Actors in Policymaking

Actors in Policymaking

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The statement “actors are individuals, collectives or corporations involved in the policymaking process who seek to turn their preferences into public policy” is an accurate one. The process of making policies often culminates in the fulfilment of the wants of specific factors involved in the process. Examples of individual actors can be politicians or leaders of certain special rights groups. Collectives can refer to any grouping of people who want to push a certain agenda in the policymaking process. Corporations are large companies or collection of companies that enjoy rights similar to that of individuals. Corporations are therefore recognized and allowed to act like one entity under the law. Individuals, collectives and corporations have different motivations and goals with regard to public policy, and they use their influence and positions to ensure that public policy reflects their desires and interests.

Examples of individuals with the ability to influence public policy include politicians. When a politician decides to run for offices, they usually have a manifesto outlining their vision, and they use this to convince voters to vote for them (Erikson 2015). A person running for office can do so under a political party or as an independent candidate. Under a party, an individual adheres to party politics and views on public policy. For example, the Republican Party in the United States is a conservative party, and some of its core beliefs include the protection of gun rights, free-market capitalism, pro-life views as well as low taxes. A person running on the Republican ticket will, therefore, have to subscribe to these conservative views, and this will influence their public policy stances. A Republican will hold such beliefs dear and will do everything possible to change or create public policies in line with them. Corporations also exert a lot of influence on policymaking because of their significant resources, with their main agenda being the setting of policies that will promote their operations and profit-making objectives.

Problem definition and agenda-setting are essential parts of public policy, and individuals, collectives and corporations play a significant role in these two aspects. For example, influential politicians such as the president are often involved in the agenda-setting phase of public policy. Agenda-setting determines which issues get a lot of attention in the public domain (Birkland 2015). If a president or legislator wishes to change or create policies on a particular topic, they will take actions to ensure this. Such actions will include presenting bills in the House of Representatives, running advertisements, giving public speeches and others. Problem definition is also important because different parties can define the same problem differently (Barbehön et al. 2015). Taking the issue of gun rights, a conservative will insist that gun rights must be protected at all costs while liberals would argue that gun rights should not come before public safety and the protection of human rights. Public opinion sways depending on how the problem is defined.

Individuals have the greatest influence on policy agendas and outcomes. Some of the most influential people in society are politicians and leaders of notable groups and organizations such as religious groups and nongovernmental organizations. These individuals have many people under their guidance and leadership; hence, they set the agenda when it comes to policymaking. Elections give a chance to candidates to present their manifestos and voters then elect those that they feel best represent their interests (Klijn & Koppenjan 2017). Those who get elected to the legislature can then introduce bills and other legislations which will shape public policy. Other powerful and influential individuals outside the legislature, such as leaders of religious and lobby groups, can also create awareness around a particular issue and call for changes in policy around the issues in question.

Individuals interact with formal institutions during the policy process. Because the majority of the influential individuals hold seats in the legislature and other arms of government, they are a part of those institutions tasked with the creation and amendment of policies (Birkland 2015). These actors, therefore, make use of their positions in formal institutions to by presenting pieces of legislation to be deliberated upon, and if passed, they become law. Other individuals outside the legislature can also present petitions and speeches to legislative bodies such as Congress to create awareness on some areas of public policy (Erikson 2015). Public opinion has a significant impact on the influence and success of individuals as actors in the policymaking process. When an individual has a lot of popularity among the public, any policy issues that they raise will get a lot of attention in the public domain. The president of any country is one such example he or she is quite influential if they were voted in by a majority of the citizens. When an issue has gained significant public interest, it is hen legislated upon, and many times, the votes will reflect public opinion (Klijn & Koppenjan 2017). Legislators and members of the executive are an integral part of policymaking, and their votes should reflect those of the people who elected them into office.

In conclusion, the process of policymaking involves many actors such as individuals, collectives and corporations. While all these exert significant influence in the process, individuals usually have the biggest say. Some influential individuals include politicians and leaders of groups such as religious and lobby groups. Politicians are part of the formal institutions that come up with policies or amend existing ones, usually based on public opinion because the politicians in the different arms of government should represent the view of their people.

References

Barbehön, M., Münch, S., & Lamping, W. (2015). Problem definition and agenda-setting in critical perspective. In Handbook of Critical Policy Studies. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Birkland, T. A. (2015). An introduction to the policy process: Theories, concepts, and models of public policy making. Routledge.Erikson, J. (2015). Ideas and actors in policy processes: where is the interaction?. Policy Studies, 36(5), 451-467.

Klijn, E. H., & Koppenjan, J. F. (2017). Rediscovering the citizen: new roles for politicians in interactive policy making. In Public participation and innovations in community governance (pp. 141-164). Routledge.