The political decision-making process
“The political decision-making process is so irrational that a completely rational approach to health policy-making can hardly be achieved.” Support, debunk or provide alternative paradigms or approaches to this statement, focusing on the development of a particular policy area you are familiar with, and using analytic tools and frameworks in health policy analysis.
This paper will begin by briefly examining the role of the state in health and how the state or political system is structured to meet this obligation. It will then describe the types of policy, the stages of policy making, and the uniqueness of health policy making. Having provided a solid foundation for understanding the political and policy making system, in the context of the Trinidad and Tobago scenario, it will delve into analyzing the policy making process, and directly answer the central question of the rationality of policy making in an irrational framework of government structure. Weather policy is taught of as an intent, strategy, hypothesis, objective, goal, principle, or a learning process, it should include what governments say they will do, what they actually do and what they decide not to do (Walt, 1994). Buse, Mays & Walt, (2005 cited in Gilson L, ed. 2012, p. 28) went on to say that health policy also includes decisions made by the private sector and other actions taken outside of the health system, which can have influence on diverse aspects of citizens’ health. Lipksy (1980 cited in Gilson L, ed. 2012, p. 28) also argue that Health public policy, the term used to differentiate from the broader public policy, is essentially the routinely daily practices of policy actors and their decisions that have been translated from the formal documents, which may sometimes be far removed from the original intent.
Regardless of whether the broader objectives focused on in macro/systemic polices of high politics or the finer special interests objectives being met in micro- sectoral polices of
This paper will begin by briefly examining the role of the state in health and how the state or political system is structured to meet this obligation. It will then describe the types of policy, the stages of policy making, and the uniqueness of health policy making. Having provided a solid foundation for understanding the political and policy making system, in the context of the Trinidad and Tobago scenario, it will delve into analyzing the policy making process, and directly answer the central question of the rationality of policy making in an irrational framework of government structure. Weather policy is taught of as an intent, strategy, hypothesis, objective, goal, principle, or a learning process, it should include what governments say they will do, what they actually do and what they decide not to do (Walt, 1994). Buse, Mays & Walt, (2005 cited in Gilson L, ed. 2012, p. 28) went on to say that health policy also includes decisions made by the private sector and other actions taken outside of the health system, which can have influence on diverse aspects of citizens’ health. Lipksy (1980 cited in Gilson L, ed. 2012, p. 28) also argue that Health public policy, the term used to differentiate from the broader public policy, is essentially the routinely daily practices of policy actors and their decisions that have been translated from the formal documents, which may sometimes be far removed from the original intent.
Regardless of whether the broader objectives focused on in macro/systemic polices of high politics or the finer special interests objectives being met in micro- sectoral polices of
References: Head, B.W. (2008) ‘Three Lenses of Evidence-Based Policy.’ Australian Journal of Public Administration, 67(1), pp.13-17.