Larry N. Gerston - Public Policymaking in a Democratic Society: A Guide to Civic Engagement

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Professor Gerston has brilliantly identified and explained the key role that civic engagement plays in our constitutional democracy. By both identifying and explaining how to make a real difference in our communities, he has made an invaluable contribution to the field of civic and constitutional education. I highly recommend that anyone who wants to help strengthen their own piece of America read this book!

Christopher R. Riano, Columbia University, USA

Public Policymaking in a Democratic Society

While some people profess a disdain for politics, in a democracy politics is the primary vehicle for citizens to influence the decisions and decision makers that shape public policy at every level. This widely acclaimed book provides a clear and concise overview of public policymaking, designed to equip citizens to participate more effectively in the policymaking process. It gently introduces the reader to the players and institutions that comprise the public policymaking process of American society, and it demonstrates the many access points in the public policymaking process where one can participate.

This fully updated third edition includes:

• A discussion of growing modes of public policymaking participation, including social media and voting by mail.
• An evaluation of the impediments to participation, including voter suppression.
• An examination of the role of whistleblowers as part of bureaucratic responsibility.
• All new case studies throughout the book on topics of interest to students and citizens alike, such as the policy response to COVID-19, George Floyd and police reform, homelessness, and the Affordable Care Act.
• Student projects throughout the text, along with a glossary, and extensive coverage on Project Citizen, a format that provides students with hands-on tools for participating in the policymaking process.

Public Policymaking in a Democratic Society, Third Edition may be used in introductory courses on public policy, internships, or service-learning programs. It equally serves as an invaluable resource for any organized effort to involve citizens in community service and the exercise of civic responsibility.

Larry N. Gerston is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at San Jose State University, USA. He is the author or co-author of 12 academic books, including three on public policymaking. Professor Gerston has written more than 150 op-ed pieces for major newspapers that focus on public policy issues, and since 1980, he has been the on-air political analyst at NBC Bay Area television, where he appears weekly to explain complex political themes to the viewing audience in understandable terms. He also serves as the political analyst for KCBS radio, an all-news radio station in San Francisco.

Public Policymaking in a Democratic Society

A Guide to Civic Engagement

Third Edition

Larry N. Gerston

Third edition published 2022

by Routledge

605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158

and by Routledge

2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

2022 Larry N. Gerston

The right of Larry N. Gerston to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

First edition published by Routledge 2002

Second edition published by Routledge 2014

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

A catalog record has been requested for this book

ISBN: 978-1-032-13455-0 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-032-13454-3 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-1-003-22927-8 (ebk)

DOI: 10.4324/9781003229278

Typeset in Sabon

by Newgen Publishing UK

Contents

1. Preface to the Third Edition

1. The Public Policymaking Process and How It Relates to Our Lives
2. Identifying Public Policy Issues
3. Developing a Public Policy Proposal
4. Taking Action in the Political World: How to Advocate a Public Policy
5. Implementation: Carrying Out Decisions and Making Them Stick
6. Evaluation: Does the Policy Make Sense?
7. Participation, Politics, and Policymaking: Putting It Together

1. Appendices
2. Index

Preface to the Third Edition

The first two decades of the 21st century have been challenging for Americans. Long-standing political issues such as equality, individualism, and political power remain core considerations for those of us who seek out the proper institutional mix between people, society, and government.

But these days, there seem to be so much more than traditional issues. Fully connected with the information age, we now face endless social media bombardments that only complicate our already complicated lives. Many are dark and disingenuous. Its so tempting under these conditions to just throw our hands into the air and let othersanyonetake charge of the myriad issues that seemingly add layer after layer of confusion to a world soaring out of control. Not a pretty picture. Its with this uncomfortable backdrop in mind that I have written the third edition of Public Policymaking in a Democratic Society: A Guide to Civic Engagement.

Dont get too excited. This book isnt a magic pill that suddenly sweeps away the fog and resets your life to less complicated, and perhaps more enjoyable, times. Nor is it a ten-step guide on what you can do to fix all things political that tick you off. Hardly. But like it or not, if you dare to get at least an inkling of how the system works and how you might play a part in it, this book might be worth reading.

The third edition of Public Policymaking in a Democratic Society: A Guide to Civic Engagement has two objectives: First, to gently introduce you to the players and institutions that comprise the public policymaking process of American society. All institutions from the national government to your college or university have governing structures with public policymakers. The more you understand what these stewards do and how they operate in those structures, the easier it is for you to see how you fit in to making change or, for that matter, sustain what you see.

Second, to show you the many access points in the public policymaking process where you can participate, should you choose to do so. Of course, theres no requirement that you play a role in public policymaking. That said, in our unique system of representative government, you often can join the fray if you wish. In sports, theres a saying: you cant tell the players without a scorecard. In public policymaking, youll have a hard time being heard without knowing how to do so. This book introduces you to those tools, including Project Citizen, a service-learning component that helps you pursue public policy issues.

As with the first two editions, the third edition of

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