Government and Policymaking

1. Government and Policymaking

2. Policymaking • The point at which proposed policy programs (outcomes of interest aggregation) become law. • What does it take for such programs to become policy (make the transition from a proposed course of action to the adopted course of action?)

3. Decision Rules • What are the decision rules across political systems that move interest aggregation to adopted policy? • Constitutions typically contain the decision rules • A set of rules and principles concerning decision making, rights, and the distribution of authority in a political system • Can be written or based in custom, legal precedent • A set of customs and practices

4. Decision Rules • The basic rules governing the decision making process • Creation of offices and assignment of responsibility and authority to these entities • Examples: • U.S. Congress – committee system, two houses with differing rules, rules about reconciliation, etc. • British House of Commons – simple majority rule, cabinet dominance

5. Constitutions • A fundamental political act • Sets out the rules of the game • Functional authority • Geographic distribution of authority • Most political systems have them, notable exception Britain • Highly developed set of customs and conventions supported by ordinary statute • Important role of political culture

6. European Union • Constitutional development has not emerged from crisis • idea for the union originated in effort to prevent future war) • Decision Rules have evolved over the course of 40 years: • Impacts 27 countries • 495.5 million citizens

7. Geographic Distribution of Government Power • Decision rules vary along three dimensions: • Geographic distribution of authority • Federal systems – “separate spheres” of authority • Unitary systems – national authority • Confederal systems –state authority • Separation of powers among branches • Executive • Various names and duties, ceremonial, head of state, head of government, individual or collective • Two forms of representative government: • Presidential and parliamentary • Legislatures • Bicameral, unicameral • Limitations on government authority

8. Democracy vs Authoritarianism • Policy making functions vary most dramatically between these two types of systems • Competitive elections bring people into policy process • Elites dominate the policy making process in authoritarian systems and possibility for non-elite access is low • Democratic transition??

9. Democratic Presidential Regime • Two separate agencies of government • Executive and legislative, separately elected • Branches selected for fixed terms • Neither may easily unseat the other • Each with specific power in the constitution

10. Parliamentary Regime • Interdependent executive and legislative branches • Only legislature directly elected • Neither branch has a fixed term in office; both (typically) can be voted out of office at any time • Confidence relationship between Cabinet and majority (eliminates divided government) • If majority votes “no confidence” PM and cabinet resign • PM power to dissolve legislature -- elections • Cabinet – collective leadership of the executive branch – derived from the legislature • Chaired by a prime minister, head of government and selects the other members

11. Mixed Systems • Semipresidential • President and legislature separately elected • But president may dissolve legislature • Cabinet may be appointed by president but may be dismissed by legislature • A variety of arrangements for shared control exist • France, Russia

12. Limits on Governmental Power • Provision of civil rights • Protections guaranteed by government • Rights of citizenship • Establishment of courts • Judicial review – judicial limitation of governmental authority • Independent versus non independent • Amending procedures

13. Comparing Structures and Functions • Assemblies • Cabinets • Elite Recruitment • The Bureaucracy • Professionalism • Implementation and enforcement • May also articulate and aggregate and all but form policies • “leave no child behind” – Donna Shalala Children’s Defense Fund