Inkwell Institute
Subject: Federalism/Governance/Management
Paper #21
Public policy is simply the programs that a government pursues…..I did say …”simply”.
Governmental policies should be properly managed and for the last 25 or more years they have not…..management has been replaced with control by private enterprises…the theory being that a well managed company can run the government more efficiently than anyone……I would say this is an erroneous belief considering the shape of the country and especially the public policy…..but for proper management there must be rationalism….and there is the key!
Yes, that is correct, I believe the key to good governmental management is rationalism….a rational government is a good government. In my years in grad school I studied public policy and there are ways to actually approach government in a rational way……
Please forgive me but I am working on this with an “old” brain and I may have a lapse or two of memory…..if government is rational then it will also be efficient and is that not what we all are looking for in our government?
To approach public policy in a rational way, there a a few things that must be followed…..I am talking about our reps as well as our presidential staff….everyone involved must have a rational perspective……but what makes a rational public policy?
There are a few things that policy makers must take into account for any policy to be rational….
1–know what is important in society and weigh their impact
2–know ALL policy alternatives that may be available.
3–know the consequences of all policies and their alternatives.
4–select the most efficient policy
5–go for it
Above are simple things that can make government good and efficient….but it takes accurate information, not the lame promises that have NO validity once they start to govern…….in other words prepare public policy from information not slogans.
Take the last big election for “change”……..and what did we get incrementalism. In other words, we got NO change, just a continuation of the past government with a few minor revisions.
Now look at Obama’s public policy…….is it efficient or for that matter….rational?
I understand what you’re saying and agree, but a government can be rational and still be bloody useless. The assumption you have to make at the beginning is that those doing the governing have the interests of all (or at the very least, the majority) of the people and I don’t think that has been a reasonable assumption for most of those governing for the last several decades and maybe much longer and THAT in my opinion is the real problem.
Obama’s government (and previous administrations) may be very rational indded – if looked at from the perspective of the guys with the real power – the hugely wealthy. Altenatives will also be rational, but only from the perspective of the lazy, the indolent and above all the power crazy zealots.
I don’t think it’s possible under the current system to create a rational government that has the best interests of the general people at its core – not least because what is in their “best interests” varies from person to person.
I also agree with you….but (and there it is again) depends on how define the word “rational”…..my definition is what is best for the country not the party…the problem is we have super party politics….that is unacceptable if the country is to ever move on….
We-ell… I agree entirely with the final sentence in your reply, but according to my dicionary… rational: based on reason, sensible, logical, realistic, wise, judicious… that doesn’t mention decent, honest, or any of those things at all.
If a greedy person wants to make yet more money, or gain more power, it’s rational for him/her to behave selfishly and without concern for the welfare of others. It has nothing to do with the people, or good government come to that!
Rational government IS the only way forward, but it’s no help at all if you don’t have the vast majority of your political representatives with the right rationale first: motivation, raison d’etre, underlying principles….
But then we’re back to my never ending claim – FIRST you have to replace a seriously broken and unfixable system, THEN you can try to make it GOOD!
That is because you ARE a rational person….sad to say there are not many of us left…..and that is my point also…the system is a piece of crap and elected officials have made it so…..and the only RATIONAL decision is to either fix it or replace it….
Shit! It is 0330 hrs and I am up to my ankles in oily sludge……wait that is OLD coffee! Sorry…..
Hah! So it’s YOU and not BP after all! 😆
What can I say…other than oops!