective actions. It means that
it is a pattern or course of activity or' the governmental officials and actors in a
collective sense than being termzBdas their discrete and segregated decisions.
3) Public policy is what the government actually decides or chooses to do. It is the
relationship of the government units to the specific field of political environment
in a given administrative system. It can take a variety of forms like law,
ordinances, court decisions, executive orders, decisions etc.
4) Public policy is positive in the sense that it depicts the concern of the government
'and involves its action t o a particular droblem on which the policy is made. It
has the sanction of law and authority behind it. Negatively, it involves a decisions
by the governmental officials regarding not taking any action on a particular issue.

Policy and Goals

T o understand the meaning of policy in a better manner, it is very important to
make a distinction between policy and goals. Goals are what policies aim at or hope
t o achieve. A goal is a desired state of affairs that a society or an organisation
attempts to realise. Goais can be understood in a variety of perspectives. These can
be thought of as abstract values that a society would like to acquire. There are also
goals that are specific and concrete. Removal of poverty is a goal that the
government wants to pursue. Public policies are concerned with such specific goals.
They are the instruments which lead to the achievement of these goals.
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If the government announces that its goal is to provide housing to all the members Public Policy :
of the deprived sections of society it does not become a public policy. It is a Meaning and Nature
statement of intention of what the government wants to do. Many a time the
government, for political reasons, announces goals that it has little desire to achieve. .-
I In order to become a policy, the goal has to be translated into action. Programmes
have to be designed to achieve specific objectives. As an illustration, let us look at
the policy of poverty alleviation. Several programmes have been designed for this,
e.g., The Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), The National Rural
Employment'Programme (NREP) etc. Each programme has certain goals to achieve
within a specified time and each programme is provided with financial resources and
administrative personnel. These become concrete efforts to achieve a goal. Policy
spells out the strategy of achieving a goal. Thus policy is essentially an instrument
to achieve a goal. Statement of a goal docs not make it a policy.

Policies and Decisions

A distinction needs to be drawn between a policy and a decision also. Many a time
the terms are used interchangeably but that is not the correct usage. Individuals,
organisations or government are constantly taking decisions. But all the
decisions that are taken cannot be descr;ibed as matters of policy. The essential core
of decision-making is to make a choice from the alternatives available in order to
take an action, if there is only one course of action available then there is nothing
one can choose from and therefore, no decision can be taken. A decision can be
taken only when there is more than one alternative available. Thus a decision is the
act of making a choice. The entire science of decision-making has been developed
in order to analyse the conditions that can improve this activity and how a decision
maker can improve his choice by expanding the number of alternatives available to
him.
There can be two types of decisions, programmed and non-programmed.
Programmed decisions are repetitive and do not require a fresh consideration every
time they are taken. These decisions are routine in nature and for these definite
procedures can be worked out. Each decision need not be dealt with separately. In
programmed decisions, habits, skills and knowledge about the problem are
important. For example, once the decision to open the library from 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. is taken, it does not require fresh c o n s i ~ ~ r a t i oton keep it open during those
hours. The decision is incorporated into procedures that are established for the
purpose. Non-programmed decisions are new and unstructured. No well laid-out
methods are available for such decisions, each issue or question is to be dealt with
separately. Such decisions are required in the situations of unprecedented nature,
for example breakdown of an epidemic, occurrence of earthquake, etc. Training
in skills, needed for such decisions and innovative ability become releiant in this
regard. Both the programmed and non-programmed decisions have to be taken in
a broad framework or course of action.
Publlc policy is the broad direction or perspective that the government lays down
in order to take decisions. Each organ~sationor the individual is enjoined to take
1 a decision within a policy framework. Decision can be a one time action. Policy
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consists of several decisions that are taken to fulfil its aims. A policy consists of a
series of decisions tied together into a coherent whole.

There can be some similarity in the processes involved in decision making and policy
making. Both are concerned with choice among alternatives and for both similar
processes can be followed in generating alternatives. But we should always
remember that policy is a more comprenensive term, as it encompasses a series of
decisions and has a comparatively longer time perspective.

1.4 CHARACTERISTICS OF PUBLIC POLICY MAKING

The pleaning and nature of public policy will become more clear by throwing light on
different characteristics of public policy. Some of the major characteristics of public
policy making are:
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 Introduction to Public Policy Public Policy Making is a Very Complex Process: Policy making involvcs many
components. which are interconnected by communication and feedback loops and
which interact in different ways. Some parts of the process are explicit and directly
observable, but many others proceed through hidden channels that the officials
themselves are often only partly aware of. These hidden procedures are very
difficult. and often impossible to observe. Thus. gl~idelinesare often formed by a
series of single decisions that result in a 'policy' without any one of the decision
makers being aware of that process.

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It is a Dynamic Process: Policy making is a process, that is a continuing activity
taking place within a structure; for sustainance, it requires a continuing input of
resources and motivation. It is a dynamic process, which changes with time. the
sequences of its sub-processes and phases vary internally and with respect to each
other.

Policy ~ a k i n gComprises Various Components: Thc complexity of public policy

making as we know. is an important characteristic of policy making. Public policy
formulation foten involves a great variety of substructures. The identity of these
substructures and the degree of their involvement in policy making, vaiy because
of different issues, circumstances and societal values.
Policy Structure makes Different Contributions: This characteristic suggests that
every substructure makes a different, and sometimes unique. contribution to public
policy. What sort of contribution substructures make, depends in part on their formal
and informal characteristics which vary from society to society.
Decision-Making: Policy making is a species of decision-making because it lets us
use decision-making models for dealing with policy making.

Lays down Major Guidelines: Public policy, in most cases, lays down general
directives, rather than detailed instructions, on the main lines of action to be
- followed. After main lines of action ha,ve been decided on, detailed sub-policies that
translate the general theory into more concrete terms are usually needed to execute
it.

Results in Action: Decision-making can result in action. in changes in the

decision-making itself, o r both o r neither. The policies of most socially significant
decision-making, such as most public policy making are intended to result in action.
Also policies directed at the policy making apparatus itself such as efficiency drives
in government are action oriented.
Directed at the Future: Policy making is directed at the future. Thls is one of its
most important characteristics since it introduces the ever-present elements of
uncertainty and doubtful prediction that establish the basic tone of nearly all policy
making.

Actual policy making tends to formulate policies in vague and elastic terms; because
the future is so uncertain. It permits policy makers to adjust their policy according
to emerging facts and enables them to guard against unforeseen circumstances.

Mainly Formulated by Governnrental Organs : Public policy is also directed. in part,

at private persons and non-governmental structures, as 'when it calls for a law
prohibiting a certain type of behaviour or appeals to citizens to engage in private
saving. But public policy, in most cases, is primarily directed at governmental
organs, and only intermediately and secondarily at other factors.

Aims at Achieving what is in the Public Interest : However difficult it might be to

find out what the "public interest" may c o ~ ,rely refer to, the term never the less
conveys the idea of a "general" orientatio~~ 2nd seems therefore to be important
and significant. Furthermore, there is good evidence that the image of "public
interest" influences the public policy making process and is therefore at least, as
conceived by the various public policy making units, a "real" phenomenon, and an
important operational tool for the study of policy making.
Use of Best Possible Means: In abstract terminology, public policy making aims at
achieving the maximum net benefit. Benefits and costs take in part the form of
8 realised values and impaired values, respectively, and cannot in most cases be
expressed in commen~urableunits. Often, qua'ntitative techniques can therefore dot public policy :
be used in this area of public policy making but neither the qualitative significance Meaning and Nature
of maximum net benefhts as an aim nor the necessity to think broadly about
alternative public policies in terms of benefits and costs is therefore reduced.
Involvement of Various BodiesIAgencies: Industrial workers, voters, .intellectu.als;
legislators, bureaucrats, political parties, political executives. judiciary- etc. are the
various organs that participate in public policy making and can influence the policy
process to a great extent.

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1) Bring out the relationship between public policy and politics.

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2 ) Discuss the meaning of public policy.
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3) Distinguish between a policy and a goal.

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4) Bring out the difference between a decision and a pubiic policy.

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5) Highlight the different characteristics of public policy making.

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 Introduction to Public Policy
Substantive: These policies are concerned with the general welfare and development
of the society, the programmes like provision of education and employment
opportunities, economic stabilisation, law and order enforcement, anti-pollution
legislation etc. are the result of substantive policy formulation. These policies have
vast areas'of operation affecting the general welfare and development of the society
as a whole. These do not relate t o any particular or privileged segments of the
society. Such policies have to be formulated keeping in view the prime character of
the constitution socio-economic problems and the level of moral claims of the
society.
Regulatory: Regulatory policies are concerncd with regulation of trade, business,
safety measures, public utilities, etc. This type of regulation is done by independent
organisations that work on behalf of the government. In India, we have Life
Insurance Corporation, Reserve Bank of India, Hindustan Steel, State Electricity
Boards. State Transport Corporations, State Financial Corporations, etc., which are
engaged in regulatory activities. The policies made by the government, pertaining
t o these services and organisations rendering these services are known as regulatory
policies.

Distributive: Distributive policies are meant for specific segments of society. I t can
be in the area of grant of goods, public welfare or health services, etc. These mainly
include all public assistance and welfare programmes. Some more examples of
distributive policies are adult education programme, food relief, social insurance,
vaccination camps ctc.

Redistributive: Redistributive policies are concerned with the rearrangement of

policies which are concerned with bringing about basic social and economic changes.
Certain public goods and welfare services are disproportionately dividcd aniong
certain segments of the society, thesc goods and service5 are streamlined through
redistributive policies.

Capitalisation: Under the capitali'sation policies financial subsidies arc given by the
Union government to the state and local governments, such subsidies are also
granted to the central and state business undertakings or some other important
sphere if necessary. Capitalisation policies arc different in nature than the
substantive, regulatory, distributive and redistributive policies as no provision for
public welfare services is made through these.

1.6 STAGES IN PUBLIC POLICY PROCESS

A brief highlight on the various stages of public policy will clarify the actual pr0ces.s
of public policy in India. . t

Policy formulation is the first stage in public policy process. Through this process
the dernands of the system are converted into policies. But before this it has to be
clearly established as to which demands require to be converted into policies. At
the policy interpretation stage, the formulated public policy is further clarified and
interpreted in order to make it fully understandable. 'I'he next stage in public policy
process is policy education. The government through various channels of mass-media
attempts to make the masses aware of the formulatc J policies. After this comes the
stage of policy implementation, when the policics are systematically executed by the
different admil~istrativeagencies at the central. \l:itc and !om1 Icvels. To ascertain
the impact of policies, it is very essential to kcep an eye on the implementation
process, to see that expenditure does not cxcced t h ~ I-csources
. available and to see
that policies are eositively affecting those for whc~rl~ they are being made. For this
proper monitoring of policy implementation has to Ile done. and policy evaluation
stage is the final stage in policy process. Proper and appropriate administrative and
adjudicative functions are needed for keeping a conlplete control over the public
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policies.
 Public Policy :
1.7 THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC Meanlng and Nature
POLICY
' It is clear from the above sections of the Unit that policy is a purposive course of
action in dealing with a problem or a matter of concern within a specific time frame.
Before going into the question of importance which is attached to policy formulation,
implementation and monitoring, it would be better to recapitulate the components
of public policy.

1) Policy is purposive and delibbrately formulated. Policy must have a purpose or

a goal. It does not emerge at random or by chance. Once a goal is decided the
policy is devised in such a way that it determines the course of action needed
to achieve that goal.
2) A policy is well thought out and is not a series of discrete decisions.
3) A policy is what is actually done and not what is intended or desired, a statement
of goals does not constitute a policy.
4) Policy also delineates a time frame in which its goals have t o be achieved.
5) Policy follows a defined course of action viz. formulation, implementation,
monitoring and evaluation.
Actually the scope of public policy is determined by the kind of role that
the State adopts for itself in a society. In the classical capitalist society, State was
assigned a limited role and it was expected that the State would merely act as a
regulator of social and economic activity and not its promoter. With the advent of
planned view of development, State began tp be perceived as an active agent in
' promoting and shaping societies in its various activities. This was considered as a

great change in the role of a State. Public policies expanded their scope from merely
one of regulation to that of development. Expansion in scope led to several other
consequences like many more government agencies afld institutions came into being
in order to formulate and implement policies. In India, the Planning Commission
and its attendant agencies came into being in order to formulate policies and develop
perspectives that could define the direction which the country would follow.
So, the first major goal of public policies in our country has been in the area of
socio-economic development. Wide ranging policies were formulated in the area of
industrial and agricultural development. Many policies were converted into Statutes.
like Industrial Development and Regulating Act or Land Tenancy Act. Others were
kept as directives in the various plan documents. For all policy directions, the Five
Year Plans became the major source. These policies were of two types, one of
regulation and the other of promotion. Laws laid down what could be done or not
done by the entrepreneurs. This could be in the larger area like what goods can be
produced by the public or whether certain goods can be tiaded only by government
agencies. Laws also specified how State agencies themselves were to provide goods
and services like electricity, transport etc. The State undertook similar responsibility
in the social sphere. Dowry Act, Divorce Act, etc., are examples of this.
But soclo-economic transformation was not the only problem when India became
independent. There were also problems of national integrity, the external
environment was a source of threat and the country had to develop suitable policies
to defend itself. Apart from this, there have been internal challenges. Regionalism
has given rise to fissaparious tendencies that have to be countered in the long-term
perspective These would include not only defence policies but also similar efforts
at decentralisation that create greater natlondl cohesiveness. Thus, since
independence, public policies in India have been formulated with a view to achieve
soclo-econo~nicdevelqment and maintain national integrity. These goals have
been coinplex demanding coherent pollcies. This has been a difficult task because
goals have had to be divided into sectors and sub-sectors. Many a time by its very
n ~ t u r e ,pollcies have been contradictory. What may be rational for economic
developmelt; a a y not be so for national Integration. Thps, the need of a strong
Centre to cope with external threats etc. is important but it may go against the
principle of decentralisation which provides for greater national cohesion of a
heterogeneous society. This is the reason why ascertaining of the actual impact of
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public policy becomes a necessity.
Introduction to ~ u h l i cPolicy These days policy analysis is acquiring a lot of importance in the realm of the study
of public administration. This trend is observable all over the world. The success
of policy tormulation, execution and monitoring ultimately depends on the success
of policy analysis. In India, this trend emerged with the launching of our Five Year
Plans. As the years passed by, one Five Year Plan was followed by another and
disillusionment started setting in. Goals of socio-economic development could not
be achieved. Those who were supposed to benefit from the development effort
began to lose. Attention shifted to the management and administration in order to
find out why the policies were failing to achieve their objectives. This investigation .
did not include the questions of policies being right or wrong.
R took the crises of the 1960s to raise the issue of correctness of policy.
Disenchantment with the development processes followed the two wars in 1962 and
1965. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) enforced a deul-!nation of the rupee
in 1966 and a terrible drought ravaged the land during 1966-68. It became evident
that the development policies were in trouble. In the early 1970s another war,
drought and the oil crisis gave a jolt to the plan that had been followed uptil then.
The culmination was the imposition of national emergency in 1975 to cope with
the rising dissatisfaction.
It was the emergence of the turbulent period that l ~ 10 d the questioning of the
policies that had been followed. It was no more a question of implementation alone.
The argument that began to gain the popular view was that policy itself was faulty
and all the blame could not be put on administration. The first to pick up this line
of reasoning was the discipline of economics. The economic failures dominated the
scene and therefore it was natural that economists were the first ones to raise
questions about t'he appropriateness of policy. Students of public administration
began to emphasise that implementation failures could also emanate from
inadequacy of public policy and therefore policy analysis should also be included in
the area of study of public administration. This argument got support from certain
developments in the discipline of public administration. In view of the everyday
experience, it was becoming difficult to sustain the classical concept of separation
of politics and administration. This distinction categorised policy formulation and
implementation as two distinct activities. Policy formulation was regarded as a
political activity and policy implementation an administrative one. But this
distinction got increasingly blurred and it was not an easy task to determine where
policy formulation ended and where policy implementation began. It came to be
accepted that .both 'were interactive processes and had to be seen in an integrated
way. With this change in view students of public administration began to devote
greater attention to the problems of policy formulation and influence of policy
design on implementation.
It is in this way that policy analysis has become an important focus of study. Policy
makers have also shows great interest in it because it ultimately helps in improving
the effectiveness of policy. Many universities and research institutes are involved in
policy analysis. The government provides for a lot of funds in this area.

Check Your Progress 2

I Note : i) Use the space given below for your answers. \

ii) Check your answers with those given at the end of the Unit.
d
1) What are the different types of public policy.

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2) Highlight the various stages involved in public policy process.
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Public Policy :
1,
......................................................................................................... Meaning and Nature

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3) Discuss the importance of public policy

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1.8 LET US SUM UP

It is clear that public policies are the activities that the government undertakes in
order to pursue certain established goals and objectives. In this Unit we discussed
the meaning and ialportance of public policy and the difference between a publit
policy, a goal and a decision. An attempt was also made to explain the relationship
between public policy and politics. The Unit also highlighted the different types of
public policy, the stages involved in public policy process and the various
characteristics of public policy. Some of these aspects of public policy will be
discussed in detail in the subsequent Units of this Block.

1.9 KEY WORDS

Nnn-Programmed Decisions: Herbert Simon .makes a clear distinction between

programmed and non-programmed decisions. Non-programmed decisions, are new,
novel and unstructured. No ready made methods are available for taking these
decisions, each issue is dealt with separately. Proper training in development of
innovative capacity is reouired for such decisions.
Programmed Decisions: These decisions are repetitive and routine in nature. For
such decisions definite procedures can be worked out. Each decision need not be
dealt with separately. In such type of decisions, habits, skills and knowledge about
the problem is important. Mathematical models and computer can help the decision
makers to arrive at rational'decisions as far as these decisions are concerned.

1.10 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS

Anderson, James E. 1975. Public Policy Making. Praeger: New York

Dror Yehezkel, 1968. Public Policy Making Re-examined, Chandler. Pennsylonia
Dye. Thomas R. 1972. Understanding Public Policy. Prentice Hall. Englewoodcliff
Frohock. Fred M. 1979. Public Policy: Scope and Logic. Prentice Hall.
Englewoodcliff
Sahni Pardeep. 1987. Public Policy: Conceptual Dimensions. Kitab Mahal.
Allahabad.
Saigal Krishan, 1983. Policy Making in India :An Approach to Optimisation, Vikas:
New Delhi. 13
' Introduction to Public Policy
1.11 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
EXERCISES

Check Your Progress 1

1) Your answer should include the following points :
policy making is a part of politics and political action
p~liticalsystem is a set of interactions having structures, each part of the structure
performs certain functions.
demands act as inputs which are continuously fed in the political system.
these inputs get converted into programmes, policies and decisions.

2) Your answer should include the following points:

public policies ,are governmental decisions.
public policies are the result of the activities which the government undertakes
in persuance of certain goals and objectives.
it involves a wdl planned pattern or course of activity.
it depicts the concern of the government and involves its actions.

3) Your,answer ~ h o u l dinclude the following points:

goals are what policies aim at or hope to achieve:
goals can be abstract, specific and concrete.
goal is a statement of intention of hat the government wants to do.
in order to become a policy a goal has to be translated into action.
policy spells out the strategy of achieving a goal.

4) Your answer should include the following points:

the essential core of decision-making is to make a choice from the alternatives
available in order to .take an action
a decision is an act of making a choice.
there are two types of decisions, programmed and non-programmed.
public policy is the broad direction or perspective that the government lays down
in order to take decision.
a decision can be a one time action.
a policy consists of several decisions that are taken to fulfill its aims.
both policy making and decision processes are concerned with choice activity.
5) Your answer should include the following points :
public policy making is a complex process
it is a dynamic process
comprises various components
its substructures make.different contributions
decision-making
lays down major guidelines
result in action
directed at the future
formulated by governmental organs
keeps in view the public interest
use of best possible means
involvement of various organs
Check Your Progress 2
1) Your answer should include the following points: .
Substantive
Regnlatory
Distributive
Gipitalisation
Redistributive

2) Yoor answer should include the following points :

pdicy formuiation
policy implementation
monitoring of policy
policy evaluation and analysis
 Public Policy :
3) Your answer should includc thc following points : Meaning and Nature
Ihc reach irnd scopc ol' public policy is dctcrmined by the kind of role that the
Statc adopts for itsclf in a society.
public policies have cxpanded their scope from merely of regulation to that of
development.
many policies have been converted into legal statutes. .
many aspects like socio-economic development, maintenance of national integrity,
political stability have forrncd a major part of public policies in India.
policy analysis ha's acquired a lot of importance in the realm of public policy
process.
the failure of our Five Year Plans has pressurised the governnlent and research
institutions to go deep into research on policy analysis.
realisation that when policies fail only policy implementation should not be
blamed has gained importance.
policy formulation and implementation can no longer be regarded as two distinct
activities.