PUBLIC POLICY SUBJECT 1 What are the characteristics of main public policy instruments that government policymakers have available? Support your answer with examples 2 What are the different stages in the policy process model? Review the role of each stage. Support your answer with examples 3 What are the most important duties and powers of the National Assembly in the VietNam political system? Support your answer with examples 4 Describe the four main types of market failures that warrant government intervention. Support your answer with examples 5 Demonstrate differences between distributive policies and redistributive policies. Support your answer with examples 6 Demonstrate differences between distributive policies and regulatory policies. Support your answer with examples 7 Demonstrate differences between democracy and monarchy as forms of government. Support your answer with examples 8 Demonstrate differences between the federal and unitary systems of government. Support your answer with examples 9 What are the benefits of the cap and trade program? What are its drawbacks, and how could they be affected? 10 Identify factors that substantially shaped Vietnam’s response to the Covid19 pandemic. What are the benefits of a unitary system of government in dealing with the Covid19 pandemic over a federal system of government?
CHÍNH PHỦ CHÍNH SÁCH CƠNG What are the characteristics of main public policy instruments that government policymakers have available? Support your answer with examples Public policy instruments are the techniques used by the governing authorities to promote certain policies to achieve a predefined set of goals There are main public policy instruments that government policymakers have available to achieve their policy objectives Here are some of the key characteristics of the main public policy instruments: The first public policy instrument is Regulation Regulations are government decrees that either require citizens to something or prevent them from doing so Particular requirements ensure compliance by individuals, corporations, and other units of government For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforces regulations on emissions standards for automobiles and factories The second public policy instrument is government management Governments use the direct management of resources as instruments of public policy to citizens For example, governments provide the services directly to citizens by implementing some policies such as education, defense, public parks, police and fire protection, The third public policy instrument is taxing and spending Governments also use their ability to tax and spend to achieve policy goals and objectives For example, tax policy can be used to promote social goals, such as reducing carbon emissions through taxes on gasoline, or to discourage certain behaviors, such as taxing cigarettes to discourage smoking The fourth public policy instrument is market mechanisms Governments can take advantage of market mechanisms as a form of public policy Using the market to provide the public with incentives to make choices or correct problems For example, revenue - neutral carbon tax to discourage the use of fossil fuel The other public policy instruments are education, information and persuasion Education of citizens in an attempt to persuade them to behave in a certain way For example, information campaigns to promote healthy eating or discourage drug use can be effective in changing behavior What are the different stages in the policy process model? Review the role of each stage The policy process model posits a logical sequence of activities affecting the development of public policies.While there are diferent versions of the model,the generally consist of the following stages: Agenda setting: In this stage, a problem is identified and brought to the attention of policymakers This could be done by interest groups, individuals or government officials The role of this stage is to determine what issues are important and should be addressed Example: In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, police reform became a major policy issue in the United States This was largely due to the attention brought to incidents of police violence against Black individuals, which highlighted systemic issues with law enforcement Policy formulation: This stage involves the design and drafting of policy goals and strategies for achieving them This stage can involve research, expert consultation, the use of policy analysis Example: The Paris Climate Agreement, signed in 2015, was the result of a long process of policy formulation that involved input from scientific experts, government officials, and representatives from civil society The policy aimed to address the pressing issue of climate change by setting targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions Policy legitimation: This stage involves the mobilization of political support and formal enactment of policies includes justification or rationales for the policy action Example: The legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States was the result of a long and contentious policy adoption process The policy was adopted in 2015, following a series of court decisions that struck down state-level bans on same-sex marriage Policy implementation: This stage involves the provision of institutional resources for putting the programs into effect within a bureaucracy Example: The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the United States involved the establishment of healthcare exchanges where individuals could purchase health insurance This required the development of a complex information technology infrastructure to support the exchanges Policy evaluation: This stage involves measurement and assessment of policy and program effects, including success or failure Example: The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been subject to ongoing evaluation and modification For example, the individual mandate penalty was repealed in 2017, and the law has been subject to ongoing legal challenges Policy change: This stage involves the modification of policy goals and means in light of new information or shifting political environment Example: The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in the United States was subject to ongoing policy change, which revealed issues with the law's implementation and effectiveness As a result, the law was replaced with the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015 The new law built upon the NCLB's accountability measures but also provided more flexibility to states in how they achieved educational goals Overall, each stage plays a critical role in ensuring that policies are effective and responsive to the needs of society What are the most important duties and powers of the National Assembly in the VietNam political system? Support your answer with examples The National Assembly is the highest representative body of the People and the highest body of State power of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam It plays a crucial role in the political system of Vietnam Its duties and powers include the following: To draw up and amend the Constitution; to make and amend laws; 2.To exercise supreme control over conformity to the Consitution, the law and the resolutions of the National Assemble, to examine the reports of the State President, the Standing Committee of the National Assemble, the Government 3.To decide on the major objectives, targets, policies, duties of national socio-economic development To decide on the fundamental national financial and monetary policies; to set, change, or abolish taxes; to decide on the separation of items of incomes and expenditure between central budget and local budgets; to decide on the safety limit of national debts To decide on the State's policies on ethnic minorities and religions; To regulate the organization and operation of the National Assembly, the State President, the Government, the People’s Courts, the People’s Procuracy, the National Council of Election, the State Audit, local administrations, and other bodies created by the National Assembly To elect, suspend and revoke the State President and Vice-President, the Chairman of the National Assembly, the Vice-Chairman Of the National Assembly, members of the Standing Committees Of the National Assembly, Chairman of the Ethnic Council, 8.To cast a vote of confidence on persons holding positions elected or approved by the NAssembly To set up or dissolve government ministries and other agencies at the same level; to establish, merge, divide or adjust the boundaries of provinces and cities under direct central rule; to set up or disband special administrative_economic units; to set up or disband other bodies in concordance with the Constitution and the law; 10 To abrogate all formal written documents issued by the State President, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, the Government, and the Supreme Preoples Procuracy that are inconsistent with the Consitution, laws and resolutions takenby the National Assembly 11 To grant amnesty; 12.To determine titles and ranks in the people's armed forces, in the diplomatic service and other State titles and ranks; to institute medals, badges and State honors and distinctions; 13 To decide issues of war and peace; to proclaim a state of emergency and other special measures aimed at ensuring national defense and security; 14 To decide on fundamental policies in external relations to ratify or nullify international treaties with respect to war and peace, national sovereignty, membershio of the Socialist Republic of VN 15 To hold a referendum For example, the National Assembly passed the Law on Cyber Security in 2018, which regulates online activities and aims to safeguard national security In 2020, the National Assembly conducted a hearing to review the implementation of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases during the Covid 19 pandemic Describe the four main types of market failures that warrant government intervention Market failure refers to a situation where the allocation of goods and services by a free market does not result in an efficient outcome A market failure occurs when the private market is not efficient Here are four main types of market failures that warrant government intervention: Externalities: Externalities are the decisions and actions of those involved in the market exchange that affect other parties, either negatively or positively A negative externality occurs when two parties interact in a market and as a result of that interaction, a third party is harmed and does not get compensation For example, Air pollution from factories leads to respiratory problems in nearby communities A positive externality occurs the same way as a negative externality, but the third party hains something from the two-party interaction and does not have to pay for it For example, education is a positive externality of school becausepeople learn and develop skills for careers and their lives Public goods: : Public goods are goods or services that are non-excludable and non-rivalrous, meaning that they cannot be easily denied to anyone and that one person's consumption of the good does not diminish its availability to others Example: Lighthouses, which provide a navigational aid to ships at sea and are not privately provided because it is difficult to exclude ships from using the light Monopolies: Monopolies occur when one or several persons or companies dominate the market and can control the price of a product or service They can charge higher prices and restrict output, leading to inefficiency and harm to consumers Government intervention can help correct monopolies by regulating or breaking up monopolistic firms Example: Pharmaceutical companies that hold patents on life-saving drugs, allowing them to charge high prices that are not competitive Information failure: Information failure occurs when buyers and sellers not have equal access to information about a product, leading to misallocation of resources Example: Used car sales, where the seller may not disclose all relevant information about the car's history, leading to a misallocation of resources Demonstrate differences between distributive policies and redistributive policies Support your answer with examples Different Distributive policies: Distributive policies aim to promote equal opportunities by providing resources and benefits to individuals or groups who lack them The characterized of distributive policies are individual programs or grants that a government provides without regard to limited resources or zero-sum situations (where one group’s gain is another’s loss) Redistributive policies: Redistributive policies provide benefits to one category of individuals at the expense of another, they often reflect ideological or class conflict For every redistributive policy, winners and losers are associated with its approval, which makes such policies controversial and difficult to adopt Example Distributive policies: In the United State, The Pell Grant program, which provides need-based financial aid to low-income students to help them attend college This policy expands access to higher education resources and does not take resources away from any other group R_policies: In the United State, Social Security, which provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to eligible individuals, funded by taxes on current workers This policy takes resources from current workers and redistributes them to provide income and support for eligible individuals 6/ Demonstrate differences between distributive policies and regulatory policies Support your answer with examples Different: Distributive policies aim to promote equal opportunities by providing resources and benefits to individuals or groups who lack them The characterized of distributive policies are individual programs or grants that a government provides without regard to limited resources or zero-sum situations (where one group’s gain is another’s loss) Regulatory policies: Regulatory policies are government restriction of individual choice to keep conduct from transcending acceptable bounds Some government activities, from protecting consumers to ensuring environmental quality Example: Distributive policies: In the US, The Pell Grant program, which provides need-based financial aid to low-income students to help them attend college This policy expands access to higher education resources and does not take resources away from any other group Regulatory policies: In the US, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which establishes workplace safety regulations and enforces compliance with those regulations This policy regulates the behavior of employers and protects worker health and safety - - - - - Demonstrate differences between democracy and monarchy as forms of government Support your answer with examples Democracy and monarchy are two distinct forms of government that differ in their sources of power, decision-making processes, and levels of popular representation Sources of power Democracy: People hold the ultimate power and choose their government Monarchy: Power is held by a single individual, typically a king or queen So the government is run by a king or queen Decision - making process Democracy: People take decisions and make laws through their elected representatives Monarchy: The king or queen takes decisions and makes laws Level of popular representation Democracy: The representatives are answerable and accountable to the people Citizens have the freedom to criticize government policies Monarchy: The king or queen is not answerable to the people The people not have the freedom to defy the king or queen Typically structured Democracy: The government is typically structured with multiple branches that have the ability to check and balance one another’s power There may be a legislature, executive and judiciary, each with its own powers and responsibility Monarchy: The government is typically structured around the authority of the monarch There may be advisors or other government officials, but they are appointed by the monarch and are subject to the monarch’s authority Example Democracy: For example, in a representative democracy like the United States, elected officials are responsible for making decisions on behalf of their constituents These officials are typically elected through a process of free and fair elections, and they are accountable to the people who elected them One example of the democratic decision-making process is the passing of legislation, which typically involves multiple stages of debate, revision, and voting by elected representatives Monarchy: For example, in Saudi Arabia, the king is the ultimate decision-maker in matters of state, and he is advised by a council of ministers One example of the monarchical decisionmaking process is the issuing of decrees, which are typically made by the monarch and not require the approval of any other governing body - - - - Demonstrate differences between the federal and unitary system of government Support your answer with examples Federal governmetn and unitary government are two systems of government that differ in their distribution of power, constitution, representation and local automony Distribution of power Federal government: Power is divided between the central government and the local government Each level of government has its own responsibilities, and the constitution typically outlines which level is responsible for what Unitary government: Central government is the supreme administrative division The central government may delegate certain responsibilities to such units Constitution: Federal government: Centre can not interfere, power to local government is given by the Constitution Constitution is very important Unitary government: Only one government, even in the case of local government, it’s power is cutesy The Constitution is not important Representation Federal government: There is typically a bicameral legislature, with one house representing the central government and the other representing the local government For example, in the US, the Senate represents the states, with each state having two senators, while the House of Representatives represents the population of the country Unitary government: There may be a unicameral or bicameral legislature, but there is typically no separate representation for units Local autonomy Federal government: Each level of government has its own legal authority in matters of legislation taxation which can ot be taken away by the central government - Unitary government: The central government gives orders to the provincial government to implement various laws Regional governments not have legal authority in matters of legislation, taxation, Example Federal government: India is a federal country with union government at the center and state governments at the state level and Panchayati Raj at the local level Unitary government: Sri Lanka is a unitary government with the national government has all the powers What are the benefits of the cap and trade program? What are its drawbacks, and how The cap and trade program is a policy approach used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions Under this system, a government sets a cap on the total amount of emissions allowed by regulated entities (such as companies), and then issues permits that allow them to emit a certain amount of pollutants Companies can buy and sell these permits on a market, with the price of permits typically increasing as the cap decreases There are several benefits of the cap and trade program, including: Emissions reduction: By placing a limit on emissions and creating a market for permits, the cap and trade program can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions This can contribute to meeting national or international emissions reduction targets For example, the European Union's Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) has been successful in reducing emissions from the power sector by more than 20% since its launch in 2005, contributing to the EU's overall target of reducing emissions by at least 40% by 2030 Cost-effectiveness: The cap and trade program is often more cost-effective than other policy approaches, such as command-and-control regulations This is because companies that can reduce emissions at a lower cost can sell their permits to companies that face higher costs of compliance For example, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in the northeastern United States has been shown to reduce emissions at a lower cost than traditional command-and-control regulations Innovation: The cap and trade program incentivizes companies to develop and implement new technologies that can reduce emissions more efficiently This can help to drive innovation and increase the deployment of clean technologies For example, the California cap and trade program has provided financial incentives for companies to invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, leading to the development of new technologies and the creation of new jobs However, there are also some potential drawbacks of the cap and trade program, including: Permit price volatility: The price of permits can fluctuate greatly, which can create uncertainty for companies and make it difficult to plan for the future For example, the EU ETS has experienced price volatility in the past, which has led to calls for reforms to the program to make it more stable 10 Risk of leakage: If companies are subject to a cap and trade program in one jurisdiction but not in another, there is a risk that they will simply move their operations to the unregulated jurisdiction, resulting in no overall reduction in emissions For example, some companies in Europe have raised concerns about the risk of carbon leakage if the EU imposes more stringent emissions reduction targets than other jurisdictions, such as China Concerns about fairness: The cap and trade program can be seen as unfairly placing a financial burden on companies that are subject to the regulations, which can lead to political opposition to the program This can be particularly true if the program does not provide sufficient support for affected communities or industries For example, the cap and trade program in California has faced criticism from some environmental justice groups, who argue that the program has not done enough to address the disproportionate impacts of pollution on low-income and minority communities In order to address these potential drawbacks, policymakers can take steps such as implementing measures to stabilize permit prices, coordinating with other jurisdictions to create a more comprehensive emissions reduction strategy, and implementing measures to address concerns about fairness, such as using revenue from permit auctions to fund programs that benefit the communities most affected by pollution 10 Identify factors that substantially shaped Vietnam’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic What are the benefits of a unitary system of government in dealing with the Covid19 pandemic over a federal system of government? COVID-19 is not merely a public health crisis but also raises questions about the management of uncertainty during novel crises and, more profoundly, public trust in expertise and governance under such circumstances Recognized for its early effectiveness, Vietnam exhibits the standard characteristics of unitary states but has also engaged communities, strengthening the legitimacy of and buy-in to response efforts There are factors that shaped Vietnam’s response to the Covid 19 pandemic The first factor is command-and-control governance The command-and-control architecture of Vietnam’s administrative systems facilitated more effective coordination to manage activities for pandemic mitigation; these included isolation of positive or at-risk cases, surveillance, restrictions on movement, and targeted mobilization of resources to high-need areas The second factor is extensive preparation Vietnam was relatively well prepared to manage the COVID-19 pandemic by virtue of its capacity, expertise, and coordination practices across the health sector The third factor is Fostering cooperative sentiment and solidarity The Vietnam government’s ability to rally the public around sentiments like nationalism and heroism in the fight against a common enemy was a powerful force in generating solidarity and support for response measures The fourth factor is political readiness and communication From the inception of the pandemic, Vietnam demonstrated political readiness and communication capacities to mitigate COVID-19 This use of social media and ‘science journalism’ was effective in informing the general public, with particular messages for subgroups of the population having certain needs The fifth factor is Cross-sector cooperation The fifth success factor explored in this study concerns the role of cooperation among government, the private sector, civil society, and individuals The collaborative model is reflected in the country’s multi-sectoral approach 11 The final factor is adaptation Vietnam’s early response, including the period prior to mandatory quarantine for incoming passengers, did not exhibit the type of adaptation that later characterized its more successful response For example of command-and-control governance: Vietnam has implemented a strict quarantine policy for individuals who have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 These individuals are required to undergo quarantine for 14 days, with their movements closely monitored Additionally, the government has implemented a rigorous contact tracing system to identify individuals who may have been exposed to the virus What are the benefits of a unitary system of government in dealing with the Covid19 pandemic over a federal system of government? There are several benefits to having a unitary system of government, as opposed to a federal system Quick decision-making: In a unitary system, decision-making is centralized, and the central government can quickly respond to a crisis like a pandemic without the need to consult or coordinate with other levels of government This can lead to a more efficient response to the pandemic, as the government can act swiftly and decisively to implement policies and measures to control the spread of the virus For example, Vietnam's government was able to quickly implement strict lockdown measures and conduct mass testing campaigns in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which helped to contain the spread of the virus Consistent policies: In a unitary system, policies and measures to combat the pandemic can be implemented consistently across the entire country This can reduce confusion and ensure that everyone is following the same guidelines and protocols In contrast, in a federal system, different states or regions may have different policies, which can lead to confusion and make it more difficult to control the spread of the virus For example, in the United States, different states have implemented different policies in response to the pandemic, which has led to confusion and inconsistent enforcement Centralized resources: In a unitary system, resources such as healthcare facilities, medical equipment, and supplies can be centralized and distributed more efficiently This can ensure that areas that are most in need of resources receive them, and can help to prevent shortages or hoarding of resources For example, in Vietnam, the government was able to quickly mobilize healthcare resources and deploy them to areas that were most affected by the pandemic, which helped to control the spread of the virus and treat those who were infected Overall, a unitary system of government can provide certain advantages in dealing with a pandemic like Covid-19 However, it is important to note that the effectiveness of the government's response to the pandemic is also influenced by other factors such as the government's capacity, resources, and public cooperation 12