Public policy is an important sphere in the US political sphere. Over the decades policy matters as well as the strategy of public policy have been significantly developed. Nevertheless, today political actors who are responsible for implementation of public policy goals are facing new challenges. There are some outstanding examples of public policy issues, which can portray the process of public policy formation and implementation in the US.
To start with, it is necessary to define the goals of public policy. ‘Public policy refers to the actions taken by government — its decisions that are intended to solve problems and improve the quality of life for its citizens (lecture). Thus, it is a course of government action, which is solving diverse social issues. There are also several important stages of public policy. At first, it is necessary to identify the problem and develop approach to its solution, then, there is an implementation and evaluation of this policy (lecture). In fact, policy making process is not a simple system it is a complex network of interactions and decision making.
In fact, US economy has always created serious competition in the international arena. Although, it remains dynamic, but there are new controversies regarding the relative impact of globalization, the deficit, and other economic trends (lecture). Modern globalization and competition is significantly challenging the US economy. Despite these circumstances Barack Obama is trying to establish policy, which would satisfy interests of diverse segments of society. For example, he is trying to create green jobs, improve transportation or reduce crime recidivism, invest in rural areas (lecture). However, all this decisions require serious investment, which can only be attained through economic stability of the country.
In addition, sometimes public policy decisions are quite controversial and provoke unsatisfactory reaction of society. One of the reasons is that the more controversial a proposed policy, the more likely it is that one part of society will benefit at the expense of another segment (Gerston). That is why there are diverse lobby and public organizations, which are responsible for controlling the process of public policy development. One of the most popular examples would be labor unions, which were always able to organize successful movements for protection of their interests and rights.
All in all, public policy is not a simple and straightforward process and has diverse problems. It is not easy to form public policy in the US, because it always has to reflect interests of different segments of society. In addition, globalization is also challenging the US economics as well as ability to create effective policy for diverse social sectors, such as medicine or employments. That is why it is important to concentrate on global issues, because they are reflected on domestic public policy.
References
Gerston L., 2010, Public Policy Making: Process and Principles. New York: Payne Loving Trust
Lecture, Unit 7: Politics and the …