Rational Model: assumes complete agreement on goals, knowledge

of alternative policies, and the ability to calculate and select the policies with the greatest benefits and least costs

1. Establishment of
complete set of operational goals with
weights

INPUT
All resources needed
for pure rationality
process

All data needed for

pure rationality process

3. Preparation of complete set of alternative

principles

4. Preparation
of complete
set of predictions and
benefits and
costs for each
alternative

5. Calculation of net
expectation for each
alternative

2. Establishment of
complete inventory of
other values and of
resources with
weights

6. Comparison of net
expectations
and identification of
alternatives
with highest
net expectation

OUTPUT
Pure rationality
policy (policies)

Added Influence
Influence of
Group B

Influence of
Group A

Public
Policy

Alternative Policy Positions

Policy Change

Equilibrium

Group Model: assumes public policy is a balance of interest group influence; policies
change when particular interest groups gain or lose influence

Elite Model: assumes public policy does not flow

upward from the people, but rather, downward from
the interests, values, and preferences of elites

Policy direction
Officials and
Administrators

Party B

Numbers of Voters

Elites

Party A

Policy execution

Liberal

Policy Position

Conservative

Mass

Public Choice Model: assumes individuals and organizations

seek to maximize their own benefits in politics; for example,
parties and candidates may hold very liberal or conservative
views but move to the center to win the most votes

Process

Activity

Problem Identification

Agenda Setting

Policy Formulation

Policy Evaluation

Policymaking as a Process:

Elites, including president,

congress
Candidates for elective office

Deciding on its constitutionality

Mass media

Think tanks

Congressional committees

Enacting it into law

Organizing departments and

agencies
Providing payments or services

President and Executive Office

Selecting a proposal

Deciding what issues will be

decided, what problems will be
addressed by government

Developing political support for it

Policy Implementation

Expressing demands for

government action

Mass Media
Interest groups
Citizen initiatives
Public Opinion

Publicizing societal problems

Developing policy proposals to

resolve issues and restructure
problems

Policy Legitimization

Participants

Interest groups

Interest groups

President
Congress
Courts

President and White House staff

Executive departments and

agencies

Levying taxes

Reporting outputs of government

programs
Evaluating impacts of policies on
target and non-target groups
Proposing changes and reforms

Executive agencies and

departments
Congressional oversight
committees
Mass media

Think tanks