Smart Policy Design: Why the Obvious Is So Hard To Do
Policy Formulation and Implementation Actions (attachment)
1. Based on the video and the reading, even when ample data is available, how does the data mask or cover the underlying cause(s)?
2. Recalling our previous discussion and the video, what makes the silver-bullet solutions so alluring?
3. Thinking of the major current policy issues (immigration, climate change, gun control), how could a dose of humility change the way we define these problems? Why is being humble a political challenge?
4. Smart policy design, as described by the EPoD group, is focused on engineering and scientific processes that allow for testing, evaluation, and refinement. What concerns may stakeholders (politicians, public, and bureaucrats) have with this type of process?
5. Finally, what are your key takeaways when considering policy design and implementation?
Course Text:
Kingdon, J. W. (1997 — 2nd Ed. is ok) Agendas, Alternatives and Public Policies. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN-13: 978-0673523891; ISBN-10: 0673523896
Theodoulou, S. Z. & Cahn, M. A. (2012). Public Policy: The Essential Readings. 2nd Ed. Pearson. ISBN-13: 978-0205856336; ISBN-10: 0205856330
