IGNOU ASSIGNMENT REFERENCE MATERIAL (2017-18) E.P.A.-06 PUBLIC POLICY
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IGNOU ASSIGNMENT REFERENCE MATERIAL (2017-18) E.P.A.-06 PUBLIC POLICY
There are three Sections in the Assignment. You have to answer all questions in the Sections
SECTION – I
Answer following questions in about 500 words:
Q1. Define Public Policy and discuss various stages of Policy cycle.
Ans. Public policy is the course of action or inaction taken by governmental entities with regard to a particular issue or set of issues. Other scholars define it as a system of “courses of action, regulatory measures, laws, and funding priorities concerning a given topic promulgated by a governmental entity or its representatives.”
Stages of Policy cycle
Policy Formulation: Three major components of policy cycle need to be decided at this stage. First component is concerned with the setting of goals and objectives. It means a perspective has to be determined which should be able to generate broad goals of a policy. Second issue or component that needs to be considered is the strategy needed to implement the policy.
Policy Implementation: Policies can become very difficult to implement if the implementers are not given sufficient autonomy and flexibility in carrying out their tasks. In order to ward off political pressures and adhere to the goals of a policy, the implementers need adequate powers. Very often the government itself modifies or abandons its policy in the face of opposition from interest groups.
Q2. Discuss different approaches to Policy Analysis.
Ans. Policy analysis use different approaches:
- Historical Approach: Public policies are formulated and implemented in a system which has its own environment and culture. The formulators always make the policies which in one way or the other exhibit their keenness to resolve an issue and to satisfy the increasing demands of the public to that effect. The examination of a policy in historical perspective definitely amounts to possible results or outcomes which the policy will have.
- Functional Approach: On analysing the purposes of legislation, the political and ideological objectives, and the goals of public policy, are open to many interpretations. Ambiguity seems to be essential for agreement.
- Investigative-Substitutive Approach: The study of public policy is basically concerned with the range of human needs and the political institutions created to meet them. Yet there is no agreed and adequate definition of need, and much confusion prevails about the distinction between need, preference and political problems.
SECTION – II
Answer the following questions in about 250 words each.
Q3. Discuss the role of political executive in Policy making.
Ans. The role of the political executive in policy making by highlighting the role of the Cabinet, Cabinet Secretariat, Cabinet Committees, Prime Minister and Prime Minister’s Secretariat.
The Role of Cabinet in Policy Making: The Cabinet plays a very important role in policy making as it would be clear from the following:
1) It defines the direction which the national policy shall take and decides how each problem at home or abroad is to be tackled.
2) The Cabinet is responsible for all types of legislation. It gets the proposals prepared from various departments and only after its approval, these are submitted to the Parliament.
Role of the Prime Minister in Policy Making: The Prime Minister always enjoys a special position in the realm of policy making and other ministers play varying levels of subordinate role.
Q4. ‘Political parties play a major role in Policy formulation’. Discuss.
Ans. Political parties play an important role in Policy formulation. Political parties help in articulating ideological positions and policy demands on the government. The opposition parties use various public or parliamentary for to ask the government to adopt certain policies. Thus in a democratic set up, the government not only frames policies on its own but also responds to the various demands made by different organised groups and political and social institutions in the society. It is when these groups and institutions cannot play their role adequately that social conflicts develop and present the problems more starkly.
Q5. Discuss meaning and perspectives of Policy execution.
Ans. The execution of the policy is as important as is the formulation of the policy. The policy issue, demand, or proposal, once formulated has to be translated into action through execution. Policy execution has been termed as the ‘great Achilles heel’ of the policy process. As per Louis W. Koenig, “From every side come lamentations that government is unable to implement successfully the policies and programmes it produces”.
Perspective of Policy execution
- i) Execution as Work Mechanism: Execution as a process is translated into working through institutions and agencies which are assigned the said task of execution of a specific policy. Besides planning, the hierarchical levels and element of control are essential ingredients of the work mechanism of execution.
- ii) Execution as Politics: The process of execution, which is followed by the governmental agencies, has elements like bargaining, gaming, accommodating, compromising, etc., thus making it a kind of political issue.
Q6. Discuss major types of Policy Evaluation.
Ans. Policy evaluation has to be quantitative as well as qualitative. Unfortunately, the qualitative evaluation of policy in India has not got enough attention. The first and foremost thing that should be determined in policy evaluation is the distinction between objective and goals.
Another type of evaluation can be qualitative evaluation. This is the area which needs due attention. It has to be determined whether the policy is beneficial for the people at large; whether the objectives formulated are proper and in consonance with the changing scenario, whether it will be viable in the long run; and whether it will be able to meet the rising expectations of people or not.
SECTION – III
Answer the following questions in about 100 words each.
Q7. Differentiate between Meta and Mega Policies.
Ans. Meta and Mega policies are the important contents of policy sciences. An understanding of these terms can help us to comprehend the nature of public policy process. Dror uses the term meta-mega policies to cover both meta policies and mega policies.
Q8. Write a note on ‘Judicial Review’.
Ans. The principle that the Constitution is the fundamental law of the land is the basis of our political set-up. The three organs of the government have been well defined with their powers and functions.