Rationalism, Incrementalism, Bounded Rationality and Satisficing - Case Study Example

Summarization Name Tutor Date Rationalism (Homo Economicus) Rationalism is the ability of the humans to make decisions in certain situations so that they can be able to maximize their utility. During the drought season, Australian farmers needed to make right decisions so as to survive in the years 1994- 1995 (Stehlic, et. al, 1999). Farmers considered the use of GMO after considering factors such as the understanding of the issue, process voluntariness, memory of similar events, extent of people’s control and technological moral stances (Coakes and Fisher, 2000). Farmers still weighed positives and negatives of this technology (Finucanes, 2000). Further research confirmed that farmers were ready to adopt some of their own ways of farming since it dawned to them that there was global warming (Weber, 1997). Another method that farmers were willing or rather it was advised to adopt was the proper use of probabilistic information whereby farmers had difficulties in applying this but the program known as Climate Variability in Agriculture came to their rescue to assist them to have an improved communication climate risk during the period where there was variability of seasonal climate. This would help them understand the primary climatic drivers, risk of drought and options that had range of responses that would be effective (Clarke and White, 2002; Dalgleish and White, 2001). Incrementalism This is a process whereby policies are made. The new airport that was to be situated at Sydney is an approach to policy cycle that Bridgeman and Davis (1998) used. This may not have been a better case since the communities around that area of the new airport location did not support the idea. The approach to policy cycle has never resolved the issue concerning the new airport in Sydney. Issues on policies can bring about solutions to methodologies used to present the matter to the community as well as the undertakings during the making of those policies only if the policies are made straightforward. Smoothing of such processes as well as eliminating any hindrance to such are some of its benefits. The policy cycle can be used to eradicate issues that may be politically influenced and at times resolve them. A consortium that dealt with coal companies in the year 1974, made a proposal to develop a coal loader to be added to the port at Botany Bay as well as Industrial Complex (Everett, 1988). The development of the Botany Bay had industry support from all over including the board of Maritime services as well as the state commission control of pollution. Formalization included statement of the impact on the environment. These procedures were followed and the state government approved of it. Later in 1977 politics affected this location and the coal loader was situated at Port Kembler. Bounded rationality and satisficing In the mid- year of 1950s, the pollution of air was rarely a subject policy subject in the Federal efforts of US which were confined to a small program that would assist technically and paper programs were in limited states. Entities of the government which had control programs that were active were only found in a small number of cities that included Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and St Louis. After 10 years, expenditures that were federal had gone up to over 20- fold and the state count that had budgets of pollution control $100000 had an increase of 19 (Davies, 2004). During 1970, federal of clean air amendments were approved whereby pollution control responsibility was transferred to Washington from local and state governments. A regulatory massive program was instituted to improve the quality of air by the 1970s mid- year. The air however changed to unhealthy from being perceived as dirty in most parts of the country. Principle sources perceptions moved to include emissions from the automobile as well as various other sources unlike the previous residences and factories of coal burning. The stringent control of pollution consensus dissipated due to the arising of other issues that were challenging to implement that concerned technology and politics. Later in the year, the quality of air and emissions made an improvement but there was a periodic attack of the program as well as delegations of more authority was directed to the government (Mazmanian and Sabatier, 1983). Policy learning and policy transfer Obesity epidemic is rampant in various places especially in developed countries. Debate on this topic urges the government to educate people on healthy living and regulation of the media advertisements on unhealthy food. These suggestions to the government on healthy living should also attract cautiousness to the response of the policy makers. Closer scrutiny should be done to some propositions such as knowledge on cause and reversion of the weight gain, link between gaining of weight and relative disease caused and action to this issue should be immediately otherwise collapsing of public health systems around the world would be common. The debate on obesity is subjected to hyperbole from the outset which is useful in identifying the problem using a certain metric. A crude measure of the status of health is the BMI commonly known as Body Mass Index. The BMI of an individual is the division done between weight in kilogram and height in squared meters. BMI that is known to be ideal is between 18 and 24.9 whereby 25 to 30 are overweight whereas above 30 is obesity. Adjustment to these figures are not done to the masculine or very fit individuals hence this figure covers these individuals who happen to be very healthy whose muscles are above their fat capacity. Basing on this, Michael Jordan and Brad Pit are individuals who are overweight. George Clooney as and Russell Crowe are obese (Campos, 2004). People should identify ways to avoid obese as well as device ways that can assist those who already have obesity thin. This would include eating less and doing more exercises to uphold healthy living. The Sloth- Gluttony interpretation alternatives do not find obesity as lack of will power but the individual’s gene failure. Value During the years 1980s and 1970s, the NPM managerialism exponents made use of analytical framework that was innovative to counter problems that were traditional as well as make improvements on information of program performance to all areas of selection. Around this time, several policy dormain’s de- regulation by state and services outsourcing, linkages of these were made to the main focus on the issues affecting the performance of the problem. This strategy however was risky due to capabilities that were steering in some agencies in the public sector (Pollit and Bouckaert, 2000). There was a shift however in the 1990s that was politically significant that helped in solving difficult issues that were interlinked. An investment that had increased was seen during this period in policy analysis central units as well as evidence- based commissioning of consultancy reports (Schorr, 1988). Policy processes were seen rising in the 1990s which did not have more potential in technocrat as well as ‘network’ approaches that were more open. The meaning of this was that new approaches to managerial issues often were supplemented with the use of other mechanisms that were new as well as process loops (Casey, 2004). Felt frustrations by managers in the public agencies that affected rates of return below their expectations led to the search of better approaches. Information obtained from performance indicated lack of expected results and this led to welcoming of further new approaches to deal with the social problem. Mechanisms that was more valuable. Watchdogs Watchdogs can be described as the people who ensure that some activities or policies are followed to the latter. They can be policy- makers. The institutions that are supra- national play an important role in the transfer of coercive policy. They have been significant in the issue of monetary policy spread to the developing countries. European court of justice as well as the European Union forces the transfer of policies among its members. Policy pushing function of the EU has been shown by Shapiro (1992) whereby, it gives directions by the use of its powers whereas governments have been forced by the European Court Of Justice to put into function the directive policies of EU. Policy network and policy communities Constituting important innovations that are conceptual, ‘policy network’ and ‘policy community’ constitute these which enables them emerge to the process of the policy from this catholic approach. These terms allow the variations of state relations and do not agree with single model working. Speculations of these notions, being variations that are minor on the pluralist theme which are dominant. Reflection of the pluralist version weaknesses of a state is done on the problems encountered by the community and network concepts in the influence incorporation of macro political institution influence as well as the political discourse power. Little theorizing done on the dynamics of diachronic has been done despite the changes seen in networks and changes. Generalization is done by the policy process students. Being experts in any of the policy areas, the students aspire to talk on the general policy making which actually applies to several systems that are political. This leads to the ‘magic bullet’ search which is a concept known to travel throughout policy domains and systems that are political albeit the relevant measures are retained as well as the uniqueness. Encouragement of comparisons, hypothetical suggestions as well as help from this concept are known to together draw the knowledge of policy process that is fragmented increasingly. Similar fragmentations have been a generation obstacle of a body that is coherent of knowledge. Policy area that have shown an increasing number with capacity that is technical and information that is detailed has eventually now becomes an effective participation importance. In the communication study, this concept has been applied to figure out the patterns that favor innovation of products in small firms’ congeries (Powell, 1989). Wicked problems Some difficulties in problems of policy making are known to be termed as wicked. This growing literature is found as open- ended, stubborn and complex. Contested is both the ‘problem’ and solution ‘preferred’. Little attention has been given to the identification of these wicked problems. Challenges that are new for practitioners as well as researchers are suggested as similar to the wicked issues. The responses of the public management that is standard appear not to be adequate. New responses to process are tested at an increased rate. New approaches for addressing problem causing issues are required. An example of the coming up of problems that are wicked is the programs in the US that occurred towards the end of the year 1960s whereby designing of the program was used for alleviation of poverty as well as problems in housing and lack of employment in urban areas that were disadvantaged (Pressman and Wildavsky, 1973). According to the message, less ambition should be administered by the decision makers as well being contented with tackling carefully as well as managing the components of problems that are seen as large instead of over commitment to an approach that is comprehensive. Wicked problems can be approached In three ways which include use of knowledge that is known to be better, application of consultation that is better as well as being keen on the usage of third party partners which must be better. These approaches require future attention to be done closely than before during research. Addressing knowledge gaps should be researched, thus, investment should be done for this kind of research. The biggest challenge that researchers face is to change people’s thinking on the wicked problems. Strategic thinking should therefore be done for the public sector. Sabatier’s Advocacy Coalition Framework and Policy Subsystems Regarded by Sabatier (1978), the policy subsystems play a major importance during the formulation of policies as well as implementation. The policy scholars of US and Europe stress the relationship importance within sectors of policies as primary reasons of understanding of the making of decision procedures. The framework of the PAC resembles the school of policy networks. The framework of the PAC just like several other network accounts reputes the making of policy as a process that is continuous that does not contain strict end and beginning. Competition for a subsystem dominance is brought about by the coalitions of the policy advocacy that compete that are normally two to four in number whereby each of them possess unique ideas on the content of the policy The framework does not just contain network and ideas synthesis but also some other political system aspects. Individuals are socialized into behavioral patterns by ideas and interests. In the oil crisis of 1973 as well as President Reagan Ronald’s election in 1980 brought about policy changes that were rapid. Evidence Based policy making Policies made need evidence during their making. A policy maker would compare policies by taking advantage of theories at hand that show generalization of policy classes. When inflation is considered, comparison would be done that relate to price theories. Beyond this policy makers’ investigation, there are no alternatives therefore he would put into consideration central control that is strict as well as price abolition as well as markets so as public control elimination that are reliable on the free market. The policy maker would then outline the few policies that happened to him. During the testing of a good policy, a decision is termed to be good if it possesses some certain specific objectives. If a barrier to communication is created by this phenomenon, there is need to understand enriched promises during interaction that is intellectual in the process of formulating the policy (Spring, 1959). References Bridgeman, P. and Davis, G. (1998). Australian policy handbook. Sydney: Allen and Unwin. Campos, P. (2004). The obesity myth: Why America’s obsession with weight is hazardous to your health. New York: Gotham Books Casey, J. (2004). Third sector participation in the policy process. Policy and politics. 32 (2) 241-257. Clarke, S. and White, B. (2002). A survey of farmers’ attitudes, management strategies and use of weather and seasonal forecasts for coping with climate variability in the perennial pasture zone of SE Australia. Australian journal of experimental Agriculture. 42. 173- 188. Coakes, S. and Fisher, M. (2000). Risk perception, farmers and biotechnology. Report prepared for AFFA Bureau of Rural Sciences. Dalgleish, D. and White, B. (2001). Seasonal climate information and farmers’ risk assessment and decision- making. Land and Water Australia: Canberra. Davies, P. (2004). Is Evidence Based policy possible? Washington: the Jerry Lee Lecture, Campbell collaboration colloquium. Everett, S. (1988). The Location of Transport Infrastructure and the policy making process: port terminals and Modal Networks for NSW Export coals in the 1970s . University of Wollongong. Finucanes, M. (2000). Improving quarantine risk communication: understanding public risks perception. Mazmanian, D. and Sabatier, P. (1983). Implementation and Public Policy. Chicago: Scott Foresman. Pressman and Wildavsky, (1973). Implementation. Berkely: university of Carlifonia press. Pollit, C. and Bouckaert, G. (2000). Public Management Reform: A comparative Analysis. Oxford. Powell, M. (1989). Social policy. Sydney. Shapiro, M. (1992). The European Court of Justice. Euro- politics. Washington DC: Brookings Institute. Schorr, L. (1988) within our reach: Breaking the cycle of disadvantage. New York: Anchor Doubleday. Spring, (1959). Operation Research and National planning. Operation Research. Vol 5 (5) 718-723. Sabatier (1978). The Acquisition and Utilization of Technical Information by Administrative Agencies. Administrative Science Quarterly 23. 386- 411 Stehlic, et. al, (1999). Drought in the 1990s: Australian farm families’ experiences. RIRDC publication. Weber, E. (1997). Perception and expectation of climate change: pre-condition for economic and technological adaptation. Environmental, ethics and behavior. San Fransisco: Josey Bass. Read More