Policy as a handle on government

‘Policy’ has become one of the central ways in how we talk about government, presenting the process of government as a pattern of systematic action oriented to particular collective concerns. It is a central concept in a narrative of governing in authoritative and instrumental terms: Governments recognize problems and make decisions to bring public authority and resources to bear upon these problems, with ‘policy’ as the expression of these decisions. As we will see, this perspective embodies questions and puzzles for both practitioners and observers, but it occupies centre stage, constituting a framework within which policy concerns are discussed.

In a way, the policy perspective is an alternative to the more traditional ‘politics’ perspective on government that sees it as a competitive struggle for power and the capacity for allocation which goes along with it. Of course, the two cannot be totally separated, as the politics perspective considers one of the fruits of political success as the capacity to steer government through policy, and the policy perspective assumes that political leaders will want to shape the direction of government activity through policy choices. But the politics perspective tends to focus attention on the competitive struggle for the right to choose, while the policy perspective is more concerned with problem solving.

In this narrative of ‘authoritative instrumentalism,’ a central place is given to ‘policymakers,’ although it is not always clear who is being referred to. It also envisages that the policymakers will have ‘policy advisers’ and may also draw on the work of ‘policy analysts.’ We find this unduly specific and limiting in its vision. There are many people whose work is oriented toward policy: political leaders, bureaucrats, professional experts, advocates, interest group representatives, and others. These are the people we call policy workers. They may be employed by the government, or one of a range of bodies concerned about how the authority of government can be brought to bear on problems: think tanks, interest groups, professional bodies, community associations, international organizations, etc. They may be activists, not employed in this sector at all, but committed to policy as a major part of their lives, though, in many cases, these people are drawn into paid employment, often because governments offer grants to issue-focused groups so that they can employ staff and more easily bring their perspective to bear in official circumstances.