Kirby, Edwin L.

English

Research Papers in Economics

RESPONSIBILITIES,  CHALLENGES,  AND
OPPORTUNITIES  IN  PUBLIC
POLICY  EDUCATION
Edv'ill L.  Kirby
A dminist  rator, Exten sion Serv'ice
U.S.  Departmen/t ofA  Ariculture
Public policy education as an integral part of our total extension
effort has come of age! This  annual national conference has been a
major factor  in expanding  and improving  the quality of our  public
affairs  education  efforts,  and  all  of  us  appreciate  the  significant
contributions  made by the  Farm Foundation  in  helping to support
this  conference,  as  well as  many other important  programs.
The time  has come  for extension to expand  its efforts in  public
policy  education.  If we  believe  in  the  basic  extension  education
philosophy  of "helping  people  to  help  themselves,"  in  the  basic
process  of extensive  involvement  of people in determining  exten-
sion programs, and in extension's  role of assisting people in making
sound decisions, then helping people deal with  public affairs  issues
must become  a high priority.  In the final analysis,  citizens  will de-
cide issues concerning centralized versus decentralized government
control,  food  and  population,  environment  and  safety,  energy,
transportation,  world  trade,  subsidies  versus  producing  for  the
open  market,  rural-urban  population  balance,  employment  and
other opportunities  for improved  living in rural  United States, and
many other matters.  Our basic  extension  role  is to  provide  infor-
mation to  help citizens  in understanding  the issues, making  sound
decisions,  and  getting decisions  implemented.
In formulating  an expanded  and forward  looking  public  policy
education  program,  we  must consider  appropriate  audiences.  We
cannot  effectively  reach  all  people  in  all  aspects  of policy educa-
tion.  But what  people?  Our  Extension  Service  five-year  program
plan, accepted  in principle by the state extension directors and the
Extension Committee on Organization  and Policy and by the U.S.
Department  of Agriculture,  states  that  primary  emphasis  will  be
given to  those  people  who  live  outside cities  with  populations  of
50,000 and over.  The plan also recognizes  the diversity  of popula-
tions  and  priorities  established  among  the  several  states  and  ac-
knowledges  variations  expected  in clientele  served.
Another factor to  be  considered  is  the extent to  which  we de-
120pend on representative  leaders to multiply the impact of our limited
professional  resources.  The  demonstration  and  "trickle  down"
process  has  been  well  established  in our  extension  efforts.  Most
states  continue  to  use  "tune  in  to  the  masses  of people  through
carefully  selected  leaders"  to assist extension professionals  in de-
termining  and  conducting  programs.  In this  process,  we  must be
sure that  we  have representative leaders of the population  to  be
served,  including  the various  economic,  ethnic,  social,  and  other
groups.
Our  five-year  program  plan  contains  the following  four major
priority  missions  of total  extension effort:
1.  Provide assistance to families,  youth, and community leaders
in  the  development  and  improvement  of  rural  America  to
make  it a better  place  in which to  live and  work.
2.  Provide  assistance  to adults  and  youth through  programs  in
agriculture  and home economics  to increase efficiency in pro-
duction,  marketing,  and  utilization  of food and  fiber (includ-
ing  forest  products)  to  meet  both  domestic  and  worldwide
needs.
3.  Work  with  producers  and  their  families  to  strengthen  inde-
pendent family-owned  farming operations  to assure  a strong
competitive  agriculture  based  on the  independent  farm.
4.  Assist both the private and public sectors with protection and
management  of rural America's  natural  resources  for use by
present  and future  generations.
Within the framework just discussed, let us consider some more
specific  issues.  We  need  to note  the interrelatedness  of the  many
issues with which  we  have  to deal.
Food policy is a high priority policy topic and one for which we
have considerable  responsibility  within the framework  of the  mis-
sions stated.  Food  policy considerations  cut across  almost  all ex-
tension program areas-agriculture,  home economics,  community
resource  development,  and 4-H  youth  programs.
As  we  consider  food  issues,  you  may  want  to  read  a  paper
which  your colleague,  Harold  Breimyer,  gave at the  recent forum
of the  American  Country  Life  Association.  He  suggests that  we
not look at food issues in physical terms of food producing capacity
relative  to food  needs,  but that  we approach  it  through a  realistic
consideration of modem agriculture.  Noting that agriculture  is half
industrial  and half agrarian  he  points  to the magnitude  of produc-
121tive  inputs  of  nonfarm  origin.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  real
significance  of the  paper  is  in  emphasizing  the interrelatedness  of
policies  regarding  food,  energy,  land  use,  transportation,  water,
environment,  and trade.
We have a strong obligation to continue to give farm policy high
priority  in  our extension  public  policy  programs.  The importance
of food and  fiber to the total  welfare  of this nation  dictates a con-
tinuing  effort  to  identify  and  objectively  examine  the  alternative
policies,  organizational  structures,  and economic  and  social envi-
ronments  in  which  the food  and fiber industry  might function.
Foreign  agricultural trade  will continue  to be  a very important
area of extension public policy education  in the next several  years.
It  is  generally  accepted  that  the  U.S.  economy  must generate  a
growing  source  of international  exchange  in  order to  buy  critical
materials,  including  oil,  from  foreign  suppliers.  Official  national
policy at present is to place heavy emphasis on gaining and holding
export  markets  for  agricultural  products.  But  such  a  policy
conflicts  with  interests  of domestic  consumers,  who  want  low-
priced  food.  Heavy  reliance  on  international  markets  also  intro-
duces  additional  income  risks  and  uncertainties  throughout  the
farming  and agribusiness  industries.  Here again we have interrela-
tionships of issues and a need  to compromise  in forming a policy.
People  need  help  in  reconciling  the  conflicts  and  apparent  in-
consistencies  in  these  policy  objectives.  The  hard  choices  are
made by our clientele,  hopefully  on the basis of scientific facts  and
principles.  Although  we do not make  the choices,  we still  have the
responsibility  of providing  the  facts  and  helping  to  examine  the
alternatives  and  probable  consequences.  Can  we  do  this  objec-
tively?  Objectivity  to  me  means  more  than  mere  detachment.  It
means  getting  the  facts  and  the  alternatives and  possible
co/isequences before  the  extension clientele to enable them to un-
derstand and  make fully  informed  decisions.
Let us  look briefly  at some challenges  and opportunities  ahead
for us.  Extension can provide objective  public policy education  to
a large  segment  of the  rural  public by  supplying  a  neutral  ground
for  various  interests  to  meet  to  consider  issues.  This  capability
may  not  be  fully  utilized  at  present,  largely  because  we  have
tended  to  restrict  the  conducting  of public  policy  education  to  a
relatively  few highly trained specialists.  Some  have felt that a per-
son must be "seasoned"  in extension work for many  years before
he is  to be entrusted  with public policy education.  This was proba-
bly  true  in earlier years.
122Times  have  changed  in  policy  work  as  in  all  other  program
areas.  We  have  a  number  of highly  effective  young  policy
specialists  who  would  not  have  been  employed  for this  purpose
twenty-five  years  ago.
The  demands  of our extension  audience  for  policy  education
have changed. The audience wants  more sophisticated information
on a much wider range  of issues.
As  government  crop  and acreage  control  programs  have  been
phased  out,  we  are  shifting the  emphasis  of our policy  education
programs.  We have responded to new challenges.  Our programs  in
rural community development require policy education  in land use,
local  government  finance,  health  care,  and  a  multitude  of other
areas.  At the same time,  we  must maintain or increase  our efforts
on  food  and  fiber policy,  world  trade,  and  a  host of other  issues
affecting agriculture.  Several studies have recommended increased
staff and  effort  in  public  policy  and  public  affairs  education.  But
inflation  hits  extension  budgets,  and  state  directors  have  not had
sufficient  funds to  add needed personnel.
The need  can be  met,  in part, through  more  selectivity  in  pro-
gramming  public  policy education  efforts and through  the training
of present  extension  personnel.  Perhaps  we  should  consider  a
wider and more  formal  involvement  of our total extension  staff in
programs  of  public  policy  education.  Many  issues  which  have  a
profound effect on our rural audiences  are considered and resolved
at the local level.  Examples  are many, including  the land use plan-
ning  issues  such  as  planning  and  zoning,  and  local  government
finance.  We have found that these and other areas of policy educa-
tion can be effectively  handled by  county staff if they are  properly
trained.
Training  opportunities  in  public  policy  education,  to date,  for
extension  personnel  have  been  very  limited.  With  the support  of
the  Farm  Foundation,  we  have  offered  courses  at the  extension
summer  and winter  schools.  The  Extension  Service,  USDA,  has
recently funded a pilot project in five Western states to provide this
training  for agents  and to observe their operation  of public policy
programs for a period following their training.  We expect this proj-
ect  to  provide  a procedure  for training  in public  policy education
that  can be  adapted nationwide.
But this is not enough.  What I  am proposing is that we consider
the  16,500  extension  staff members  as  public  policy educators  in
selected  areas,  rather  than  the  few  hundred  highly  trained  state
123specialists.  We  need to be  innovative  in  how best to  provide  such
training.
An  ECOP  Public  Affairs  Task  Force  said  in  1969,  "Exten-
sion's  function  in  public  affairs  education  is  to teach  the  people
it  serves  so  they  can  analyze  public  issues  on  the  basis  of sci-
entific  facts  and  principles.  It  is  the  prerogative  of the  people
themselves to make their own decisions on public affairs issues and
express them as they see fit."  That is  still an accurate  reflection of
the extension  policy  education  philosophy.  But,  we  need  to  con-
sider  this  additional  question:  What  is  our proper concern  about
what  people do  with their decisions?  Do we have  a responsibility
to  help our  audience  to more  effectively  implement  the decisions
they make?
Decision  making as  an  intellectual  exercise  is  not the end pur-
pose  of our educational  efforts.  The  effective  implementation  of
policy  decisions  toward  the  accomplishment  of audience  goals  is
the appropriate  purpose  of the  effort.  If we help  people  arrive  at
decisions,  but leave  them  with little  understanding  about  how to
implement  them  through  the  policy-making  machinery,  we  are
likely to wind up with a frustrated audience  and limited evidence of
the  success of our educational  efforts.
Do extension  workers  in  public  policy have  a responsibility to
help  the  people  understand  the  system  in  which  public  policy  is
made? Should we help our audience understand the system of polit-
ical  linkages  between  the  public and  its leaders  and  help  them to
communicate  effectively  with  policy  makers?
A  large  number of existing power  structures  exert influence  on
public policy decisions every day. These include already organized
groups  on local,  state,  and  national  levels.  Elected  officials  react
primarily  to  their  constituency,  and  we  need  to  help  extension
participants  learn  how  best  to  work  with  and  through  existing
groups in getting action.
One of the  most critical  factors  in the  success of an extension
program  is  timeliness-taking  advantage  of  the  "teachable  mo-
ment." We  need to watch diligently for this critical time  in program
execution.  As  educators,  we  have  a  responsibility  to  "cause
changes  in  desirable  directions."  This means  having the ability to
anticipate changing conditions and being ahead of the issues so that
those  we teach  can  help to fornrlate policies.
In  closing,  let  me  emphasize  the  following  points:
1.  Extension  policy  education  has  come  of age.  In  the  last
124twenty-five  years  you  have brought this  program from a question-
able  undertaking  into  acceptance,  respect,  and  prestige.
2.  Jobs well  done are  never finished-they  get bigger  with the
doing.  You  now  have  the  responsibility  of giving  leadership  to
public policy education programs  affecting our total extension edu-
cation effort.  Motivating and training  16,500 extension staff in how
best  to  conduct  public  policy  education  programs  is  one  of our
highest  priorities.  We cannot do it effectively  alone.
3.  Helping  citizens  understand the issues  and the processes of
decision  making  is  a challenge  which  must be faced.  Helping citi-
zens decide on issues is not enough.  We have an additional respon-
sibility  to  help  them  consider  alternative  ways  of implementing
their decisions.
You  can  be  proud  of  your  achievements  during  these
twenty-five  years  of holding the National  Public Policy  Education
Conference.  I  am confident  that  you will  continue  to expand  and
improve  our extension  efforts  in  this important program.
125

RESPONSIBILITIES, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES IN PUBLIC POLICY EDUCATION

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Research Papers in Economics