Yoho, Carole B.

English

Research Papers in Economics

PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMS  - A POLITICAL
SCIENCE APPROACH
Carole Yoho
University of Minnesota
I  have  been  asked  to  discuss  public  policy  education  programs
from a political science approach - content, approach, strengths, and
weaknesses.  It would  be presumptuous  in the extreme to attempt to
speak for the whole  discipline,  especially  in view of the fact that for
the  last  20 years I have been  influenced  and surrounded  by agricul-
tural economists  and rural sociologists.
The  public  policy  program  divides  into  three  major  areas  or
thrusts:  (1)  government  organization/structures,  (2)  the  political
process, and (3) issues and the policymaking process.
Government Organization and Structure
Citizen  education/knowledge,  motivation,  and  effective  participa-
tion  are  program  areas  designed  to  increase  the  level  of  citizen
knowledge  about how government is organized and how it functions.
Emphasis  is  on  the  local level(s)  of government.  The  rationale isn't
unique. It is simply that:  (a) local government decisions and perform-
ance  have  profound,  if  not  generally  recognized,  impacts  on  the
quality  of  our  daily  lives;  (b)  the general  public  tends to know the
least about the government  closest to them; (c)  active and informed
individuals  can  make  a  difference,  especially  at the local level; and
(d)  it  is still true that people  do  "cut their political  teeth"  through
local government experiences.
The  specialist's  role  in  this  effort  is  in  provision  of  support  to
field  staff  in  the  form  of  appropriate  publications,  assistance  in
program  design, including identification  of local resource people, and
moral support  and encouragement.  In Minnesota,  extension agents in
the  home  economics/family  living  area  are  especially  receptive  to
these  programs.  Some  have  been  quite innovative  in adapting  basic
materials to the leader training format.
In  addition  to  the  intrinsic  merit  of  citizen  education  on  local
government,  these programs have the additional strengths  of acquain-
ting  local  officials  with  extension  and  of increasing  the confidence
and  enthusiasm  of  field  staff  in public  affairs  programming.  It also
147provides  potential  for joint programming  with citizen groups such as
the  League  of  Women  Voters.  In short, it is  a high  payoff-low  risk
operation.  One  does  not have  to  be a political  scientist  to work  in
this area, but it may help.
Programs  designed  to  assist  local  government  officials  perform
their  duties  focus  primarily  on  what  can  be  classified  as  technical
assistance  - including  administration,  finance  and  budgeting, plan-
ning,  management,  and  group  process  and  decisionmaking  skills.
Minnesota  is  a  state  with  a  long  tradition  of strong  governmental
associations that maintain their own training initiatives.
There  are  factors  unique to the  state for this situation. Therefore,
the  agricultural  extension  public  affairs  program  has  not  concen-
trated  its  major  efforts  on this audience.  Rather the aim  is to  keep
the  lines  of  communication  open,  help  to  identify  and  anticipate
issues,  assist in planning educational programs,  and provide analytical
input on issues of concern to these groups.
Another  function  sometimes  performed  by  policy  specialists  is
linking  local  and  state  government  personnel  and  other  extension
specialists  who  may  have  the types  of knowledge  and skills  needed
by  these  units;  e.g.,  soils,  forestry,  communications,  entomology,
planning  and  zoning,  agricultural  engineering,  etc.  The  resource
linkage  mission  is  usually  done by CRD area people; however, policy
specialists  become  involved  when  staff  shortages  exist  at  the  area
level.
Contact  maintenance  tends  to  be  a  state-level  effort.  A  political
science  background  may  well  provide  an  initial  comparative  advan-
tage  in  working  with  government  officials,  both  elected  and  staff.
The  advantage  will  be  a continuing  one only if one  keeps  on  top of
issues  and  problems  relevant  to  the  organization  and  functioning
of these  units.
The Political Process
Policy analysis  is  certainly  a key part of the policymaking process,
but it  alone  often  doesn't  get  people  to  where  they want to  go in
terms  of influencing,  changing,  developing,  or implementing  policy.
Political  interaction  is  also  a  part  of  policymaking.  The  political
process  is  really  part  and  parcel  of  the  content  of  public  policy
education.  Having  said  this,  how  do  we  go  about  providing educa-
tional  programs  on  the  political  process?  Can  we  develop  programs
that  focus  specifically  on  the  political  process?  Certainly  we  can.
Would  anyone  be  interested?  Probably  not.  Rather,  the  challenge  is
to  build  more  political  process  content  into  our  ongoing  issue-
oriented  programs  and  into  our  own  knowledge  base  and  thought
processes  as  we  design  those  programs.  Many  do  this  now,  but
probably  more  automatically  and  intuitively than systematically  and
explicitly.
148We  do  need  to  have  an  understanding  of  institutions  and  their
functions  and  limits, the policy environment, methods of influencing
the political  process,  and alternative  ways of citizen  participation in
policymaking.  My  conception  of  the  policy  environment  consists
of elements  such  as  a  knowledge  of relevant past policies  and how
and  why  they  were  derived,  how they worked,  who the significant
actors  were,  what the  political  situation  was, who  was affected  and
how and what led to the present situation  or problem.
What  is the present problem? Whose  problem is it? And how did it
get  on the agenda?  Who  are the participants  or actors  and  what  are
their  characteristics?  Who  are those  who are  key  and what are  their
roles,  formal  and  informal?  What  kinds  of leverage  e.g.,  authority,
resources,  ability  to  control  others,  do they  have  and  on  whom?
How  do  they  relate  to  each  other,  and  to  the  problem?  What  are
their  styles;  e.g.,  persuasion  by analysis,  by horsetrading,  or power?
The  problem-alternatives-consequences  approach to  public  affairs
education  gives  the  appearance  of  being  a tidy,  logical  one,  but  I
think we must always keep in mind and in the minds of our audiences
that policymaking  as a process doesn't necessarily  proceed in such an
orderly  fashion.  Political interactions  can enter at any and all points
from  problem  definition  to implementation.  Also  it is important to
realize that some  are  going to see  others'  solutions as their problem
and that new problems can and often do arise from the way in which
a  policy  is  implemented.  The  objective  of  all  of this,  as  I  see it,  is
more  effective  political  participation  resulting from increased under-
standing  of  the  political  process,  including  acceptance  of the  fact
that  conflict  and  compromise  are  part  of  it.  Politically  inactive
citizens  do not often have their problems put on the political agenda,
much less acted  upon.
These  kinds of objectives  can  be translated  into a variety of pro-
grams.  One of the more  popular  state-level  efforts  in Minnesota  has
been  an  inservice  training  program  for  specialist  and  field  staff
geared  to  understanding  the  legislative  process.  Resource  persons
have included  legislators  and lobbyists from a diverse mix of interest
groups.  These  sessions  have  been  replicated  at  the  field  level  for
the general public by area CRD agents.
Careful  planning  of  this  type  of  session  will  elicit  from the  re-
source  persons  a  clear  and informative  description  of the key  deci-
sion points, the role of analysts, pressure  groups, support groups, etc.
It also  may  serve to  make the  word  "compromise"  sound less like  a
dirty  word.  These  kinds  of  program  efforts are not unique to  Min-
nesota,  obviously.
Another type  of program effort that I would like to mention brief-
ly is the public affairs leadership seminar program series. Participants
are  selected  and invited  based  on their leadership skills and potential
149and  their  interest  and  involvement  in  public  affairs  issues.  This  is  a
seminar  setting  over  a  period  of  days  with  presentations  by  recog-
nized  experts  on  whatever  issues  are  being  addressed.  Obviously
these  kinds  of  programs  have  the  benefit  of  raising the  knowledge
level of key people.  However,  to the political scientist, they are more
exciting for the interaction  opportunities  they offer-the opportunity
to practice  tolerance  of sharply  opposing  points  of view,  the arts of
persuasion  and  influence,  dealing  with  conflict  and  compromise,
and using an analytical approach to issues. In short, both content and
process objectives are addressed in these programs.
Issues and the Policymaking  Process
Depending  upon  the  nature  of  the  issues  being  examined,  the
political  scientist  in  agricultural  extension  may  play  different  roles.
If the issues  and problems relate directly to government and politics,
the  role  is  that  of the  traditional  subject  matter  specialist.  If  the
issues  relate  to  food  and  agricultural  policy  or  family  living,  for
example,  the  role  will  probably  be  an  auxiliary  one  in  which  one
is concerned  with  assisting  other  specialists  or members of a team in
identifying  the  relevant  parts  of  the  policymaking  process,  and/or
providing training or counseling in public affairs methodology.
A  short  list  of  issues  and  concerns  currently  uppermost  in  the
mind  of  at least one  political  scientist/policy  specialist  in extension
would include:
1.  The  issues  and  problems  associated  with  intergovernmental
relations.  These  are  going  to  be  challenging  for  those  involved  and
affected.  And  we are  going to  be "affected"  along with our clientele
groups  in ways  we  haven't even thought of yet.  New  ways  of doing
business  and  hard  decisions  about  services  and  taxes  will  be  the
order  of  the  day  at  both  the  state  and  local  levels.  High  rates  of
turnover  among state  and  local  elected  officials  will  likely continue.
Managing  conflict  along  with  managing  budgets  is  certain  to  be  a
major concern.
2.  Issues  and  problems  associated  with  the  functioning  of  the
political  system  generally.  Those  concerned and vocal on these issues
often  assert  there  are  causal  relationships  between  such  seemingly
unrelated  items  as  the  role  of  political parties,  mass  media,  and  the
political  process,  party  rules,  nominating  procedures,  openness  in
government,  campaign finance laws, high turnover in elected officials,
single  issue interest  groups, and competence  in government  generally
(to cite just a few).
I  hope  that  I  have  shed  some  light  on how at least one  political
scientist  relates  to  the  public  affairs  programs  of  the  cooperative
extension service.
150

PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMS - A POLITICAL SCIENCE APPROACH

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