Policy Outcomes Research Articles

A Threat to Sustainable HealthCare Services? Examining the Effect of Structural Violence on the Policy Outcomes of Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme among Enrolled Junior Officers in the Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure

A Threat to Sustainable HealthCare Services? Examining the Effect of Structural Violence on the Policy Outcomes of Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme among Enrolled Junior Officers in the Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure

The Best and Sustainable COVID-19 Policy in the World

This article will scientifically evaluate individual COVID-19 policies of countries around the world, U.S. states, and Japanese prefectures, respectively. The efficacy of the vaccines has been reported in many of the world’s top medical journals, but even after more than a year of vaccination, the claims have yet to be met. Human emotions, behaviors, and individual policies can significantly influence the outcome against the pandemic. The evaluation in this article is based on a single determinant of the policy outcome. Scoring policies is based on dividing the number of deaths due to COVID-19 by the population in millions. The lower the score, the better the policy. Unfortunately, scores monotonically increase, so that policymakers can only suppress them but cannot improve or decrease them. Therefore, mistakes by policymakers cannot be corrected in the future and they are fatal forever. The result using three tools will reveal the best COVID-19 policy in the world. The revealed policy should have been or be adopted in individual countries for mitigating and ending the COVID-19 pandemic. This article also suggests what is needed in our society for reducing the unnecessary deaths due to COVID-19.

Central bank independence and monetary policy outcomes in Ghana: a Bayesian structural time series approach

Central bank independence and monetary policy outcomes in Ghana: a Bayesian structural time series approach

Media and public policy advocacy in India

The intricate relationship between media and public policy advocacy in India presents a complex terrain marked by both opportunities and challenges. As media assumes a central role in shaping public discourse and influencing policy outcomes, the dynamics of this symbiotic relationship raise critical questions and concerns that necessitate careful examination. The problem lies in the potential for bias, sensationalism, and manipulation within the media landscape, which can skew the public narrative and compromise the integrity of the policy-making process. The traditional media, comprising newspapers, television, and radio, faces challenges in maintaining objectivity, often succumbing to commercial pressures or political influences. This raises questions about the reliability of information disseminated to the public and the impact on the formulation and implementation of public policies. Furthermore, the advent of digital media, with its rapid proliferation and influence, introduces a new set of challenges. The dynamics of social media platforms, in particular, have the potential to amplify certain voices while marginalizing others, leading to the creation of echo chambers, and polarized public opinions. The democratization of information through digital platforms also raises concerns about misinformation, fake news, and the unchecked spread of unverified content, further complicating the relationship between media and public policy advocacy. In light of these challenges, there is a pressing need to critically evaluate the role of media in public policy advocacy in India. This study aims at selecting and analyzing specific case studies that highlight instances where media has played a significant role in shaping public policy outcomes.

Towards a more integrated approach of housing and care for persons with a disability in Flanders

Aiming to offer persons with disabilities more opportunities to live independently and more inclusive, the Flemish government radically revised its subsidies for care and care infrastructure for persons with disabilities. Since 2016, subsidies for care are no longer allocated to care providers, but directly to the person with disabilities. In 2018, brick-and-mortar subsidies for care infrastructure were replaced with subject-specific investment subsidies. In this oral paper, we present the results of a study carried out in 2019 aiming to evaluate the impact of this more demand-driven subsidisation on the housing situation of persons with a disability.
 The evaluation was carried out by academic researchers, but set up in co-design with the Housing Agency Flanders, the Flemish Department responsible for care, care organisations, social housing providers, municipalities and organisations supporting persons with a disability. Persons with a disability receiving a care budget were invited to respond to a survey about their living conditions and how these changed after receiving the care budget. Another survey was send to care organisations and social housing providers and contained questions on the impact of the policy change on their investment decisions. After analysing the data, discussions with stakeholders were held to deepen the understanding of the results.
 Persons with disabilities reported in their answers to the survey changes in housing choices, housing quality and housing costs and linked these to the policy changes. Housing and care providers reported how their investment strategies were affected. The results of the study reveal how even after a few years the effects of a more demand driven subsidization are visible. Moreover, the study provides an example of how policy outcomes in one policy field (housing) can be affected by policy initiatives in another policy field (care). As such, the study stresses the need for more transversal research in studying housing policy outcomes and the need for an integrated policy approach.
 The presentation of the study will be followed by a presentation of one of the initiatives of the Housing Agency Flanders aiming at a better integration of these two distinct policy fields. The Agency is currently the driver of diverse incentives and experimental innovations for a more sustainable housing policy and initiatives. The Agency launched a call in 2017 for the development of experimental and innovative housing forms, focusing on building ‘common housing’ or ‘leasehold’ models. For a period of 6 years, 28 initiatives can develop an innovative practice exempt from housing regulation. In several initiatives, the aspect of care is intrinsically related to the experiment and innovation. We will present initiatives that provide an inclusive co-housing solution for people who need intensive and long-term care. Goal is to develop new housing initiatives, detect difficulties and gaps in legislation and explore possibilities to enroll these practices in Flanders.

The analysis of collaboration in educational quality assurance policy: A case study of Walailak University

Collaboration is a contemporary management concept that is considered essential for achieving development policy outcomes. However, research on collaboration and quality assurance policies in higher education in Thailand has been challenging. The aim of this study was to investigate how collaboration contributes to the successful implementation of the educational quality assurance policy at Walailak University.To address this research question, a mixed-method approach was used which combined qualitative and quantitative research methods. This approach was chosen to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the subject and was based on the collaborative governance theory and resource-based framework. In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 key informants who are important actors in the quality assurance process at the university. These interviews were supplemented by a questionnaire survey of 400 respondents from various stakeholders at the university.
 The findings of this study showed that facilitative leadership, incentive to collaborate, repetition of effort to collaborate and resource-knowledge sharing are among the key determinants contributing to collaboration processes in educational quality assurance. The results also indicated that these factors are interrelated and can contribute to the successful implementation of the university's quality assurance policy. Based on these findings, models of collaboration in enhancing quality assurance outcomes were demonstrated that resource-knowledge sharing, negotiation, trust-building, commitment to the process and shared-understanding have statistically significant positive impact on educational quality assurance outcomes including producing graduate outcomes, research outcomes, academic services outcomes and preserving arts and cultures. The practical benefits were proposed and discussed.

Social sustainability in the decarbonized welfare state: Social policy as a buffer against poverty related to environmental taxes

Decarbonization, environmental protection, and sustainable development are more topical than ever. Despite long-standing debates about the regressive profile of environmental taxes, the welfare state’s role in buffering adverse distributive impacts of climate policy is largely unexplored. We examine if social policy shields households from falling into poverty due to environmental taxes tied to consumption. We specifically focus on the importance of income replacement in social insurance and social assistance. To enable detailed assessments of the distributive outcomes of environmental policy, we impute environmental taxes into the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC). Our comparative analysis of 26 European countries indicates that the welfare state protects households from relative income poverty due to environmental taxes. Moreover, comparisons between educational groups suggest that both social insurance and social assistance play different yet complementary roles in reducing socio-economic gradients in poverty related to environmental taxes.

Partisan Effects of Information Campaigns in Competitive Authoritarian Elections: Evidence from Bangladesh

Abstract To study the effects of non-partisan information and get-out-the-vote campaigns on the partisan composition of the voting population in competitive authoritarian elections, we conducted a large-scale field experiment prior to the 2018 Bangladeshi general election. Our two treatments highlight that high turnout increases the winning party’s legitimacy and that election outcomes matter for policy outcomes. Both treatments increase turnout (measured by ink marks) in government strongholds, but decrease turnout in opposition strongholds. We explain the withdrawal of treated opposition supporters and conclude that non-partisan information and get-out-the-vote campaigns can further tilt the uneven playing field in competitive authoritarian elections.

Eğitim Yönetimi Süreç Odaklamasında Kamu Politikası Modelleri

The outcomes of public policy in education management process focusing are the concrete changes that occur after the implementation of the decisions taken regarding public policies and the services produced. The results of public policy and the outcomes of educational management process focusing are different from each other. When public policy consequences are mentioned, they mean the consequences that arise from the fact that the public administration chooses to implement or not, and that are intended or not intended for society. Policy demands in educational management process focusing are the demands or requests of other civil or official persons or groups within the political system and in public administration, decision makers who create public policy, when a problem or need arises in society. Individuals, groups and other non-governmental organizations that make up society in democratic countries exert influence on decision-makers in terms of public policy. Education management are decisions made by public officials related to the formulation and implementation of public policy, especially in process focusing, to direct public policy activities and regulate their content. These may be wide-ranging decisions that concern the whole of the country, or they may also be narrower-ranging decisions that concern a certain segment of society. Analysts and policy makers use different models for public policy in education management process focusing. Some researchers state that the use of models often simplifies policy making, suggesting that models are simplified representations of the real world and are used to organize and interpret situations and help predict and explain the consequences of specific options. Some other researchers state that policy models should be considered as indispensable elements in conceptualizing, understanding and clearly establishing the framework of elements related to public policy. Key Words: Education Management, Public Policy, Public Policy Models

The quiet politics of migration supranationalization – Commission entrepreneurship and the intra-Corporate Transferee Directive

ABSTRACT Migration is widely considered a sensitive and contested area of EU policymaking, with Member States reluctant to cede control. Yet, supranational rules on ‘legal migration’ increasingly reduce Member State discretion to control migration. While Commission entrepreneurship has been proposed as an explanation, its importance for supranational outcomes remains unclear. To understand the role of Commission entrepreneurship in enabling supranational policy outcomes, this study traces the negotiations of on one central labour migration policy, the Intra-Corporate Transferee Directive. I demonstrate how the Commission was able to defuse opposition by proposing a narrow policy instrument and framing it as a matter of business needs, international obligations and competitiveness rather than labour migration. This enabled an environment of ‘quiet politics’ where concerns over sovereignty and control were tuned down to a preference for administrative flexibility. The findings have implications for our understanding of the dynamics of supranationalization in politically sensitive policy areas.

CROP ATTRIBUTES, FARM DECISIONS CROP SPECIFIC POLICIES IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABILITY OF PRODUCTION IN ETHIOPIA

Ethiopia’s government has created a number of policies and programs to address the urgent issue of rising food prices. Extension and regulation initiatives aiming at influencing the production and marketing are frequently used in conjunction with them. However, lack of indices on relative importance of individual crops results poor policy outcomes. Analyzing household decision dynamics and how household decisions respond to policies is crucial to reduce persistent complaints from recipients and avoid negative policy outcomes. For this study, data from 392 randomly chosen households of Kewot woreda was used. Sorghum found with higher calorie index per profit while mung bean was found higher profit index. Crop diversification found inefficient that arise from profitability differences and return to scale. Additionally multiple objectives could be met using tradeoffs among different crop benefits. This study also summarizes major findings from previous crop-related policies and linked them to specific crop characteristics. It is advised that policies be adjusted to reflect the value, character, and utility of crops.

SHAH MOHAMMED REZA PAHLAVI AND AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI: IN LIGHT OF SHI'I HISTORY

The Iranian Revolution talks about to happenings involving the rebellion of the Pahlavi dynasty under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, who was held up by the United States, and its subsequent removal with an Islamic Revolution of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who was helped by various leftist and Islamist organizations and Iranian student movements. The Iranian Revolution was a mainstream, nationalist and Shi’a Islamic revolution that ousted an autocratic kingdom with a theocracy built on “Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists” (or velayat-e faqih). This research goes to light the relationship between Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran, in the context of Shi'i history. This research paper hypothesizes three types of human relationships which are grounded on, the exchange system, the integrative system, and the threat system. Reza Khan (the father of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi) had established it through a military coup d'etat in 1921; the threat system looked to lead in Iran throughout the Pahlavi rule which was finished in December, 1979 by Ayatollah Khomeini. Under threat system, detachment and legality occur as major variables. Actions, events, writings, and vocalizations of main community figures are engaged to establish the inequality between intent and outcome of the Shah's policies, and between world views and consequent activities of the Shah and Khomeini. This paper also argues the nature of the rule of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, and into the role of Ayatollah Khomeini as voice of the opposition, charismatic leader, and as "prince" who legitimates his own threat system.

Balance by Compromise and Negotiation: Does a Citizen-led Shoreline Regulatory Process Achieve Environmental Policy Outcomes?

Balance by Compromise and Negotiation: Does a Citizen-led Shoreline Regulatory Process Achieve Environmental Policy Outcomes?

Institutional Ethnography as Critical Policy Analysis

The use of the term health equity (HE) has increased dramatically in the past decade in Canada and globally. However, there is limited evidence that explosive growth in the use of the term is reflected in HE policy outcomes. In this paper we argue that the methodology of institutional ethnography (IE) is useful in understanding how policy outcomes (including, notably, policy inaction) are constructed. Applying IE methodology in critical policy analysis (CPA), we analyze how the discursive utilization of HE neutralizes effective policy change. The point of our analytical approach is to explain how three complex areas of investigation (HE, IE, CPA) may be usefully integrated to enhance policy action to tackle the structural, root causes of health inequities. We demonstrate how an integration of IE in CPA provides a deeper understanding of how the political forces shaping policy outcomes manifest themselves in discursive relationships and textually mediated sites of power.

Rising Populism in Global Politics: Causes, Consequences, and Potential Solutions

This article delves into the phenomenon of rising populism in global politics, offering a comprehensive examination of its causes, consequences, and potential solutions. Populism, characterized by its appeal to the sentiments and concerns of ordinary citizens, has gained significant traction in various regions around the world. By exploring the underlying drivers, such as economic inequality, cultural shifts, and the erosion of trust in traditional political institutions, we aim to shed light on the roots of this trend. Furthermore, we analyze the far-reaching consequences of populism, including its impact on democratic norms, international relations, and policy outcomes. Lastly, this article outlines potential strategies and solutions for addressing the challenges posed by populism, emphasizing the importance of fostering inclusive political discourse, reinforcing democratic institutions, and promoting evidence-based policymaking. In an era marked by populist surges, this research provides valuable insights for policymakers, scholars, and citizens alike, aiming to contribute to a more informed and constructive dialogue on the future of global politics.

Policy Implementation Model of Accelerating Contamination and Destruction Management on Citarum River Flow (Study on the Policy Implementation of Regulation Number 15 Year 2018 concerning the Accelerating Contamination and Destruction Management on Citarum River Flow)

Introduction: The policy in Indonesia faces problems at the central government level (Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, Coordinating Ministry for PMK, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Home Affairs); West Java Provincial Government level; as well as health policies at the district/city government level through which the Citarum River flows. This relationship pattern determines the pattern of interactions (pattern of interactions) of all stakeholders related to Citarum policies. This study uses Grindle's (1980) approach because policy (the content of policy) and implementation environment (context of implementation) are two things that influence the success of implementation. The purpose of this study was to analyze, describe, and find a model for implementing pollution and damage control program policies for the Citarum River Basin using the Grindle approach (1980). Theoretical Reference Framework: Previous research that supports this research is research conducted by Jung et al. (2021); Koch I, Reeves A. (2021); Tri N, Hau D, Duyen N, (2021); Dutta, et al., (2021); Wiryanto W, (2020); Idris, H. (2017); Rashid and Alfina. (2017; and Raharja, SJ (2015). Related to the implementation of public policy, Grindle (1980) introduces the implementation model as a political and administrative process, this model describes the decision-making process carried out by various actors where the final output is determined by both the program material used has been achieved as well as through the interaction of decision-makers in the context of administrative politics. The political process can be seen through the decision-making process involving various policy actors while the administrative process is seen through the general process regarding administrative actions that can be examined at a specific program level. Method: The type of research used in this study is qualitative the focus of the research consists of the Content of Policy, Context of Implementation, Output, and Outcome of policy implementation, as well as the Model of Policy implementation. This research was carried out in the Provincial Government of West Java and all Regencies and Cities which are also in the Citarum River Basin by collecting data on communities along the Citarum River, especially people who receive BPJS Health facilities along the Citarum River. Informants in this study were selected using a sampling technique, namely, purposive sampling, namely informants who understand the condition of the Citarum River, starting from implemented policies, pollution control, and destruction of the area. Data collection techniques were carried out through library research, observation, in-depth interviews, as well as documentation and analysis. Results: The results of this study indicate that: (1) In general, the study of the Health Insurance Policy Implementation Model and the Citarum Watershed Pollution and Damage Control Program Policy based on the Grindle perspective still has several obstacles in its implementation, (2) Judging from the implementation environment, there are strengths and interests will maintain the existing status at the research site, then some things that still leave problems, for example, the unclear authority in implementing the program needs serious attention, so that similar phenomena do not recur. The Citarum watershed problem has become a very serious waste problem locally and nationally. The issuance of Presidential Decree number 15 of 2018 shows the government's seriousness in solving the problem of pollution in the Citarum watershed area. Policy implementers are highly committed to preventing, controlling, and restoring the Citarum watershed so that it becomes clean, beautiful, and free of waste and pollution. Discussion: The implementation of the health insurance policy and pollution and damage control program policies for the Citarum River Basin does not yet have an implementing organizational structure, so this section needs to be completed. In addition, the supporting funds provided are not sufficient so financing factors need to be considered and supported. Conclusions: In the Recommended Model, in addition to proposing additional dimensions to the Grindle model, the author also proposes that it is necessary to complete the Grindle implementation model with policy output. This is important because when studying policy implementation, it does not only examine policy outcomes but also examines policy output. Given this, it occupies an important position in policy implementation.

Extending Kingdon's Multiple Streams Policy Framework Through an Analysis of How Community Health Workers in India Are Driving Policy Changes.

In this paper we develop and provide a novel account of the process through which the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), a cadre of seemingly powerless community health workers in India, are navigating a complex policy process to incrementally achieve their goals. ASHAs have been demanding better working conditions, better compensation, and regularisation as public service employees through protests and strikes and have managed to gain concessions from both the Central and various State governments. We observed two important aspects that emerged: (a) ASHAs achieved incremental increases in their wages despite being the lowest in the health system hierarchy, and, (b) major gains were made during the 2years of the pandemic. We examine and analyse ASHAs' engagement and strategies used, both overt and covert, sometimes with the government, and the role of other actors in determining these policy outcomes. We do so by drawing on academic literature and news media reports; we trace the changes in ASHAs' wages by tying together key events, 'windows of opportunity', and actions of 'policy entrepreneurs' involved in the process.In doing so, we further develop and propose an extension to Kingdon's multiple streams policy framework through the addition of a 'narrative stream'.

Drug transactions and the dark web: Public perceptions of the locational setting of offenders and support for drug policy outcomes

BackgroundBoth legal and extra-legal factors influence judicial and non-judicial opinions about persons who use drugs. Yet, how the locational setting of drug transactions influences public perceptions of drug control policies remains understudied. In particular, the public's view of drug exchanges on the dark web could directly and indirectly influence drug policy, legal decision making, and spending decisions. The study's aim is to identify whether the location of a drug exchange, specifically the dark web, influences public preferences for drug policy and police resourcing. MethodsA sample (n = 1359) from the United States of America was recruited and participated in a discrete choice experiment. The participants compared and repeatedly chose across five iterations between two drug offender profiles with nine set features, such as the location of drug transactions, all with randomized levels. The resulting sample included a total of 13,590 contest pairs. ResultsAveraging over the non-locational attributes, respondents indicated that, compared to the dark web, several locational settings for drug exchange (such as the street corner, social media, and an unknown location) needed fewer police resources and offenders were less deserving of longer punishments. No statistically significant difference was found for opinions about harm to communities, and offenders involved in drug exchanges on university campuses were considered more deserving of a substance abuse treatment program than offenders on the dark web. ConclusionThere appears to be a preference for more punitive criminal justice policies for drug transactions occurring on the dark web relative to some other common settings. Such preferences may indicate a novelty effect driven by negative sentiment surrounding the dark web or a perceived deficit in the police's ability to deal with drug crimes on the dark web. These findings suggest that the public may prefer supply-side policing efforts over demand-side policies, which emphasizes harm reduction.

PoliSEAmaking: Accountabilities in Economic Responses to COVID-19 of Southeast Asian Governments

This paper examines the connection between governments’ accountability and their responses to the global economic crisis caused by COVID-19 through the lens of competing principals approach. Given that governments’ sense of accountability towards groups of principals may vary, it may affect the policy outcomes as well. In the case of Covid-19 pandemic, the dilemma manifests in the extent to which the governments spend their resources on economic assistance to the people. By using the ever-growing corpus of data on economic responses, such as The Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT) as well as the compilation of several measures for political accountabilities, regime types, and COVID-related public health, this study finds that, unlike other regions in the world, the only type of accountability predicting Southeast Asian (SEA) governments’ level of economic support to the people is diagonal accountability leveraged by the media and civil societies (CSOs). This finding not only illustrates the dilemma faced by the governments as an agent in a multi-principal scenario, but also indicate that a) SEA governments generally do not feel directly liable to its people; b) they do not feel pressured by the check and balances mechanisms of formal institutions, either; and c) they only feel obligated to do something when the issue is being publicized in the news or mobilized by the CSOs.

Reparative public policy

ABSTRACT This paper aims to map out a framework for thinking critically about race and coloniality in policymaking, through utilizing what I am calling a reparative public policy procedural approach. Demands for reparations have long aimed to address racialized inequalities set up through slavery, genocide and colonialism. Yet while being sort as an outcome of public policy by those impacted by colonization, slavery and genocide, reparations can also inform the process of policy making in liberal democracies. Through drawing on insights from the literature on reparations, I seek to illuminate the way coloniality and racism are written into aspects of liberal democratic policymaking, but also how a reparatiive approach to public policy making can help policy makers in liberal democracies find ways to challenge and transform such practice. This is what I am calling a reparative public policy approach – a framework for policymakers that draws attention to a presumed neutrality of policy-making processes which are maintained through methodological nationalism, deployment of liberal time, accumulation through dehumanization and racialization, and the universalism of liberal democratic governance.