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AB POSC-LPS 3
To rule is ones assertion of the will and the attempt to exercise control. In order to become an effective ruler good public policies are needed to further this assertive ambition and if the policies are fully and successfully implemented then the level of modernism of a place becomes the indicator on how well the policies are implemented. In this reading material on Public and its Policies, the authors Robert Goodin, Michael Moran and Martin Rein talks about why policy and policy studies are a matter of persuasion thus a limit to its ambitions, how the limit is appreciated, and how more modest ambitions are made. People think of formulating policies only involves arguing and the harshness of its implementation but in reality it is more than that. It was said that persuasion lies at the heart of an effective command. To make a policy that sticks or that which is obeyed dutifully, policy makers cannot merely issue edicts and expect the people to follow on to that rule right away. Not only is the practice of public policy makes a great deal of persuasion. So too is the discipline of studying policy. It is a mood rather than a science, more of an art and craft rather than genuine science. Most importantly, policy and policy studies are a matter of persuasion because of the discourse that takes place. Both have something to do with reasoning out. Of course, reason giving has always been a central requirement for policy application. Since the modest claims for persuasion on policy and policy studies has already been established, let us now talk about policy that involves more of bargaining rather than just simply arguing. It is more of an agreement between the government and the hierarchy of citizens on what each gives and receives. Of course in this setting, the implementation of policies always results to having a fortunate and unfortunate receiving side. As what the Pareto Sense states: No one can be made better off without someone else being made worse off. Let us recall Laswells definition of Politics on who gets what, when, where and how. But it doesnt mean that policy implementation is easily manipulated in a dirty way. There is no such thing as a perfect policy. There will always be a side that is favored one way or another. It was expressed that policy does not necessarily mean commanding when implemented but is more on persuasion and bargaining therefore government, in its way of governing, suggest that it is not just simply ruling through hierarchical structures but more on a matter of negotiating. Thus the image of networked governance is made. The policy makers have an array of those who are more central and others peripheral on the activity they do in the network. Within those networks, none is in command. Bringing other along, preserving the relationship is all. Persuasion is the way policy gets made and in order for the policy to be complied to those who are governed, incentives must be structured correctly along with it and people will thereby have a reason for doing what you have negotiated and bargained with them. Further, policy and policy making also has its own implication. Policy is its own cause; every attempt to fix one problem creates more and with every purposive action always carries with it certain consequences. A policy might successfully change the social world in precisely the ways intended, and then those changes might either prevent or enable to further those policy developments. The story of policy is also in a part about constraints and also a story about change. The largest constraint under which public policy operates is the selfishness in acquiring the interests. Politics after all is ultimately about interests and power (Shapiro, 1995). Policies change for all sorts of reasons because problems change, the environment change and technologies improve. It also changes because the people subject to those policies want them to change. In conclusion, policy and policy studies which strongly express that it involves a great deal of persuasion, negotiation and bargaining rather than plainly equating to arguing in the end all comes back to power and interests. Those who are in power have to deal on how to negotiate and bargain with its constituents through allocation of interest. This is to say, what politics is.