Question

1. What roles to government, private, and non-profit actors play in the policy process? In what ways do the concepts of policy networks and policy process overlap? (Consider using an example policy issue to make this easier.)

Answer 1

The government, non profit and private actors play a major role for the implementatin and development of the policy making process. Government would make and develop a policy making by setting the agenda and defining the problem that is being emerged because of which the policy would be formulated under the framework. The variety of options would be considered given by private as well as non profit participants giving their feedback regarding how the same policy would effect their working performance. The feedback would be provided and also how the private and the non profit companies would collaborate together and making sure such a policy is developed and implemented affecting both of these segments in a positive manner. The decision is then taken by the concerned authorities and also by the vote of public and the policy is introduced and implemented for the working.

The policy process and policy network have an overlapping point and consideration under their working process. The policy process is the process where an emerging problem is identified by the concerned authorities. The agenda is then set up to discuss and identify various solutions and alternatives to solve the problem. Finally, feedback and relevant votes are collected to draft and final a policy which would then be implemented for the working in the official state.

For example, the policy of one child policy in China was a policy which was developed to solve the population problem and the above mentioned steps were effectively taken out to ensure the same policy is implemented and evaluated for the betterment of the country.

Policy network would help you to focus on various links and interdependence between the government's section and other important societal areas which are coming together to understand the policy making process.  

Thus, the same one child policy of China would then be adapted by the people had their own effects. More people were turning older and older and there was no child to look for them as because of this policy. Many private and public organisations were affected because of this policy as their employees' demographics started changing. Many cultural and social areas were also being affected by the same policy process. This is policy network.