Policy Formation

This chapter discusses how policy is formulated, identifies the major participants in policy formation, and considers policy theories to explain policy formation. Policy formation is a detailed process of using normative and empirical methods to define a policy goal, explore alternatives to achieve the goal, and choose a preferred policy solution. The advocacy coalition framework offers a good explanation of the policy formation process. Interest groups use similar strategies to shape presidential policy formation, although direct access to the president is often more limited. The policy diffusion model is a great tool in thinking about policy formation, particularly in a federal system such as the United States. The institutional analysis and development framework is a very detailed approach to thinking about public policymaking. Congressional policy formation is often highly detailed and often conducted within committees and subcommittees. The Congressional Budget Office, Congressional Research Service, and the Government Accountability Office conduct a significant portion of the technical work for congressional policy formulators.