Governance & Public Policies

Public policy changes occur through two primary mechanisms: substantial disruption and incrementalism. Even though both of these mechanisms involve political institutions, they appear to be unrelated processes. Using specific examples,

Various scholars attend to the interaction between politics and markets to explain the way welfare states undertake social provision, including providing for education (aka "human capital acquisition"), providing welfare benefits, work-family policies, and more. Take two or more such analyses and explain with some care how political and market-based approaches help us understand how social policies develop. Which approaches do you find most resonant to your own thinking, and why?

Explain the concept of Pareto efficiency. What is its relevance to policy analysis, given that it is an abstract benchmark unlikely to be achieved by most policies that are subject to debate? Continue by explaining the Kaldor-Hicks compensation principle and its significance to rational policy analysis in particular, the practice of cost/benefit analysis. What makes the Kaldor-Hicks compensation principle a “weaker" criterion to satisfy than the Pareto criterion? Do you think Kaldor-Hicks is a sound basis for making policy decisions; why or why not?

How are problems in society addressed through public policy? How do they get on the policy agenda? Discuss the primary stakeholders and their interests in the process. Provide real life case examples as part of your answer.

Define, explain and contrast the politics of interest and the politics of conscience and how they influence policy making in Pakistan, including their relationship to the application of ethics. Be sure to include examples in your response and discuss the difficulty in identification and application of these influences within and between political parties

How does an issue become part of the public policy "agenda"? Out of all the issues that exist, why do some come to legislative attention and many do not? Consider the classic "Garbage Can Model" of Cohen, March and Olsen (1972). Do you agree or disagree? Why?