PUBLIC POLICY SUBJECT 1 What are the characteristics of main public policy instruments that government policymakers have available? Support your answer with examples 2 What are the different stages in the policy process model? Review the role of each stage. Support your answer with examples 3 What are the most important duties and powers of the National Assembly in the VietNam political system? Support your answer with examples 4 Describe the four main types of market failures that warrant government intervention. Support your answer with examples 5 Demonstrate differences between distributive policies and redistributive policies. Support your answer with examples 6 Demonstrate differences between distributive policies and regulatory policies. Support your answer with examples 7 Demonstrate differences between democracy and monarchy as forms of government. Support your answer with examples 8 Demonstrate differences between the federal and unitary systems of government. Support your answer with examples 9 What are the benefits of the cap and trade program? What are its drawbacks, and how could they be affected? 10 Identify factors that substantially shaped Vietnam’s response to the Covid19 pandemic. What are the benefits of a unitary system of government in dealing with the Covid19 pandemic over a federal system of government?
Trang 1CHÍNH PHỦ CHÍNH SÁCH CÔNG
1.What are the characteristics of main public policy instruments that government
policymakers have available? Support your answer with examples 1
2.What are the different stages in the policy process model? Review the role of each stage
Support your answer with examples 2
3.What are the most important duties and powers of the National Assembly in the VietNam
political system? Support your answer with examples 3
4.Describe the four main types of market failures that warrant government intervention
Support your answer with examples 4
5 Demonstrate differences between distributive policies and redistributive policies Support
your answer with examples 5
6 Demonstrate differences between distributive policies and regulatory policies Support
your answer with examples 5
7 Demonstrate differences between democracy and monarchy as forms of government
Support your answer with examples 6
8.Demonstrate differences between the federal and unitary system of government Support
your answer with examples 7
9 What are the benefits of the cap and trade program? What are its drawbacks, and how
could they be affected? 8
10 Identify factors that substantially shaped Vietnam’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic What are the benefits of a unitary system of government in dealing with the Covid19 pandemic over a federal system of government? 9
Trang 31 What are the characteristics of main public policy instruments that government policymakers have available? Support your answer with examples.
Public policy instruments are the techniques used by the governing authorities to promote certain policies to achieve a predefined set of goals There are 5 main public policy instruments that government policymakers have available to achieve their policy objectives Here are some of the key characteristics of the main public policy instruments:
The first public policy instrument is Regulation Regulations are government decrees that either
require citizens to do something or prevent them from doing so Particular requirements ensure
compliance by individuals, corporations, and other units of government For example, the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforces regulations on emissions standards for automobiles and factories
The second public policy instrument is government management Governments use the direct management of resources as instruments of public policy to citizens For example, governments
provide the services directly to citizens by implementing some policies such as education, defense, public parks, police and fire protection,
The third public policy instrument is taxing and spending Governments also use their ability to tax and spend to achieve policy goals and objectives For example, tax policy can be used to
promote social goals, such as reducing carbon emissions through taxes on gasoline, or to discourage certain behaviors, such as taxing cigarettes to discourage smoking
The fourth public policy instrument is market mechanisms Governments can take advantage of
market mechanisms as a form of public policy Using the market to provide the public with
incentives to make choices or correct problems For example, revenue - neutral carbon tax to
discourage the use of fossil fuel
The other public policy instruments are education, information and persuasion Education of citizens in an attempt to persuade them to behave in a certain way For example, information
campaigns to promote healthy eating or discourage drug use can be effective in changing behavior
Trang 42 What are the different stages in the policy process model? Review the role of each stage
The policy process model posits a logical sequence of activities affecting the development of public policies.While there are diferent versions of the model,the generally consist of the following stages:
Agenda setting: In this stage, a problem is identified and brought to the attention of
policymakers This could be done by interest groups, individuals or government officials The role of this stage is to determine what issues are important and should be addressed
Example: In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, police reform became a major policy
issue in the United States This was largely due to the attention brought to incidents of police violence against Black individuals, which highlighted systemic issues with law enforcement
Policy formulation: This stage involves the design and drafting of policy goals and strategies
for achieving them This stage can involve research, expert consultation, the use of policy analysis
Example: The Paris Climate Agreement, signed in 2015, was the result of a long process of
policy formulation that involved input from scientific experts, government officials, and representatives from civil society The policy aimed to address the pressing issue of climate change by setting targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Policy legitimation: This stage involves the mobilization of political support and formal
enactment of policies includes justification or rationales for the policy action
Example: The legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States was the result of a long and
contentious policy adoption process The policy was adopted in 2015, following a series of court decisions that struck down state-level bans on same-sex marriage
Policy implementation: This stage involves the provision of institutional resources for putting the
programs into effect within a bureaucracy
Example: The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the United States involved
the establishment of healthcare exchanges where individuals could purchase health insurance This required the development of a complex information technology infrastructure to support the exchanges
Policy evaluation: This stage involves measurement and assessment of policy and program
effects, including success or failure
Example: The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been subject to ongoing
evaluation and modification For example, the individual mandate penalty was repealed in 2017, and the law has been subject to ongoing legal challenges
Policy change: This stage involves the modification of policy goals and means in light of new
information or shifting political environment
Example: The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in the United States was subject to ongoing
policy change, which revealed issues with the law's implementation and effectiveness As a result, the law was replaced with the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015 The new law built
Trang 5upon the NCLB's accountability measures but also provided more flexibility to states in how they achieved educational goals
Overall, each stage plays a critical role in ensuring that policies are effective and responsive to the needs of society
3 What are the most important duties and powers of the National Assembly in the VietNam political system? Support your answer with examples.
The National Assembly is the highest representative body of the People and the highest body of State power of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam It plays a crucial role in the political system of Vietnam Its duties and powers include the following:
1 To draw up and amend the Constitution; to make and amend laws;
2.To exercise supreme control over conformity to the Consitution, the law and the resolutions of the National Assemble, to examine the reports of the State President, the Standing Committee of the National Assemble, the Government
3.To decide on the major objectives, targets, policies, duties of national socio-economic development
4 To decide on the fundamental national financial and monetary policies; to set, change, or abolish taxes; to decide on the separation of items of incomes and expenditure between central budget and local budgets; to decide on the safety limit of national debts
5 To decide on the State's policies on ethnic minorities and religions;
6 To regulate the organization and operation of the National Assembly, the State President, the Government, the People’s Courts, the People’s Procuracy, the National Council of Election, the State Audit, local administrations, and other bodies created by the National Assembly
7 To elect, suspend and revoke the State President and Vice-President, the Chairman of the National Assembly, the Vice-Chairman Of the National Assembly, members of the Standing Committees Of the National Assembly, Chairman of the Ethnic Council,
8.To cast a vote of confidence on persons holding positions elected or approved by the NAssembly
9 To set up or dissolve government ministries and other agencies at the same level; to establish, merge, divide or adjust the boundaries of provinces and cities under direct central rule; to set
up or disband special administrative_economic units; to set up or disband other bodies in concordance with the Constitution and the law;
10 To abrogate all formal written documents issued by the State President, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, the Government, and the Supreme Preoples Procuracy that are inconsistent with the Consitution, laws and resolutions takenby the National Assembly
11 To grant amnesty;
12.To determine titles and ranks in the people's armed forces, in the diplomatic service and other State titles and ranks; to institute medals, badges and State honors and distinctions;
13 To decide issues of war and peace; to proclaim a state of emergency and other special measures aimed at ensuring national defense and security;
Trang 614 To decide on fundamental policies in external relations to ratify or nullify international treaties with respect to war and peace, national sovereignty, membershio of the Socialist Republic
of VN
15 To hold a referendum
For example, the National Assembly passed the Law on Cyber Security in 2018, which regulates
online activities and aims to safeguard national security
In 2020, the National Assembly conducted a hearing to review the implementation of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases during the Covid 19 pandemic
4 Describe the four main types of market failures that warrant government
intervention
Market failure refers to a situation where the allocation of goods and services by a free market does not result in an efficient outcome A market failure occurs when the private market is not efficient Here are four main types of market failures that warrant government intervention:
Externalities: Externalities are the decisions and actions of those involved in the market
exchange that affect other parties, either negatively or positively A negative externality occurs when two parties interact in a market and as a result of that interaction, a third party is harmed
and does not get compensation For example, Air pollution from factories leads to respiratory
problems in nearby communities
A positive externality occurs the same way as a negative externality, but the third party hains
something from the two-party interaction and does not have to pay for it For example, education
is a positive externality of school becausepeople learn and develop skills for careers and their lives
Public goods: : Public goods are goods or services that are non-excludable and non-rivalrous,
meaning that they cannot be easily denied to anyone and that one person's consumption of the good does not diminish its availability to others
Example: Lighthouses, which provide a navigational aid to ships at sea and are not privately
provided because it is difficult to exclude ships from using the light
Monopolies: Monopolies occur when one or several persons or companies dominate the market
and can control the price of a product or service They can charge higher prices and restrict output, leading to inefficiency and harm to consumers Government intervention can help correct monopolies by regulating or breaking up monopolistic firms
Example: Pharmaceutical companies that hold patents on life-saving drugs, allowing them to
charge high prices that are not competitive
Information failure: Information failure occurs when buyers and sellers do not have equal access
to information about a product, leading to misallocation of resources
Example: Used car sales, where the seller may not disclose all relevant information about the car's
history, leading to a misallocation of resources
Trang 75 Demonstrate differences between distributive policies and redistributive policies Support your answer with examples.
Different
Distributive policies: Distributive policies aim to promote equal opportunities by providing
resources and benefits to individuals or groups who lack them
The characterized of distributive policies are individual programs or grants that a government provides without regard to limited resources or zero-sum situations (where one group’s gain is another’s loss)
Redistributive policies: Redistributive policies provide benefits to one category of individuals at
the expense of another, they often reflect ideological or class conflict
For every redistributive policy, winners and losers are associated with its approval, which makes such policies controversial and difficult to adopt
Example
Distributive policies: In the United State, The Pell Grant program, which provides need-based
financial aid to low-income students to help them attend college This policy expands access to higher education resources and does not take resources away from any other group
R_policies: In the United State, Social Security, which provides retirement, disability, and
survivor benefits to eligible individuals, funded by taxes on current workers This policy takes resources from current workers and redistributes them to provide income and support for eligible individuals
6/ Demonstrate differences between distributive policies and regulatory policies Support your answer with examples.
Different:
Distributive policies aim to promote equal opportunities by providing resources and benefits to
individuals or groups who lack them
The characterized of distributive policies are individual programs or grants that a government provides without regard to limited resources or zero-sum situations (where one group’s gain is another’s loss)
Regulatory policies: Regulatory policies are government restriction of individual choice to keep
conduct from transcending acceptable bounds
Trang 8Some government activities, from protecting consumers to ensuring environmental quality
Example:
Distributive policies: In the US, The Pell Grant program, which provides need-based financial
aid to low-income students to help them attend college This policy expands access to higher education resources and does not take resources away from any other group
Regulatory policies: In the US, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),
which establishes workplace safety regulations and enforces compliance with those regulations This policy regulates the behavior of employers and protects worker health and safety
7 Demonstrate differences between democracy and monarchy as forms of government Support your answer with examples.
Democracy and monarchy are two distinct forms of government that differ in their sources of power, decision-making processes, and levels of popular representation
- Sources of power
Democracy: People hold the ultimate power and choose their government
Monarchy: Power is held by a single individual, typically a king or queen So the government is
run by a king or queen
- Decision - making process
Democracy: People take decisions and make laws through their elected representatives
Monarchy: The king or queen takes decisions and makes laws
- Level of popular representation
Democracy: The representatives are answerable and accountable to the people Citizens have the
freedom to criticize government policies
Monarchy: The king or queen is not answerable to the people The people do not have the
freedom to defy the king or queen
- Typically structured
Democracy: The government is typically structured with multiple branches that have the ability
to check and balance one another’s power There may be a legislature, executive and judiciary, each with its own powers and responsibility
Monarchy: The government is typically structured around the authority of the monarch There
may be advisors or other government officials, but they are appointed by the monarch and are subject to the monarch’s authority
Democracy: For example, in a representative democracy like the United States, elected officials
are responsible for making decisions on behalf of their constituents These officials are typically elected through a process of free and fair elections, and they are accountable to the people who
Trang 9elected them One example of the democratic decision-making process is the passing of legislation, which typically involves multiple stages of debate, revision, and voting by elected representatives
Monarchy: For example, in Saudi Arabia, the king is the ultimate decision-maker in matters of
state, and he is advised by a council of ministers One example of the monarchical decision-making process is the issuing of decrees, which are typically made by the monarch and do not require the approval of any other governing body
8 Demonstrate differences between the federal and unitary system of government
Support your answer with examples
Federal governmetn and unitary government are two systems of government that differ in their distribution of power, constitution, representation and local automony
- Distribution of power
Federal government: Power is divided between the central government and the local
government Each level of government has its own responsibilities, and the constitution typically outlines which level is responsible for what
Unitary government: Central government is the supreme administrative division The central
government may delegate certain responsibilities to such units
- Constitution:
Federal government: Centre can not interfere, power to local government is given by the
Constitution
Constitution is very important
Unitary government: Only one government, even in the case of local government, it’s power is
cutesy
The Constitution is not important
- Representation
Federal government: There is typically a bicameral legislature, with one house representing the
central government and the other representing the local government
For example, in the US, the Senate represents the states, with each state having two senators, while the House of Representatives represents the population of the country
Unitary government: There may be a unicameral or bicameral legislature, but there is typically
no separate representation for units
Federal government: Each level of government has its own legal authority in matters of
legislation taxation which can ot be taken away by the central government
Trang 10Unitary government: The central government gives orders to the provincial government to
implement various laws Regional governments do not have legal authority in matters of legislation, taxation,
Federal government: India is a federal country with union government at the center and state
governments at the state level and Panchayati Raj at the local level
Unitary government: Sri Lanka is a unitary government with the national government has all the
powers
9 What are the benefits of the cap and trade program? What are its drawbacks, and how
The cap and trade program is a policy approach used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions Under this system, a government sets a cap on the total amount of emissions allowed by regulated entities (such as companies), and then issues permits that allow them to emit a certain amount of pollutants Companies can buy and sell these permits on a market, with the price of permits typically increasing as the cap decreases
There are several benefits of the cap and trade program, including:
Emissions reduction: By placing a limit on emissions and creating a market for permits, the cap
and trade program can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions This can contribute to meeting
national or international emissions reduction targets For example, the European Union's
Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) has been successful in reducing emissions from the power sector by more than 20% since its launch in 2005, contributing to the EU's overall target of reducing emissions by at least 40% by 2030
Cost-effectiveness: The cap and trade program is often more cost-effective than other policy
approaches, such as command-and-control regulations This is because companies that can reduce emissions at a lower cost can sell their permits to companies that face higher costs of compliance
For example, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in the northeastern United States
has been shown to reduce emissions at a lower cost than traditional command-and-control regulations
Innovation: The cap and trade program incentivizes companies to develop and implement new
technologies that can reduce emissions more efficiently This can help to drive innovation and
increase the deployment of clean technologies For example, the California cap and trade
program has provided financial incentives for companies to invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, leading to the development of new technologies and the creation of new jobs
However, there are also some potential drawbacks of the cap and trade program, including:
Permit price volatility: The price of permits can fluctuate greatly, which can create uncertainty for companies and make it difficult to plan for the future For example, the EU ETS has
experienced price volatility in the past, which has led to calls for reforms to the program to make
it more stable