Case Summary for Public Policy and the Role of Government

PUBLIC POLICY AND PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

MPA 625

Public Policy And The Role Of Government

By

Romeo B. Ocampo

Submitted to:

Dr. Lizan E. Perante-Calina

Professor

Submitted by:

Audrey Ana M. Amparo

MPA Student

Abstract

This is a summary of the article which basically focused on the application and implementation of Public Policy in Philippine setting, comparing to that of other countries, what are the factors influencing its crafting and implementation, and how the present administration applies it in the administration of government. His study focused on the Aquino government’s system and procedure in its policy making process. He emphasized the major factors influencing policy making by the government. He also made a comparison on local and international influences, consequences and effects. The article‘s main objective is to simplify and generalize these influences and effects and tried to give light to the complexities in the policy making process in the Philippines.

Public Policy and the Role of Government

The author emphasized that a basic requirement in the making a policy issue if for the sustenance and promotion of national development. He slightly compared the policy making process that transpired during the Aquino administration after shifting form the interventionist and authoritarian Marcos regime. For him, the Aquino regime sought to return to the “minimalist mold of liberal democracy by establishing policies of privatization, liberalization, deregulation, and decentralization, including measures bearing directly on political freedoms. However, despite of such efforts there were questions whether or not these policies are practical to be pushed through and what are its limitations and coverage.

The author also raised a question on whether privatizations of certain government owned corporations, like the Philippine National Bank and the Philippine Airlines had really helped in disseminating economic control or whether this only shifted the task from government to private entrepreneurs. More importantly, the author questioned whether the reduction or delegation of these government services to small private entities will not impair the effectiveness of policies and programs which are relevant for the national agenda, despite of the policymakers concept of adhering to privatization. Furthermore, he seeks to determine the limits of decentralization, and should resorting to this will mean a necessary shift for federal and parliamentary form of government.

The article addressed the basic issue of role of government in policy making, considering questions of substantive policy, the institutional and form and the framework for policy making, not to mention its effects in the practice of public administration.

The author discussed the history of public policy, its origin, popularity, effects and making. While such became popular during the early centuries in some European universities, its demand and regard declined during the post-World War II period, until American universities made it a separate area of study together alongside with public administration.

For the point of view of those in the accountancy field, had summarized the definition of policy as a meaningful kind of theory or hypothesis that challenges testing through implementation.   For them a change in administration comes with change in policy. An administration concepts and principles, with their own concept of reorganization programs definitely affects policy making, and entertaining new and innovative reforms for reorganization also affects quantitative methods and processes of policy analysis.

The article also pointed out a brief comparative evaluation of policy studies as applied and practiced between Western and Third World countries. It emphasized Donald Horowitz’ point of view that while the form and substance of policies differ markedly with the political systems and other important conditions of different countries, the may share certain common features in terms of the policy process, its constraints and its outputs. . He pointed out that policy are rarely new, and is generally based on pre-existing policies. . They are simply innovated to cater to the rising and adjusting needs of the government and administration. The only limitation for its further innovations is the influence of different interest groups which varies from different administrations.

In this article, one feature it emphasized is the difference of Western and Third World countries in its capacity for policy making since, the former’s ability to make and effectuate policies is more imperfect since the latter have more scarcer or limited resources and information to support its policies. In the Philippines, policymaking can be characterized as being done under crisis conditions.

Another feature of policymaking as applied to the Philippines is the increasingly explicit and dominant influence of international aid agencies on the substance and form of domestic policies. The process of policy making in the Philippines is greatly affected by the country’s domestic spending, revenue raising, and specific development programs as well as credit and monetary policies. Policies on foreign debt play a very big role in all our other economic development policies.