Approaches to Public Policy

APPROACHES TO PUBLIC POLICY A. Brief Definition of Public Policy Public policy is a process of formulating problems that occur in the life of a country that is carried out in a complex, analytical, and no less important way is political. Sometimes, the process that occurs in it has the power or interest that will produce the policy. Here are some approaches related to policy that are explained in policy studies: 1. Group approach This approach assumes that an individual has the same interests and joins and forms a group with the aim of influencing the government in making policies. While other groups that have their own interests will compete and seek influence in order to produce the desired policies. The advantage of this approach is that it gives rise to groups that can accommodate and channel the aspirations of individual members of the group. While the weakness is the overlapping of interests and unhealthy competition in the process of formulating public policy. 2. Functional Approach This approach model is an approach that is always used in public policy studies. This approach model is carried out by focusing on each functional activity carried out in the public policy process. There are several categories of functional policy approaches that can be used in this discussion according to Harold Lasweel, namely: a. Intelligence that is how information about policy issues becomes a concern for policy actors in obtained, collected and then processed. b. Recommendation that is how recommendations or alternatives are made to overcome problems. c. Application that is how regulations are implemented in society. d. Assessment that is how a policy that is implemented is assessed for its success and also its failure. e. Termination that is how previous regulations are continued by being changed or terminated. In this approach there are several advantages that can be seen, namely: there is no connection with government institutions or political regulations and it can provide a comparative analysis of public policy. While the weakness is that it ignores the policy formation process and the influence of environmental variables. 3. Institutional approach The assumption developed by the institutional approach is that a policy is taken, implemented, and carried out by force by the government. This model approach is characterized by policy makers having legitimacy over the policies issued and being able to monopolize all of society. The weakness of this approach is the lack of attention to the relationship between government institutions and the absence of substance in public policy. 4. Citizen Participation Approach This approach is based on classical democratic thinking put forward by John Locke and John Stuart Mill. They argue that there is a good influence from the role of society in the development of public policy. With the involvement of society in solving public problems, society will understand and have responsibility for their lives. The role of society is based on high expectations of community problems and the desire to be involved in social life. Based on this, a society is needed that has a personality that is in accordance with the values and functions of democracy. 5. Psychological Approach This approach is related to the psyche that has an influence on the people involved in the policy process. Psychology studies have contributed greatly to the decision-making process. Thus, ignoring the psychological approach to policy analysis will hinder the policy-making process.