Public Policy Making

Aware that public policies are formulated to govern the general public within a particular state, there is a dire need to identify and consult all the interest groups prior to the enactment and eventual enforcement of such policies. Interest groups can either have a negative impact or play a positive role in the public policy making ,depending on how the policy was made. If the interest groups were neglected during the formulation phase of the public policy, then they will have a negative impact because they will relentlessly reject or widely oppose its enforcement all through. However, when interest groups are involved in the process of policy making right from the beginning, they will feel a part of the process and eventually embrace it during the enforcement phase. Involvement of all the interest groups in the entire process of policy making ensures that the newly formulated public policies cater for the needs of all groups, thus are fully embraced across the board.

This is a factor in any successful public policy making. Mass media is a real force to reckon with in the making of a public policy, if it is not properly incorporated into the process. Any slight misconception of the public policy by the media could result into a serious mess, once the message hits the public masses. All media houses and press should be well informed about the public policies, as well as their intentions in good time for the purposes of effective mass civil education. Failure to do this, the policy making process can backfire tremendously. This explains why the newly proposed 2011 U.

S. Tax Policy by the Obama Administration is rejected due to the negative publicity it got from the mass media and key interest groups while Immigration Policy goes through within the same period.