Preface
Many of us have likely heard the expression “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” Yet, it is the people who are often excluded from the public policy process. Citizen engagement is typically reactive rather than proactive and passive as opposed to active. Voting and protesting are not the only ways that governments hear the voices of the people. Voting allows citizens to choose individuals who represent their interests, yet their interests are not always represented in ways they desire. Protesting brings attention to issues but doesn’t always lead to problems being solved. This book aims to empower readers to be active participants in the policy process rather than centering elected officials, appointed officials or bureaucrats as the only sources of policy power.
This book is written in the spirit of equity. In order to have equitable public policies the voices of those who are impacted by these policies need to be heard as “gaps exist between the services governments deliver and what citizens want or need” (Mintrom & Luetjens, 2018, pg. 122). This is not simply a matter of contributing to policy discourse, but perhaps more importantly, a matter of contributing to the design, development and evaluation of public policy. Further, it is about holding policy makers and other decision makers accountable for their actions and the results of the actions. This book draws from lessons learned from my practical experiences, teaching and research. It is my hope that it equips those on the front lines of public policy and social equity with the tools needed to be effective producers and consumers of public policy ideas.
The book is organized in six chapters. Each chapter includes an explanation of concepts, an illustration of the concepts in action, concluding thoughts, discussion questions, a skill development exercise and related resources. Corresponding videos and interactive content can be found at https://sites.google.com/mocs.utc.edu/mmauldin-playingthepolicygame?usp=sharing.
Chapter 1 introduces the concept of public policy and aims to help readers understand the policy process. The chapter provides a foundation for understanding government and governance. It frames public policy as a set of solutions to societal or community issues. It describes the policy making process with emphasis on policy stages. Chapter 1 illustrates the policy process using the COVID-19 pandemic as a policy issue.
As public policy is a political endeavor, Chapter 2 focuses on the politics of public policy. It emphasizes the roles that governmental and nongovernmental policy actors play in the policy process. The chapter uses the Covenant School shooting to illustrate covered concepts. Chapter 2 provides insights on using political statement analysis to assist readers’ understanding of policy actor positions on issues.
Chapter 3 guides readers in understanding and using the “elements of a finding” framework to adequately define policy problems. This framework considers the following factors: a) what is expected; b) explanation of the problem; c) why the problem exists; d) the consequences of the problem; and e) recommendations for improvement. The chapter aids readers in finding relevant data through various governmental and other data sources including open government data. An analysis of food deserts is used to illustrate concepts.
Policy problems demand solutions. Chapter 4 guides readers in developing solutions to identified problems. The chapter advances the “elements of a finding” framework by which readers can propose rational, fully-developed policy recommendations. Policy design is also explored with a discussion on framing policy intent, goals and related programs and activities that would need to be implemented in order to address the defined policy problem. Each of these factors is important in writing policy memos and producing related presentations as described in Chapter 5.
Chapter 5 focuses on policy communications such as policy memos and policy presentations. This chapter engages readers by helping them write and present effectively and persuasively using the insights gained from Chapter 4. The chapter introduces no-to-low cost writing, data analysis and visualization tools such as those provided by Google such as Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides and Google Looker Studio. It provides a real-life example of a policy memo and policy presentation.
Holding policy makers accountable through active citizen participation in the policy process is the focus of Chapter 6. The chapter explains how citizens can hold policy and decision makers accountable for policy actions by voting and engaging them in public hearings and other meetings. The chapter suggests networking and collaboration as means of influencing public policy development.
Works Cited
Mintrom, M., & Luetjens, J. (2018). Design Thinking in Public Policy. (M. Howlett, & I. Mukherjee, Eds.) Routledge.
