Theme 1
The public sphere
Political economy, policy & policy debate
Rather than start with specific portfolios or politcy areas, we recognise that all public policy action occurs within a broader context of political economy, constitutionality, social preferences, political institutions and political influence. All of these areas are, themselves, contentious. Ignoring them does not make them go away. All areas of public policy are, and should be, contested. We focus on the controversies.
Renewed political economy
Since the mathematical formalism of Samuelson, exonomics has shed much of the reality of its context as a social science involving political and social, as well as transactional, exchange. That has weakened economics as a policy instrument and led to many erroneous conclusions from ‘received wisdom’ rather than coherent analysis based on sound economic reasoning.
Policy objectives &
role of the state
There is no simple formula for the role, scope and policy objectives of the state. Each polity must work that out through inevitably fraught constitutional and political processses. While there are certain roles that are largely undisputed, such as national defence, there is considerable space between laissez faire and cradle-to-grave democratic socialism. Determing preferred settings is not only difficult but changeable over time and economic fashion.
Meta-policy:
constitutional policy rules
Led by the great James Buchanan, the Virginia School of political economy differentiated between rules formulated in the policy process and the rules which govern the policy process or constitutional rules.
Roles of government
One question that receives inadequate attention is how the state and the private market for goods and services can best collaborate to achieve governments’ objectives. While avoiding corruption and capture of state decision-making and expenditure are obvious de minimis expectations, methods of financing, relative risk-holding, control and oversight, contingencies and budget tolerances, performance assessment and residual risks all require consideration
The public policy process
How and to what extent the will of the people is determined, accepted and translated in to policy are contentious issues. So is the process of formation, consideration, legislative translation and approval, implementation and monitoring in practice to determine the consequences, both intended and unintended to policy. Defining the process is an essential step.
The public policy controversies
& areas of dispute
From the docratic settlement with religious mores and freedoms to ethics of abortion to promotion of families to intertemporal allocation of resources to management of externalities to civil liberties, public policy is home to myriad ethical and practical trade-offs and controversies, all of which must be navigated without loss of legitimacy. Usually, these issues are politely avoided. We confront them directly and explicitly
And then there’s the actual policy topics themselves . . .
Make it stand out.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
“It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”
— Squarespace