Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
I. SYNOPSIS
reconsidered by Peter John (2013) discusses much about the three distinct ages of
theory building and testing but focuses on three synthetic approaches while also delving
into the inclusion of comparative political economy into the fore of policy change and
variation theory. The article narrates on the basics of the each distinct age while also
attempting to visualize the future prospects of the said matter by highlighting the
developments in the contemporary period, while also indicating that scholars must be
alarmed of the risk of the study of policy change becoming moribund. The author argues
this in lieu of the fact that there seems to have been a characteristic of stagnation
looming the field. According to John (2013), the solution lies in reconstructing public
policy studies in such a way that brings about concrete results in that it can clearly
explain particular phenomena and not just describe such using metaphors.
So far, two ages have passed in the field of public policy—the first being the
classical period, and the second pertaining to that of the synthetic age. On the one
hand, the former aimed to define the key terms, which are operationalized up to this
time. Furthermore, it was also the time when the primary debates on decision-making
were held. The latter, on the other, served to elaborate the concepts produced from
earlier times and sought to clarify the complex processes embedded within the process
of policy change. The synthetic age also took account of the different inputs that can
The policy advocacy coalition framework puts premium in the relationships that
form in view of decision-making. John (2013, p.5) defines coalition as “an alliance of
bodies” that espouses or holds similar ideas and interests, which are created in order to
be able to pit these ideas against “other coalitions within the same policy sector”. Since
this was created in the synthetic age, coalitions do not merely involve elites in the act of
policy-making, but it also allows for the participation of a diverse set of actors, like
Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith (1993) the key aspect in this framework is the possession
of a wide variety of knowledge of these coalitions on certain policy issues. This can
Further, the model assumes that policy change must be subjected to observation over a
period of time in order to be able to assess how the aforementioned change will take
place. With this line of thought, it is also assumed that unless a crisis comes into the
fore, the ideas and interests that are advocated by a specific policy should remain
stable, with the presence of institutions and laws as stabilizing factors. That being said,
it might be difficult for the framework to actually explain policy change, as it places
policy. This means that inputs and ideas on policies come from various sources and
thus they have a “come-and-go” characteristic (Kingdon, as cited in John, 2013). The
author cites three processes involved in this model—problems, which are issues that
need to be resolved and may be viewed as important or unimportant; policies, which are
the proposals derived through the work of specialists in order to bring about change;
and lastly, political processes, which characterized by “public moods” (Kingdon, as cited
in John, 2013, p. 11) that influence public perception on issues through media as well
as the results of an election, of which the elected officials greatly determine how
problems are given their respective solutions. These provide a sense of contingency on
the matters listed in the agenda, and as such, Kingdon (as cited in John, 2013) aims to
determine the combination that would be conducive to a robust policy outcome. This
makes policy formation subject to luck and chance. Important issues, then, may only be
forwarded when circumstances are favorable to the creation of a policy, thus the
concept of a “policy window”. Kingdon (as cited in John, 2013) argues that the opening
and closing of these windows are only limited in duration, so swift action must be taken
for the proposal to make it to the list. In this regard, Kingdon utilizes the garbage can
organization as they move on to the next issue, which in turn can help in the
organizations, and agencies because it is in these wherein various issues are filtered.
What is missing in this model, however, is the process of which these ideas become
transformed into implemented programs and make it back to the agenda through a
feedback look.
that this is an active process that demonstrates changes through intermittent periods of
stability that is constantly altered by issue-expansions which trigger change. In this
light, the model prioritizes the identification of “shifts in the rate of policy change” and
the reason behind their occurrence in a given period of time. Baumgartner and Jones,
rather, they are able to gain ideas that can be transformed into policy change, despite
being only incremental in quality. However, because the policy-makers and the media
issues become salient and stability becomes threatened by changes that can possibly
take place. That being said, many elements, both internal and external, affect the policy-
making process. However, this model is still limited to descriptions, places excessive
importance on the power of media, and the composition of the agenda is too reliant on
visualization of the possible future of policy change theories. In this attempt, he argued
the sense that not only political events matter, but economic power holders also seem
to greatly affect policy outcomes, especially when taking into consideration the effects of
capital and labor. This sets it apart from the previous models that were mentioned
herein. In the end, therefore, the article sees great potential in comparative political
economy as a feat in policy-making, stressing the fear that a lack of effort to incorporate
this sub-discipline in the realm of policy might render the discipline of public policy, as a
whole, stagnant.
II. COMMENTARY
It is to be surmised that policy-making is not simply a topic taken up in public
administration classes. At the heart of political science is the need for its actualization,
which then lies in the creation of good policy outcomes. For this to be the result of the
effort of a diverse set of actors, there needs to be a clear and optimized process that
should guide their plan of action. This is the importance of rediscovering and revisiting
the past ages that brought to the fore various theories that establish concepts, explain
complexities that arise out of the phenomena taking place within society, and from
there, create policy innovations. In this commentary, the student is inclined to argue that
scholars of policy change should increase their sense of urgency if indeed comparative
political economy is the only addition to the models discussed above as of late.
However, this is not for the reason that the student believes that policy studies is
contemporary period, is in need of better and more inclusive policies. The fact that the
even nearing its demise. It continues to be relevant and will continue to be significant in
congestion. This has become an inevitable feature of a person’s daily life, whether he or
destination. In this sense, a great mass of people remains frustrated about the fact that
enough, to remedy this issue remains a struggle due to a large number of factors and
variations that needs to be considered. Primarily, traffic does not simply mean an
excess in vehicles, it cannot simply be caused by small and narrow roads or a poorly
arduous for policymakers to pinpoint a specific constraint and then create a cure to this
problem. There could be a high vehicle density with narrow roads, or a low vehicle
density with sufficient road space but poorly planned road transportation system. More
than being excessively tired from travelling an ideally 30-minute ride turned 2 hours, it
also has adverse economic effects. First, whether the car is moving or not, as long as
the engine on, fuel is consumed. This is frustrating for the private-vehicle owner driving
to work, but moreso with the PUV driver who is trying to make a living. Other than that,
delivery trucks that have a strict schedule are also burdened by this problem, and lack
of punctuality in delivery is bad for business. Indeed, as Chua (2015) argued, traffic
Aside from the situations presented, there are many more complications brought
about by traffic congestion. Hence, there is an elephant in the room that asks why there
are no policy options available to solve such a predicament. Downs (2004) maintains
that there are simply some things that cannot be avoided without a massive
restructuring scheme. Most of the ideas proposed were “prohibitively expensive”, like
expanding the roads so that all vehicles would fit. However, this line of thinking cannot
be pursued, because in the Philippines, buildings and establishments that surround the
main roads would need to be sacrificed just to make way for wider roads. Even if this
was possible, Downs further argues that as much as this would surely be beneficial
during rush hours, it would be extremely underutilized during non-peak hours. This is an
example of a complex issue that must be continually on the agenda for study by
policymakers. If the roads cannot be changed, then perhaps other projects can be made
as substitute. A novel approach in policy change theory that can include the study of
political, economic, social and geographic correlations might be beneficial in this regard.
In further reflection, the student maintains that there should be media outlets that
are effective in relaying the political, economic, and social realities of the Philippines to
the public eye, which means that they communicate relevant news that would not only
be of interest to the people, but would equip them with the knowledge they need in
crafting their own agendas in a way that would make them informed and productive
citizens. The media outlets that the Filipinos subscribe to are claimed by many to be
deceiving (Guiguio, 2015; Luna, 2016; de Jesus, 2016), and for those who are not
trained to interpret the news in a manner that would be conducive to the betterment of
the Philippines, news programs, newspapers, and other paraphernalia only serve as
means to divide the country. The third synthesized model, the Punctuated Equilibrium
model, speaks about the importance of media in shaping policies and also policy
government that they elected, and the latter referring to how they receive the services
brought about by the policies, and whether or not they comply with its implementation.
This would allow great correspondence between the people and the government, given
that the delivered goods and services are in line with their preferences.
REFERENCES
Baumgartner, F. R., & Jones, B. D. (1993). Agendas in instability in American politics.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Chua, G. S. (2015, March 12). Economic effects of traffic in Metro Manila. Retrieved 19
2017, April, from Business Mirror: http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/economic-
effects-of-traffic-in-metro-manila/
de Jesus, M. (2016, August). Philippines: How media corruption nourishes old systems
of bias and control. Retrieved April 19, 2017, from Ethical Journalism Network:
Untold Stories: http://ethicaljournalismnetwork.org/resources/publications/untold-
stories/philippines
Downs, A. (2004, January 1). Traffic: Why It’s Getting Worse, What Government Can
Do. Retrieved April 19, 2017, from Brookings: Policy Brief Series:
https://www.brookings.edu/research/traffic-why-its-getting-worse-what-
government-can-do/
Guioguio, R. (2015, March 22). An Overview of the Mass Media Situation in the
Philippines. Retrieved April 19, 2017, from LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/overview-mass-media-situation-philippines-rene-
guioguio
John, P. (2013, June 24). New directions in public policy: theories of policy change and
variation reconsidered. London, United Kingdom: International Conference on
Public Policy.
Kingdon, J. W. (1984). Agendas, alternatives, and public policies. Boston: Little Brown.
Luna, A. F. (2016, September 17). Biased media and biased reporting. Retrieved April
19, 2017, from Inquirer: Opinion: http://opinion.inquirer.net/97390/biased-media-
and-biased-reporting
Sabatier, P. A., & Jenkins-Smith, H. C. (1993). Policy change and learning: an advocacy
coalition approach. Boulder, Colo: Westview Press.