Assignment 2

Shulock

a) Briefly describe the two views of policy-making that Shulock outlines in her article?

The two views of policy making in the Shulock article are the traditional view and the interpretive view. Traditional policy analysis presumes that experts trained in analytical techniques can apply them systematically to the political market place, can discover and measure its impact on citizen interests, forecast and affect decisions.

The interpretive view can be considered more of a language for framing political discourse, as a legitimate rationalization behind legislative action, and as a symbol of legitimate decision process. The interpretive view is a democratic process as opposed to a problem solving process. Is more responsive to the public and engages the public in the process.

b) In your opinion, which of these views of policy making is most accurate? Why?

I favor the interpretive view as this view is more of a democratic process than a problem solving process. This process is responsive to the public and engages them. For example the New England style town hall meetings, a form of direct democratic rule. Shulock points out interpretive use as being a tool of the democratic process, used by policymakers, interest groups and citizens.
The traditional view has a different feel to it, this view feels more like a set standard that might have been authorized decades ago and has not undergone any changes. This view has more of an elitist feel to it. For example some of the characteristics of the traditional view involve monopoly jurisdictions and passive citizens.
It is interesting to note that Shulock based both her hypothesis on the interpretive theory. She has based these hypotheses on policy analysis being used more in cases of jurisdictional competition (interpretive) than in cases of jurisdictional monopoly (traditional), and secondly policy analysis being used when public attention to issues is high. Shulock in her conclusion (pg 239) mentions critiques of traditional policy analysis argue that new forms of policy analysis must be devised to remedy the deficiencies of the traditional form. The two type of deficiencies presented are an over-reliance on a positivist framework and an antidemocratic tendency.

c) Post a link to a newspaper article that demonstrates an example of policy making that supports your opinions expressed in part b above. Briefly explain why this supports your views from part b?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/04/health/policy/04fda.html?ref=politics

This article is about the removal of the drug midodrine from the market by the FDA since the drug makers never tested the drug for being effective against spells of dizziness and fainting. Sometime drugs are approved by the FDA in an abbreviated process; this process involves bringing the drug into the market without extensive tests.
Since midodrine was the only available option many had the FDA was flooded with complaints by those who were debilitated by the condition. The article has given two examples of individuals suffering from dizziness so acute they can barely live their normal lives.
The FDA acted on its own set of regulations (traditional view), one could argue that the agency was merely following protocols. The intensive drug testing that is needed was never conducted by the drug manufacturer. The fact that the FDA had to change their decision is something in response to a flawed step on the part of the agency and the drug makers. Firstly the FDA took the drug out with out any warning or even trying to find out if the drug was helping people. Had there been a democratic forum where the FDA could investigate the drugs effectiveness and if it was helping people, such a situation would not have arisen. Interesting to note there is no mention of a fine or a penalty on the pharmaceutical company manufacturing midodrine.

Hird

a) What does Hird conclude about the use of policy analysis in decision making?

Hird focused on the influence of non-partisan policy analysis organizations (NPRO) on their main clients: state legislators. Point to note, Hird finds that there is a negative association between legislators’ evaluations of the strength of their NPRO and their belief that the NPRO mostly gathers and synthesizes information rather than analyzing it. The study conducted by Hird finds a consistently significant impact of state nonpartisan policy research organizations on both legislators’ evaluations of their access to information and their assessment of the quality and capabilities of their NPRO’s.
While NPROs in relation to other constituencies do not have substantial policy making influence, the larger and more analytical NPROs have significantly more influence over policymaking than smaller/descriptive ones.

b) Are you convinced by his research and his argument? Why or why not?

While I feel the research and the argument are on the right line it could be more conclusive. The article has examined the relationship between the analytical capacities of the NPRO by taking NPROs across 19 states into consideration. Taking 19 states is a small sample; the accuracy could be a hit or a miss. While Hird concludes larger NPROs having greater influence than smaller ones, Hird might have increased his accuracy had he taken a sample of 25-30 states. Instead of taking all the NPROs in that state he could have divided them into categories according to size. Another interesting aspect of the study could try to divide the sample states into red and blue states and see the outcomes. The response rate while consistent is still low at 25 %. While I agree with Hird, his conclusion and finding I feel the methodology could be reliable is the sample size was increased.