Debating public Policy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Debating public Policy - Term Paper Example The researcher is of the view that decision making in public policy is an engineered process that reflect the motive and paradigm set by decision maker. Moreover, policymaking decisions are controlled activities which often reflect the political motives. Decision in policymaking, according to Deborah Stone is a process which involves an actor (an individual, firm or organization or entity) who chooses to take course of action in order to achieve the desired end. The actor follows mental operational steps including: defining of goals, imagining alternative means for attaining them, evaluating the consequences, and choosing the alternative that is most likely to achieve desired goal (Stone 233). While these steps represent an organized process, decision makers often disregard their implementation in the exact sequence. Some of the reasons include the emphasis on ends versus means, welfare versus utility of the public, and so on. Policymakers therefore often skip the initial stages, and work their way from the bottom - that is from the goals towards the alternatives and their consequences. The main aim of policy decision is to maximize the total welfare instead of focusing on a chosen few within the community (Stone 234). After all, the purpose of a public policy is to promote the welfare of the society. Regardless of the consequences to a small number of individuals, decisions pertaining to the welfare of a community should be a reflection of the choice of the individuals. What use is the policy decision to the society if it only serves a chosen few? Thus, the public decision maker is a "servant" to the objective of the society, and the decisions made should reflect the choices and preferences of the individuals (Stokey and Zeckhauser 258). However, reality it is different. In a multicultural environment such as in the United States, it is difficult to holistically achieve complete consensus of