1.

What are the characteristics of main public policy instruments that

government policymakers have available? Support your answer with examples.

Instrument Action Examples

Regulation Government decrees that require - Laws enacted by the
or prevent individuals, legislature
corporations, and other units of - Rules adopted by the
government from doing something bureaucracy

Government Implementation of services or • Education and defense

Management management of resources directly • Municipal services like
to citizens police and fire protection

Education, Education of citizens in an attempt • Appeal to support relief

Information, to persuade them to behave in a efforts after a disaster
Persuasion certain way • Nutrition labeling to
encourage healthy eating
Taxing & The collection or expense of • Social Security to support
Spending money to achieve policy goals the elderly in retirement
• Cigarette tax to discourage
smoking and raise revenue
for other programs
Market Use of the market to provide the • Revenue-neutral carbon tax
mechanisms public with incentives to make to discourage the use of fossil
choices or correct problems fuel
• Publication of the energy
efficiency of appliances
2.What are different stages in the policy process model? Review the role of each
stage. Support your

Step Activity Example

Step 1: Problem - Publication of social The government recognizes the
identification problems need to subsidize those who
- Expressing demands for have lost their jobs because of
government action the covid-19 pandemic

Step 2: Agenda Deciding what issues will Determine problems do

setting be decided, what problem governments and businesses
will be solved by the need to solve to support
Government workers

Step 3: Developing policy The Government and

Formulating proposals to resolve issues businesses propose several
policy and improve problems policies to support workers such
as unemployment benefits, job
search support,...
Step 4: Policy - Selecting a proposal To support unemployed
legitimation - Developing political workers, the Government
support for it signed Resolution 116/NQ-CP
- Enacting it into law
- Deciding on its
constitutionality

Step 5: Policy - Budgeting and Ministries and agencies shall

implementation appropriations coordinate in implementing
- Organizing departments Resolution 116/NQ-CP.
and agencies
- Providing payments or
services
- Impose taxes.
 Step 6: Policy - Reporting outputs of The government evaluates the
evaluation government programs effectiveness of the policy
- Evaluating impacts of according to the satisfaction of
policies on target and non- the people.
target groups
- Proposing changes and
“reforms”

Step 7: Policy Modify policy objectives Change in slow policy

change and means according to disbursement
new information or a
changing political
environment.

3. Main functions of the National Assembly in Vietnam’s political system?

+Definition: The highest representative body of the People and the highest body of
State power. Each term lasts 5 years; might be extended or reduced depending on
the majority decision of its members.
+Functions:
-The Legislative Function: the sole body empowered to adopt the Constitution and
the laws. The National Assembly not only adopts and amends the Constitution and
the law but also decides on the legislative program.
-The function of deciding the important issues of the Nation: make decisions on the
socio-economic development plans of the country, the national financial and
monetary policies and the estimates of the national revenue and expenditure plans
-The supervision function: exercises the supreme power of supervision over all
activities of the State.
4. Four main types of market failures that warrant government intervention.
+A natural monopoly or oligopoly
Definition: One or several persons or companies dominate the market and control
the price of goods or services.
Example: cable television, electric power.
+Externalities
Externalities are the decisions and actions of those involved in the market
exchanges that affect other parties, either negatively and positively.
+Negative externality occurs when 2 parties interact in a market and,
As a result of that interaction, the third party is harmed and does not get
compensation.
- Example: pollution
+Positive externality occurs the same way as a negative externality, but the third
party gains something from the two- party interaction and does not have to pay for
it.
- Example: higher education
+Asymmetric information: When the information is not fully or easily available
- Example: the consumer’s lack of complete information about a product or service
+Inability to provide for public good: Market cannot provide for the public
good/collective good
Example: national defense and public parks

5.1. Opportunities and challenges of implementing public-private partnerships

as a government management instrument?
Advantages:
-Private-sector technology, innovation, and resources can help improve the
operational efficiency of providing public services.
-The public sector provides motivation and administration for the private sector to
deliver projects on time and within budget.
-Risk transfer can occur from one party to another for better resolution
Disadvantages:
-Engaging in public-private partnerships involves risks for the private partner,
especially in physical infrastructure projects like roads or railways, with potential
issues such as delays, cost overruns, and technical defects.
-The private partner also faces availability risk, not meeting safety or quality
standards when providing services like running a prison, hospital, or school. Demand
risk arises when there are fewer users than expected, though this risk can be shifted
to the public partner with a minimum fee agreement.
-Public-private partnerships pose risks for the public and taxpayers, as private
operators may lack accountability for substandard service or violations of civil
rights. The private partner may exploit its position to raise tolls, rates, and fees for
captive consumers.
-Separation of ownership and decision rights in public-private partnerships leads to
principal-agent problems, potentially fostering corruption, pay-offs, and rent-
seeking activities. This attenuates accountability to taxpayers, who bear at least part
of the financial responsibility and may face liability for the project's outcome.
5.2.Differences between distributive policies and redistributive policies.
+Conflict is what makes redistributive policies different from distributive
policies. For every redistributive policy, winners and losers are associated with its
approval, which makes such policies controversial and difficult to adopt. Because
redistributive policies provide benefits to one category of individuals at the expense
of another, they often reflect ideological or class conflict.
+Some examples include welfare, Social Security, affirmative action, and tax
policy. A proposed tax cut may benefit chiefly upper-income taxpayers while eroding
services that assist lower-income citizens because of reduced government revenue.
If a company adopts an affirmative action policy in hiring women or racial
minorities, these groups may benefit at the expense of others.

Content Example

Distributive A policy that collect payments or resources Example: public

policy broadly but concentrates direct benefits on education,
relatively few-market economics a school of highways, and
thought that believes the forces of supply public safety, or
and demand, working without any
 government intervention, are the most subsidizing
effective way for markets to operate agriculture

Redistributive A policy in which costs are borne by a Example:

policy relatively small number of groups or poverty policy
individuals, but benefits are expected to be
enjoyed by a different group in society.
Two types: money transfers and educational
transfers. The former can be used by
recipients for consumption, bequests or
educational expenditures, while the latter
exclusively arguments human capital

6. Differences between distributive policies and regulatory policies.

 Regulatory policies define conditions and restrictions for the activities of
individuals or groups. Distributive policies allocate resources, either directly
to individuals or groups or to equip infrastructure that is broadly accessible
=> Distributive policy collects from the many and benefits the few, whereas
regulatory policy focuses costs on one group while benefitting larger society.
 EX: Distributive: College research grants, weapons procurement,
agricultural subsidies, highways and bridges
Regulatory: Licensing of radio and TV broadcasting. Net neutrality: Keep
Internet access free and open, that is, without blocking or discriminating
against any particular applications or content on a network.
7. Differences between democracy and monarchy as forms of government.

Democracy Monarchy
Origin Democracy originated in Monarchy was prevalent in
Greece. Athenian Democracy the Medieval and Ancient
is often described as the first times and still continues in a
known democracy in the few countries.
world.
Content A democracy is a government In a monarchy, a government
in which political power – and a state administration,
influence over institutions, there is one ruler, usually a
leaders, and policies – rests in hereditary ruler, who holds
the hands of the people. political power.
Characteristics - The elected representatives - The laws are framed by the
make the laws, rules and Kings and Queens. People
regulations on behalf of the have no say in the
people, for the welfare of the formulation of laws.
people. - The Kings and Queens have
- The elected representatives no accountability. People do
are held accountable by the not have the power to remove
people of the country. Hence Kings and Queens from
elections are held and power if they are dissatisfied
representatives lose their right with their administration.
to rule if they do not meet the - People do not have the right
expectations of the people to condemn the Monarchy.
- People have the freedom to - People may face oppression
give their feedback on policies, if the ruler is a tyrant.
have the option to bring about - In a Monarchy people are
changes in the policies and not considered equals.
they have the right to condemn
the Government.
- People do not face oppression
from a democratically elected
Government
- People are considered equal
in a democracy
 Types 2 types of democracies are Many different types of
direct democracy and a monarchies: absolute
representative form of monarchy, semi-
democracy. constitutional monarchy,
constitutional monarchy,
subnational monarchy,
commonwealth realms.
Example Some of the examples of Some of the examples of
democracy are India, USA, Monarchy are Middle East
France etc. countries like the United
Arab Emirate (UAE) and
Saudi Arabia.

8. Differences between federal and unitary system of government.

Unitary government Federal Government
No hierarchy of power exists. Power is shared between central and
shared governments.
State governments do not have the The central government holds the
authority to pass separate laws. power to pass laws for all states.
One central system of governance holds Shared powers at national and state
all power. levels.
The source of power is a single central There are different levels of power at
government responsible for passing the the state and central levels.
country's laws and looking after law and
order in the country.
Example: China, UK, Sri Lanka. Example: India, Switzerland, Canada.
9. Opportunities and challenges presented by the application of behavioural
insights to public policy?
The use of behavioral public policy measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Opportunities Challenges
1. Minimize costs 1. The short-term goal is effective,
disclosure, warnings, simplification, but the long-term is uncertain
norms, and default rules because
=>It is important to recognize that the 2. The level of access to everyone
goal of many nudges is to make life is not the same due to level,
simpler, safer, or easier for people to culture, and
navigate understanding. behaviorally
1. more proactive behavior informed approaches that have
2. reducing the paperwork created both academic and
necessary to enroll. political controversy, above all
3. Preserve freedom of from those who believe that they
choice, but that also steers do not treat people with respect,
people in certain directions. or that they can amount to forms
4. One strength of BI is its of manipulation
transparency. It makes clear 3. Depends heavily on the level of
assumptions, and its proponents public support, because that
are committed to testing those support corresponds directly to
assumptions through rigorous the intent to comply with the
evaluation policies
-Behavioral public policy measures played a crucial role during the COVID-19
pandemic. These measures aimed to promote behavioral changes to contain and
mitigate the transmission of the virus
System 1 type nudges mostly influence automatic, heuristic decision-making
processes, while system 2 nudges enable deliberative processing, and for this reason,
they are generally seen as more acceptable. In the context of a pandemic, we have
seen that the system 2 type nudging, which consists of educational and cautionary
messaging, is usually applied together with other preventive measures to
complement them. Therefore, we included system 1 type nudges in our study.
Behavioral change is a crucial factor in containing the spread of the COVID-19
disease
 Personal Protective Behaviors: Models of pandemic behavior suggest that
simple personal protective behaviors, such as using face masks,
sneezing/coughing into tissues, social distancing, washing hands, and not
 touching the face can significantly limit the transmission of the virus. With
different types of nudges (increasing attention and emphasizing the gains of
hand sanitation) they were able to boost disinfectant use in Dutch shops
 In another study, the authors report that local Chinese governments
were able to increase the positive effect of two-way risk communication
on people’s willingness to comply with COVID-19 policies by utilizing
nudge interventions like descriptive social norms and infotainments
 In a Japanese study nudged-based messages were sent to mobile
devices to convince people to avoid crowded places and close contacts
 The course of the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic
in Hungary was similar to other Central European countries, with some
minor variations. In the first wave, Hungary saw a small number of
cases and fatalities compared to Western European countries, but the
restrictions were nonetheless in place. In the second wave, starting in
2020 autumn, incident rates and fatalities were higher. Up until the time
of data collection regarding hand of hygiene and social distancing, there
were no mandates decreed, only nudges were applied, but policies for
mask-wearing went from strict to stricter, after mandating their use in
public places indoors since the end of April, their use in public urban
settings outdoors was also required starting mid-November.
 Policy Responses: To tackle the Coronavirus pandemic, countries across the
world implemented a range of stringent policies, including stay-at-home
‘lockdowns‘; school and workplace closures; cancellation of events and
public gatherings; and restrictions on public transport. As a result of its
detection process, hundreds of thousands of people, including international
travelers and those who had close contact with people who tested positive,
were placed in quarantine centers run by the government, greatly reducing
both household and community transmission. Hot spots with demonstrated
community transmission, including Da Nang(VietNam) during its outbreak
in July and August 2020, were locked down immediately, and the
government communicated frequently with citizens to keep them informed
and involved in the public health response.
=> In the last decades the use of nudges has become an essential part of the public
policy toolbox in many countries of the world. Therefore, it was no surprise that
they were also applied in the combat against the COVID-19 pandemic. These
nudges were proved to be successful and cost-effective.