Public Administration

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Policy Issue

There is a constant change in the field of public policy administration as the demands of the society are increasing at a faster rate the capacity of the available resources. A shift in social trends coupled with the recent technological advances has changed the way public policies are developed and implemented. Technology has caused a major revolution, impacting communication between leaders and their constituents as well as the way law enforcement works. The changes in public administration are accompanied by several policy issues. One of the major issues that public administration has to deal with is related to welfare policy. The income disparity in the society is an issue of concern to public policy administrators. This issue is related to helping those in need in the society. Public administrators need to be concerned about the welfare of the needy citizens. Public assistance may be offered through income transfers where public administrators target to distribute some of the incomes from the wealthier individuals to those with low or income. This is done through strategies such as public housing, Earned Income Tax Credit, Supplemental Security Income, social insurance, revenue sourcing, education, and health policies such as Medicaid. (Chambers, & Bonk, 2013).

Public Policy

The regulatory policy regulates order and prevents behaviors that may endanger the well-being of the society. The regulatory policy is implemented by imposing restrictions on citizens or groups so that they do not engage in practices that affect the political or social order of the society. The regulatory policy is related to the policy issue stated above as it is aimed at protecting the welfare of all individuals in the society. It prevents exploitation of citizens by business people. The regulatory policy may involve regulation of trade, public utilities, business and safety measures. It also regulates business markets and economic activities. For example, regulatory policy should prohibit activities that tarnish free markets such as the creation of monopolies which harm the small business individuals. The main aim of the regulatory policy is to promote equity and social justice. (Durant, 2014).

The regulatory policy may cover a number of areas which include; safety, minimum wages, environmental impact, and financial businesses such as banking and insurance. It protects people from the consumption of harmful products by outlining the regulatory measures that have to be met by manufacturers of these products. It also ensures that natural resources are used prudently and that these resources are distributed equally. This also goes hand in hand with safeguarding the environment when extracting the natural resources. The policy prevents economic disasters at both regional and national levels. This is done through the enforcement of policies that allow effective operation of the economy. The regulatory policy also plays an important role in encouraging competitive markets. The regulatory activities of the regulatory policy may be classified as either economic or social. The economic regulatory activities are designed to control rates and market entry conditions. Social regulatory activities are designed to control exposures and externalities that may compromise human health and safety. They include workplace safety regulations and regulations governing the discharge of pollutants into the environment. Equal employment opportunities in different agencies and education programs are also covered under the social regulation activities. (Chambers, & Bonk, 2013).

Policy Modification

Policy administrators are responsible for ensuring that services are delivered to the public. Therefore, they are in a position to identify problems associated with public policies that are not envisioned to the policy makers. By considering the substantive impact of a policy, public administrators can propose modifications of the policy. Policy modifications should be aimed at creating healthy conditions for sustained benefits of the policy. The type of policy modification chosen depends on the country’s structural policies. These include labor and product market policies which may impact labor force participation, the rate of structural unemployment as well as the labor productivity growth potential. The method of policy modification chosen may have a positive or negative impact on one or more policy issues. (McGann, 2016).

Some of the policy modifications that can be made on the regulatory policy and impact the welfare of the people in a positive way include imposing higher requirements in terms of product quality and safety and removing outdated anti-competitive regulations. The higher quality regulations can create an incentive for firms to compete on quality. Customers will thus have more protection from harmful products. Doing away with the anti-competitive regulations may help remove the barriers to the entry of new and innovative products in the market. This is likely to lead to more innovations and creativity. Businesses will be encouraged to be innovative in order to increase their competitive advantages. This benefits the consumers as they receive high-quality products and they will be assured of getting the value of the money they spend on products. (Carroll, & Common, 2013).

Other policy modifications may, however, have a negative impact on the welfare policy. These modifications may include deregulation of the regulatory policy and removal of the red tape. Regulated economies are likely to benefit the most. Removal of the market entry regulations may be harmful especially to the welfare of the small businesses. It is associated with creating competitive pressures which lead to the extinction of small businesses. This, therefore, would be a discouragement to young entrepreneurs and the economy stagnates. Removing the red tape could also have a negative impact on the welfare of the people. If there are no regulations in terms of product safety, businesses may compromise on quality in order to maximize profits. Consumers’ safety may also be compromised. It is important to maintain a high-quality requirement for all businesses. (Durant, 2014).

The Constitution

Most of the regulations produced by federal agencies are not voted on by the Congress. The Congress has increasingly ceded most of its lawmaking power to the executive branch. This has led to a hands-off approach by the Congress on matters concerning regulation, which has many deleterious consequences. To serve their constituents better, individual Congress members need to re-assert their authority in the regulatory policy. This would be beneficial because it is the duty of the Congress to ensure that federal regulations comport with the law. There are three ways through which the Congress can reassert its authority in the regulatory policy. The first one is heightening congressional attention from the leadership in both chambers. This could be done through regular notifications to the Congress member about all the newly proposed rules as well as the pending final rules. Another way that the Congress can use is, using the Congressional Review Act; it can prevent some rules from taking effect. This act provides that any representative or senator can introduce a resolution of disapproval which can prevent the new regulation from taking effect once approved by both chambers and the president. The third step is that the Congress can enact a legislation which would need congressional votes of approval before a regulation takes effect. An example is the REINS Act. (McElligott, 2016).

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Carroll, P., & Common, R. (2013). Policy transfer and learning in public policy and management: International contexts, content, and development.

Chambers, D. E., & Bonk, J. F. (2013). Social policy and social programs: A method for the practical public policy analyst. Boston: Pearson.

Durant, R. F. (2014). Why public service matters: Public managers, public policy, and democracy.

McElligott, G. (2016). Beyond Service: State Workers, Public Policy, and the Prospects for Democratic Administration. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

McGann, J. G. (2016). The fifth estate: Think tanks, public policy, and governance.