TOPICS

Public policy

Public policy is necessary in government

Health policy Public health policy Health care policy

Financial policy Tax policy Regulatory policy Access to capital Legal protection of property right

Education policy Elementary education Secondary and Higher education Literacy and Formal education Emergency education Improving quality of education Science education Technical education

Industrial Policy

Cotton textile industry Engineering industry Chemical industry

Foreign Policy

PUBLIC POLICY:Public policy is the principled guide to action taken by the administrative executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. The foundation of public policy is composed of national constitutional laws and regulations. Further substrates include both judicial interpretations and regulations which are generally authorized by legislation. Public policy is considered strong when it solves problems efficiently and effectively, serves justice, supports governmental institutions and policies, and encourages active citizenship. [1]

Public policy is the means by which a government maintains order or addresses the needs of its citizens, through actions defined by its constitution. If this definition sounds vague or confusing, it's likely because a public policy is generally not a tangible thing but rather is a term used to describe a collection of laws, mandates, or regulations established through a political process. [2]

Public policy can be generally defined as a system of laws, regulatory measures, courses of action, and funding priorities concerning a given topic promulgated by a governmental entity or its representatives. Individuals and groups often attempt to shape public policy through education, advocacy, or mobilization of interest groups. Shaping public policy is obviously different in Western-style democracies than in other forms of government. But it is reasonable to assume that the process always involves efforts by competing interest groups to influence policy makers in their favor. A major aspect of public policy is law. In a general sense, the law includes specific legislation and more broadly defined provisions of constitutional or international law. There are many ways that the law can influence how survivors

of violence against women are treated and the types of services they receive. Likewise, legislation identifies areas in which research grants can be funded and often determines the amount of funding allocated. Thus, it is not surprising that public policy debates occur over proposed legislation and funding.

Meaning of public policy, Robert Eye Stone terms public policy as "the relationship of government unit to its environment. Thomas R. Dye says that "public policy is whatever government chooses to do or not to do", Richard Rose says that "public policy is not a decision, it is a course or pattern of activity.

In Carl J. Friedrich's opinion public policy is a proposed course of action of a person, group or government within a given environment providing opportunities and obstacles which the policy was proposed to utilize and overcome in an effort to reach a goal or realize an objective or purpose.

 Harold Lasswell and Abraham Kaplan (1970) define public policy “a projected program of goals, values, and practices”. Therefore mentioned definition confuses public policy with programs, making the latter seem overly extensive. A program can be public policy, but not all public policies are programs. As has been pointed out, public policy also includes instructions, decisions, laws, regulations, and other symbolic systems that government sends out.

PUBLIC POLICY IS NECESSARY IN GOVERNMENT

Governments enjoy a special role in public policy-making due to their unique ability to make authoritative decisions on behalf of citizens, which are backed up by legislation, laws, rules and regulations as well as sanctions for offenders in the event of non- compliance. Thomas Dye’s definition also highlights the fact that public policy- making involves a fundamental choice on the part of governments to do something or to do nothing about a problem, and that decision is made by elected representatives or government officials. Closely related to this point, Dye’s definition also highlights the fact that a public policy is a conscious choice of a government. That is government actions and decisions often yield unintended consequences. For example, an effort to control the sale of a product deemed to be harmful for public consumption may increase smuggling and shoot up its price – people operate illegally on the black market. Governments often make policies

based on a series of decisions that cumulatively contribute to an outcome. Eg: health policy involves building health facilities, certifying personnel and treatment, and financing healthcare provision among many other related actions. These various interrelated decisions are often made by different individuals and agencies within government such as the Cabinet, Ministries of Finance, Health and even social welfare and by various departments and agencies within the ministries.

Public policy is important because policy choices and decisions made by those in power affect nearly every aspect of daily life, including education, healthcare and national security. Public policy decisions are made daily and cover all levels of government. Some public policy decisions are made at the level of local government, while others are made by county officials and policymakers at the national and international levels. The policies set in place by officials at all level of government establish rules, regulations and procedures that guide the actions of citizens within their jurisdiction. Public policy decisions are primarily made to improve the health, safety and well-being of citizens, and may set standards for educational institutions, transportation operations and housing facilities. Some public policy is concerned with short-term issues, such as coordinating relief efforts following natural disasters or to alleviate economic concerns produced by a sudden downturn in the market.

Public policies are set in place primarily by elected officials, who are voted into office for a set period of time by citizens. Public policy affects short-term issues as well as complex and intractable issues that occur in multiple locations and are carried out across generations. Public policy sets some societal norms for behavior, and also strives to improve the quality of life for people.

Some policies is very necessary in Government:

Health policy Financial policy Educational policy Industrial policy Foreign policy

HEALTH POLICY

Health policy is necessary in government. An authoritative statement of intent adopted by government on behalf of the public with the aim of improving the health and welfare of the populations (centrally determined basis for action).

What health agencies actually do rather than what governments would like them to do (Observing outcomes of decision making).

Public health policy Health care policy

PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY: Heart of all political decisions is the allocation of value.

Easton(1965) : allocation of values is the process by which government choose which values to grant and which to deny – the process of making and altering policies.

Competing demands on finite resources:

Demands made by individuals and groups seeking particular policies. Resources help the government to respond to the demands being made

( money , building staff , time ). Support relates to the extent to which any government is authorised to pass

legislation.

A policy is a plan or course of action: designed to define issues, influence decision-making promote broad community actions beyond those made by individuals.

POTENTIAL ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN HEALTH CARE:

A regulator of health care agencies A stimulator of research. A protector of deprived and disadvantaged groups. A financier of health and health care programmes. A purchaser of health care services. A direct provider of services

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FINANCIAL POLICYPublic finance is a study of income and expenditure of the government and the central , state, and local level.  Government has to perform certain functions in a country such as to supply certain public or collective goods which individuals cannot or do not singly perform. And this is the responsibility of the government to provide those goods for which it needs revenue. [9]

Among the most successful strategies for encouraging entrepreneurship and small business are changes in tax policy, regulatory policy, access to capital, and the legal protection of property rights.

TAX POLICY:

Governments use taxes to raise money. But taxes increase the cost of the activity taxed, discouraging it somewhat. Therefore, policymakers need to balance the goals of raising revenue and promoting entrepreneurship. Corporate tax rate reductions, tax credits for investment or education, and tax deductions for businesses are all proven methods for encouraging business growth.

REGULATORY POLICY: "The simpler and more expedited the regulatory process, the greater the likelihood of small business expansion," says Steve Strauss, a lawyer and author, who specializes in entrepreneurship. Reducing the cost of compliance with government regulations is also helpful. Governments can, for example, provide one-stop service centers where entrepreneurs can find assistance and allow electronic filing and storage of forms.

ACCESS TO CAPITAL:Starting a business takes money. There are required procedures and fees as well as the initial costs of the new enterprise itself. Therefore, the most important activity a government can undertake is to assist potential entrepreneurs with finding money for start-ups. In the United States, the Small Business Administration (SBA) helps entrepreneurs get funds. The SBA is a federal agency whose main function is guaranteeing loans. Banks and other lenders that participate in SBA programs often relax strict loan requirements because the government has promised repayment if the borrower defaults. This policy makes many loans available for risky new businesses.

LEGAL PROTECTION OF PROPERTY RIGHT:Small business can thrive where there is respect for individual property rights and a legal system to protect those rights. Without property rights, there is little incentive to create or invest. [10]

EDUCATIONAL POLICYEducation policy are the principles and government policy-making in educational sphere, as well as the collection of laws and rules that govern the operation of education systems. Education occurs in many forms for many purposes through many institutions. Examples include early childhood education, kindergarten through to 12th grade, two and four year colleges or

universities, graduate and professional education, adult education and job training. Therefore, education policy can directly affect the education people engage in at all ages.

Examples of areas subject to debate in education policy, specifically from the field of schools, include school size, class size, school choice, school privatization, tracking, teacher education and certification, teacher pay, teaching methods, curricular content, graduation requirements, school infrastructure investment, and the values that schools are expected to uphold and model.

Issues in education policy also address problems within higher education. The Pell Institute analyzes the barriers experienced by teachers and students within community colleges and universities. These issues involve undocumented students, sex education, and federal grant aides.

Education policy analysis is the scholarly study of education policy. It seeks to answer questions about the purpose of education, the objectives (societal and personal) that it is designed to attain, the methods for attaining them and the tools for measuring their success or failure. Research intended to inform education policy is carried out in a wide variety of institutions and in many academic disciplines. Important researchers are affiliated with departments of psychology, economics, sociology, and human development, in addition to schools and departments of education or public policy.

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ELEMENTARY EDUCATION:The government has set a target in its education policy to bring all children from 6 to 10 years in elementary schools by 2015. The government has set the target but no plan has been made to encourage the children to take admission in the schools. This target of government to bring all children to schools by 2015 is unrealistic. Because due to rising inflation the cost of living is increasing day by day and most of the population is living by hand to mouth. The poverty is increasing at a rapid rate therefore, the number of children going to school is decreasing, and the government cannot achieve this target unless the poverty is reduced to minimum. In the policy the government has not been able to justify that how it is going to achieve this target. To set this target is unrealistic and is not achievable with only five years time frame.

SECONDARY AND HIGHER EDUCATION:

The government has aimed at providing the higher education for girls and the development of high schools and colleges in the localities where there are no or very low amount of higher education schools or colleges. This policy of government aims at development of underdeveloped regions of the country and promotes the higher education in these regions. The promotion of higher education is very critical for raising the living standard of the country.

This policy has included grade XI and XII in school system which is common in advanced countries as USA and UK. The policy is also aiming at developing skills of the students to train them to perform different task and earn their living through self employment and other vocational and technical education.

LITERACY AND FORMAL EDUCATION:The government in its policy has set the target to increase the literacy rate to 85% by 2015, this target set by the government is very ambitious and difficult to achieve. The government has set the target but has not been able to provide the implementation procedures to achieve this target. To achieve this target of 85% literacy rate within five years is unrealistic. To improve the literacy rate, the education of children as well as adult is required. And to make people go to school is very difficult in current scenario where inflation is at its peak and cost of living is very difficult to meet. Therefore, the target set is not properly planed and it seems that government has set the target without proper survey, research and planning. More over the steps described by the government are vague and unclear they do not provide a guide line how the government policy will work and how it will be implemented.

EMERGENCY EDUCATION:In the present situation which Pakistan is facing, the government has made a very effective step in providing education to the students regarding emergency situation. This education would be provided to the students of colleges and schools to train them so they will be able to cope with the emergency or crisis situation. This is a positive point in the education policy, and these types of measures are not present in the previous policy.

IMPROVING QUALITY OF EDUCATION:The government in its policy is determined in improving the quality of education in the country, for this purpose the government has described various steps in the

policy including training of teachers so they would be able to provide quality education to the students. The government has announced that the curriculum would be revised and new and improved course would be taught to students so that they would be able to get the latest education and would be able to compete with the international students. The training of teachers would be helpful in providing latest education to the students in accordance with the latest trends.

Quality of Text Books and learning education will be improved to raise the living standards, in the policy the government has announced that new and improved text books would be provided to the students in elementary and higher schools. Improving the quality of education is an important step and will help in improving the living standard. The policy is also aiming at improving the assessment procedure of the exams to achieve fair and transparent system of assessment. [12]

SCIENCE EDUCATION:Among the factors of the influence growth and development, science education is by far the most important. Science education provides a sound base for scientific research and technological development. In view of the vital role science education play in national development it has been decided and a National Center of Science Education has been established to promote and popularize science and technology among masses through research and science fairs, museums, films etc to improve science and technology teaching through research and innovation.

TECHNICAL EDUCATION:Inspite the several efforts in the past the technical education is still not job oriented. More ever there are hardly any arrangement for identifying the need and providing training to 80% rural population to make them more productive to order to strengthen this large sector of economy. In order to improve technical education the productive oriented education and curriculum have been introduced relating to the market requirement in all technical institutions.

INDUSTRIAL POLICY

Government in a statement on industrial policy issued in 1948, declared that the aim of its industrialization policy is an improvement in the standard of living of the people brought about by harnessing to the maximum extent possible, the force and treasurers of nature in the service of the people, by providing gainful and legitimate employment and by assuring freedom from want, equality of opportunity, dignity of labour and more equitable distribution of wealth. There has been the goal of industrial development all along. However, industrial development in Pakistan is going to be achieved by the joint efforts of he government and private individuals.

The industrial share which Pakistan received at the time of independence was only 7% and consistence of small scale industries.

COTTON TEXTILE INDUSTRY:The best example of the industry development through private enterprise is the growth of textile industry of Pakistan. In 1947, Pakistan had on only 16 cotton textile mills with an output of III mills of cotton cloth. In 1954, the country made so great progress in textile production that it become self-sufficient in cloth. In 1960, the textile industry had become an important foreign exchange earner of the country. Cotton textile industry produce about 30% of the total industrial production or GNP. It is the country’s largest and most developed industry, employing over and decrease in textile production greatly affects the overall growth of the industrial sector.

ENGINEERING INDUSTRIES:Another shortcoming in the industrial development of the country was the lack of engineering or machine making industry. A modest beginning in engineering or machine and tool making industry was made in the production of agricultural and textile machinery and in manufacturing sewing machine, turbines, compressors, equipment for sugar and cement industries, bycles, electrical machinery and appliances, machine tools etc. in 1968, a machine tool factory was set up at

Landhi, Karachi. It produces medium size machines tools including milling machines, radical drilling and lathes machines.

CHEMICAL INDUSTRY:The chemical industries are the basic industries for industrial and agricultural development of a country. Pakistan has abundant raw materials to produce chemicals. Raw materials such as natural gas, coal, gypsum, and other minerals, in industrial and agricultural waste producers are available in fairly large amount of the production of a wide variety of chemicals. In 1960, certain basic chemical were manufactured in insufficient quantities. Now several chemical industries are functioning different places in Pakistan, having achieved self sufficiency in this field.

FOREIGN POLICYAll national governments create policies and institute actions directed primarily outside of their own countries. These public actions are foreign policies. The making of the foreign policy is a necessary activity of the modern world. The Cento, Seato, Tashkent Declaration, Simla Agreement, ECO, OIC are all examples of policy actions. Problem with foreign policy issues are rooted in their dual nature. As such policies are directed towards other nations, they seem intrinsically foreign and even mystical. Understanding these policies requires a great deal of information, some of which may be secret; an understanding of foreign language and customs and often a special expertize only a few specialists might possess. However, these foreign policy actions may directly effect the lives of the citizens of a country. Foreign policy differs from other policies in terms of its domestic political considerations. Like industrial, labour, or income tax policies, most foreign policy questions usually involve the extended interplay of major interest groups in Pakistani society. [13]

REFRENCES:[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_policy

[2] http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-public-policy-definition-types-process-examples.html

[3] https://mainweb-v.musc.edu/vawprevention/policy/definition.shtml

[4] http://www.slideshare.net/denissanchawa/public-policy-an-introduction

[5] http://www.slideshare.net/jobitonio/public-policy-23310782

[6] http://www.slideshare.net/nida19/ppt-on-understaing-policy

[7] http://www.ask.com/government-politics/public-policy-important-14dc2408c7f30f82

[8] http://www.slideshare.net/Raza_Ali/102928417-1introductiontohealthpolicy

[9] http://www.slideshare.net/ginish9841502661/chapter-9-32670376?next_slideshow=1

[10]http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/publication/2008/06/20080603235710eaifas2.015322e-02.html#axzz3q52L0C7t

[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_policy

[12] http://maazalisyed.blogspot.com/2010/01/critical-analysis-of-pakistans.html

[13] Book of “An introduction to public policy with reference to Pakistan” by Dr. Muhammad Hassan Shaikh