PERSPECTIVES AND APPROACHES IN

POLICYMAKING and NON-STATE ACTORS

AND THEIR INFLUENCE

Delia P. Casasis
Subject teacher
OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module, students should be able to:

 know and understand the meaning of a policy;
identify the various approaches and perspectives on
policy-making; and
 formulate a good policy by applying any or all of the
different approaches on policy making
DEFINITION

 According to Cambridge Dictionary, a policy is “a set of

ideas or a plan of what to do in particular situations that
has been agreed to officially by a group of people, a
business organization, a government, or a political
party.” It is therefore, “a plan of action agreed to by a
group of people with the power to carry it out and
enforce it” (Devon Dodd and Hébert-Boyd, 2000).
“Policy making is a sort of a game where we try to make society better and
make things done.
It is a four-player pursuit refereed by the media where the public, NGOs,
experts, and the private sectors jostle for power and influence that they
overlook the public who watches from the sidelines.

However, while public policy keeps forgetting the public, we can always be
a reactive player in the process and be a source of surprising solutions to
the most pressing and wicked problems” (Bednar, 2013).
Moreover, Public policy is a tool used
by the government to address and meet
societal issues and concerns for the
benefit and common good of its people
(Point Park University Admin, 2017).
Public policy, therefore, shapes and impacts the
everyday lives of the people where the latter has
the right and obligation to take part, to fight, and
to influence policy decisions (Hanauer, 2015).
 APPROACHES AND PERSPECTIVES ON
POLICY MAKING
 According to Professor Leckrone of Widener University,
here are the different approaches to the policy making
process, to wit:
First. Political Systems Theory
This focuses on the political groups in power and
interested in what the people wants (inputs) and what the
government produces (outcomes)
Second. Group Theory

 This focuses on how the groups in power mobilize to achieve

positive outcome or the success of a policy.
Third. Elite Theory
- Thisfocuses on the structure or system that benefits the needs of
the elite groups rather than the public in general which produces
outputs through a political compromise based only on personal
visions.
Fourth. Institutionalism

 This focuses on how the government institutions affect the

outcomes which involves the formal and legal aspects in the
process.
Fifth. Rational Choice Theory
- This focuses on economics and how everyone acts on their own
interests as a rational actor and maximizes social gain.
Sixth. Game Theory

- This focuses on the idea of competition and

cooperation that will result in the formation of
incentives to a greater satisfaction of all
(McGuire, 2015).
 Theabove cited approaches and perspectives are only
some of the many other approaches and perspectives in
the policy-making process.
 Theseapproaches and perspectives gave us an additional
knowledge on how a certain policy is being done and
adopted.
 NON-STATE ACTORS AND THEIR
INFLUENCE

At the end of this module, the student should be able to:

1. explain the role of non-state actors in the progress of
the nation; and
2. discuss the contribution of civil society as a non-state
actor in the development of the nation.
 STATE ACTORS
VERSUS
NON-STATE ACTORS
What is the role of
NON-STATE Actors
in the Philippines?
Role and Contributions of Civil Society
Organizations/NSAs
 Civil Society serves as a 'fiscalizer'. They fight against
government abuses, specifically those that harm both the
government and the national interest and society.
 It is the Civil Society's job to expose perceived government
corruption and irregularities. Even so, report and expose these
acts.
 Civil Society serves as a vital catalyst in reforming some of the
rigid, traditional, or common structures already implanted in
and within the government.
They also serve as the guardians of the environment, actively
fighting to preserve the environment by filing petitions regarding the
issuance of the writ of kalikasan.
They also educate people on environmental preservation. (Ramos
2016).
Many NGOs now have entered to an agreement with state authorities
through officially sanctioned government contracts such as Public-
Private Partnerships (PPPs) with commercial enterprises of non-
government nature (Peter Wijninga)
Thank you for listening!