Public Policy and it's Types

Public Policy

It is the instrument by which government translates political vision into deliverable outcomes for achieving desired changes. It is the system of laws, regulatory measures, courses of action and funding priorities concerning a national agenda promulgated by a governmental entity or its representatives. The formula of successful public policy  is rationality, logic to produce desired outcomes, emotional effectiveness for motivated association and strategic actions to lead policy implementations.

Characteristics of Public Policy:

a.      It is purposive or goal oriented.

b.     It follows a pattern of action.

c.      It is either positive or negative in form.

d.     It is an actual doing of government.

e.      It is based on law and authoritative action.

Types of Public Policy:

a.      Regulatory Policy

It is regulatory in nature. It imposes restrictions on behaviors of the economic agents. It reduces the freedom enjoyed by economic agents. It is concerned with regulation of trade, business, safety, measures and public utilities.

b.     Self-Regulatory Policy

It involve restriction or control of some matter or group. They differ from the regulatory policies as they are usually sought and supported by a regulated group as means of protecting or promoting their own interests.

c.      Distributive Policy

It is meant for specific segments of the society. It grants goods and services such as all public assistance and welfare program to a specific segment of the society.

d.     Re-distributive Policy

It is designed to redistribute certain goods and services such as income and wealth in favor of certain groups in a society. It is the deliberate effort of a government to shift distribution of income and wealth from wealthy to poor and disabled groups in the society.

e.      Substantive Policy

It involve what a government is going to do such as construction of highways or payment of welfare benefits. It is concerned with general welfare and development of a society.

f.       Procedural Policies

It involve who is going to take action or how is it going to be done. It is the procedures which government bodies have to perform while performing certain activities.

g.     Capitalization Policies

It is the financial subsidies given by a government to state and local government. It is also granted to the central and state business undertakings or some other important spheres. It’s aim is to increase production or productive capacity of an economy.

h.     Ethical Policies

It is policy targeted to regulate moral actions of individuals. Moral and ethical values of citizen play an important role to build good institutions which are conductive for economic growth.

i.       Material or Symbolic Policy

Material Policy-It provide tangible resources or substantive power to beneficiaries or impose real cost/disadvantages on those who are adversely affected.

Symbolic Policy-It distributes advantages or disadvantages which have unsubstantial impact on life of common people.

j.       Goal Policies

It is the set of a goal to be achieved without maintaining anything about the means. It emphasizes the goal to be achieved but does not include means through which the goal is to be achieved.

k.     Liberal or Conservative Policy

Liberal Policy-It is directed towards the correction of injustices and shortcomings in the existing social order by using the power of government.

Conservative Policy-It focuses that social change occur slowly and gradually through the natural order and do not favor the use of government power to change the social order.

l.       Substantive, Institutional and Time period Policy

Substantive Policy-It includes labor, welfare, civil rights and foreign affairs.

Institutional Policy-It include legislative, judicial and departmental policies.

Time Period Polices- It is the policy expressed w.r.t time period.

m.   Role Policies

It specify action to be formed or work to be done.