Question

Policy actors are any individual or group that is directly or indirectly, formally or informally, affiliated with or affected by the policy process at any stage. Examine the role of policy actors in the following policy approaches. Support your arguments with relevant examples.

a. Elitism

b. Pluralism

Answer 1

a. Policy actors are one of the most important factors of any of the policy process. Elitism is basically a belief which inside that the society will be governed by elite people. Elite people include those people who are strong and most qualified lead powered person. Sometimes, elite people inside person from any certain family. For example - in politics, some politicians are from certain specific family who already have political background, like Gandhi family in Indian Politics. Gandhi family is from Congress Political party of India. Gandhi family lead India for approximately 60+ years. The overall aim of elitism is that the best and most strong qualified and most deserving person should be at the top.

In elitism, policy actors are mainly from elite society. Elite people are those who are from any privileged class and being provided by some extraordinary talent or being very experience in any particular field. Sometimes, wealth become the only reason for a person to be elite, like son of King will be the future king, no matters that son of the king is capable of being king or not. There are many elite groups who have the gift of being elite by birth, as they take birth in a elite family. Like Prince of Britain. Policy actors in elite society, take decisions by overseeing their own image and profit rather than of whole population There is individual merit in elitism policy approach.

The views and opinions of elite group people are taken seriously and being considered while taking any decisions. There is no equality and democracy in this. Only elite people have dominance power in hand.

b. Pluralism is a belief system in which none of any special person have any type of dominance in nature, in this different people are there who have different power centers.

The policy actors in pluralism are from different society and from different backgrounds. Proper participation and view points of all people are being heard before taking any decisions. In this belief system, those decisions which is being acceptable by the majority of population is being considered.

Pluralism is very much closer to the democracy. Like, Indian politics is having pluralism beliefs system, Prime minister of India is being chosen by the vote of every citizens of India. Any decision taken in parliament is by the majority of the ministers present over there.

In pluralism, the profit and image of all over the population is being taken into consideration. There is merit of whole population in pluralism policy approach.