Each student will select one question to answer. You must include the page number in the book which assisted you with your answer. Each student will comment on two of their peers responses. No two students may answer the same question.
1. The case of the Patient Self Determination Act of 1990 suggests some recurring problems or issues in implementation. Critically discuss:
a) Why policymakers often establish goals or objectives that exceed the resources that they propose in their policies.
b) Why it is difficult to obtain accurate data on the implementation of specific policies.
c) How multiple factors contribute to the failure of people to implement specific policies
d) Why line staff are often scapegoated as the people who cause specific policies to not be implemented when, in fact, more fundamental causes exist.
2. Discuss some characteristics of policy innovations that make it relatively difficult to implement them (e.g., discuss characteristics of the innovations themselves, as well as their political and economic context). Can you think of ones that have been particularly difficult to implement, whether in national settings or in agencies?
3. Discuss 3 or 4 alternative reform strategies that policy advocates can use when they seek to improve the implementation of specific policies.
4. Discuss whether social workers might ever try to sabotage the implementation of specific policies. What ethical issues might they confront?
5. The implementation part of the policy-making process:licy-making process
6. A characteristic of a policy innovation that will probably be relatively difficult to implement is:
7. Administrative regulations are:
8. Monitoring is:
9. Organizational processes that precede an innovation:
10. The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 illustrates:
11. When diagnosing reasons why specific settings, such as a particular agency or
program, fail to implement a specific policy, policy advocates should:
12. Policy advocates:
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Chapter 12
Each student will select one question to answer. You must include the page number in the book which assisted you with your answer. Each student will comment on two of their peers responses. No two students may answer the same question.
1. Why is the composition of government so important to policy advocates?
2. What specific advantages does the Party obtain that gets a majority in a legislative chamber?
3. What powers does the head of government, such as a Governor or a President, possess that gives him or her extraordinary powers in shaping public policy?
4. Are the Democrats and the Republicans “tweedle-dee” and “tweedle-dum”—or are they significantly different from each other in terms of their policy preferences?
5. What are the pros and cons of voting for a candidate from a third party such as the Green Party?
6. How important is money to campaigns? Do affluent candidates always or mostly win?
7. Why are incumbents often at a considerable advantage over challengers?
8. What do candidates aim to discover when they conduct analyses of voters in their districts?
9. What are the array of power resources that candidates possess in trying to convince voters to support them?
10. Are “negative campaigns” effective?
11. Why are low-income Americans averse to voting?
12. How does strategy evolve during the course of a campaign?
13. What roles can policy advocates undertake during campaigns?
14. Why is NASW’s PACE so important to the profession and to policy advocates?
15. What is a “public-service career”—and why is it important that some social workers develop such careers?
1. Why is the composition of government so important to policy advocates?
2. What specific advantages does the Party obtain that gets a majority in a legislative chamber?
3. What powers does the head of government, such as a Governor or a President, possess that gives him or her extraordinary powers in shaping public policy?
4. Are the Democrats and the Republicans “tweedle-dee” and “tweedle-dum”—or are they significantly different from each other in terms of their policy preferences?
5. What are the pros and cons of voting for a candidate from a third party such as the Green Party?
6. How important is money to campaigns? Do affluent candidates always or mostly win?
7. Why are incumbents often at a considerable advantage over challengers?
8. What do candidates aim to discover when they conduct analyses of voters in their districts?
9. What are the array of power resources that candidates possess in trying to convince voters to support them?
10. Are “negative campaigns” effective?
11. Why are low-income Americans averse to voting?
12. How does strategy evolve during the course of a campaign?
13. What roles can policy advocates undertake during campaigns?
14. Why is NASW’s PACE so important to the profession and to policy advocates?
15. What is a “public-service career”—and why is it important that some social workers develop such careers?
Chapter 14
Each student will select one question to answer. You must include the page number in the book which assisted you with your answer. Each student will comment on two of their peers responses. No two students may answer the same question.
1. Why is the evaluation of policies, seemingly an essentially technical undertaking, often embroiled in controversy and politics?
2. The selection of the criteria to be used in evaluating specific policies is strongly influenced by values. Discuss this assertion with respect to the case of the evaluation of special services that is described in this chapter.
3. Discuss some similarities and differences between (a) the process of gauging policy trade-offs (as discussed in Chapter Eight) and policy assessment, and (b) policy argumentation and debates (as discussed in chapter Nine) and policy assessment.
4. Discuss the following assertion: “Negative findings may sometimes mean that a program should be expanded.”
5. Take a policy or program with which you are familiar. Discuss some design options that you could consider when evaluating it—and some of their strengths and weaknesses.
6. Why do correlational (or “backward-looking” studies) have less technical merit than forward-looking studies such as ones that randomly assign persons to control and experimental groups?
7. Do you agree with Tinder’s assertion that “consequences do not count, at least not decisively (when defending social programs)” since moral considerations, such as the extending of help to vulnerable or suffering people, are more important?
8. Discuss how people can participate in policy-assessing tasks even when they are not themselves charged with developing research studies.
9. Why are qualitative approaches to policy assessment sometimes needed?
1. Why is the evaluation of policies, seemingly an essentially technical undertaking, often embroiled in controversy and politics?
2. The selection of the criteria to be used in evaluating specific policies is strongly influenced by values. Discuss this assertion with respect to the case of the evaluation of special services that is described in this chapter.
3. Discuss some similarities and differences between (a) the process of gauging policy trade-offs (as discussed in Chapter Eight) and policy assessment, and (b) policy argumentation and debates (as discussed in chapter Nine) and policy assessment.
4. Discuss the following assertion: “Negative findings may sometimes mean that a program should be expanded.”
5. Take a policy or program with which you are familiar. Discuss some design options that you could consider when evaluating it—and some of their strengths and weaknesses.
6. Why do correlational (or “backward-looking” studies) have less technical merit than forward-looking studies such as ones that randomly assign persons to control and experimental groups?
7. Do you agree with Tinder’s assertion that “consequences do not count, at least not decisively (when defending social programs)” since moral considerations, such as the extending of help to vulnerable or suffering people, are more important?
8. Discuss how people can participate in policy-assessing tasks even when they are not themselves charged with developing research studies.
9. Why are qualitative approaches to policy assessment sometimes needed?
Chapter 11
Each student will select one question to answer. You must include the page number in the book which assisted you with your answer. Each student will comment on two of their peers responses. No two students may answer the same question.
1. Discuss characteristics of legislatures that often require policy advocates to develop relatively ambitious strategies if they wish to be successful.
2. Why should policy advocates usually work with an organized group when seeking legislation, whether an existing advocacy group, interest group, or NASW?
3. When seeking legislation, why do advocates usually need to attain a unified strategy by developing a centralized team, a resource book and a strategy book?
4. What is a policy brief?
5. How does a policy advocate approach legislators in the context of their legislative staff and their heavy work schedules?
6. Why are committee staff critical to the success of an advocacy project—and how do they differ from legislators’ staff?
7. How might a policy advocate lobby specific legislators; discuss the length of visits, preparation for visits, tactics during visits, and expected outcomes.
8. What are policy “blitzes”?
9. What is the protocol for legislative testimony?
10. How does a policy advocate use the mass media, including letters to the editor?
11. Discuss four ways that a policy advocate can work in the legislative process generally, i.e., apart from specific advocacy projects.
12. Discuss the functions or activities of staff who work for candidates for elective office.
13. What are some important differences between policy advocacy in legislative and organizational arenas?
14. Why do the formal attributes of organizations provide both constraints and opportunities for policy advocates?
15. When are organizations most likely to be associated with high conflict?
16. Discuss an array of strategy options in organizations.
17. How does policy advocacy in community settings differ from advocacy in organizational settings?
1. Discuss characteristics of legislatures that often require policy advocates to develop relatively ambitious strategies if they wish to be successful.
2. Why should policy advocates usually work with an organized group when seeking legislation, whether an existing advocacy group, interest group, or NASW?
3. When seeking legislation, why do advocates usually need to attain a unified strategy by developing a centralized team, a resource book and a strategy book?
4. What is a policy brief?
5. How does a policy advocate approach legislators in the context of their legislative staff and their heavy work schedules?
6. Why are committee staff critical to the success of an advocacy project—and how do they differ from legislators’ staff?
7. How might a policy advocate lobby specific legislators; discuss the length of visits, preparation for visits, tactics during visits, and expected outcomes.
8. What are policy “blitzes”?
9. What is the protocol for legislative testimony?
10. How does a policy advocate use the mass media, including letters to the editor?
11. Discuss four ways that a policy advocate can work in the legislative process generally, i.e., apart from specific advocacy projects.
12. Discuss the functions or activities of staff who work for candidates for elective office.
13. What are some important differences between policy advocacy in legislative and organizational arenas?
14. Why do the formal attributes of organizations provide both constraints and opportunities for policy advocates?
15. When are organizations most likely to be associated with high conflict?
16. Discuss an array of strategy options in organizations.
17. How does policy advocacy in community settings differ from advocacy in organizational settings?
Chapter 10
Each student will select one question to answer. You must include the page number in the book which assisted you with your answer. Each student will comment on two of their peers responses. No two students may answer the same question.
DISCUSS the FOLLOWING
a. how strategists should establish orienting objectives, such as whether to assume the role of affirmer, amender, opposer, or bystander; whether to seek major or incremental changes; and whether to have a short- or long-term time frame
b. how to ground strategy with respect to a specific issue in current realities by conducting analysis of the level of support and opposition, contextual and situational realities that might deliberations, by trying to predict future developments that could increase support or opposition, and by adapting strategy to traditions and norms of the setting.
c. how to build alternative scenarios that are linked to strategy options as a precursor to selecting one of them
d. how to revise strategy in light of emerging realities
e. seven recurring steps in strategy including organizing a team coalition, establishing policy goals, specifying a proposal’s content and getting early sponsors, establishing a style, selecting power resources and framing strategy, implementing strategy, and revising the strategy.
1. By reviewing Policy Advocacy Challenge 12.1, discuss the following dilemmas, tasks, and realities that policy practitioners encounter when they develop political strategy:
(a) Since it is often difficult to predict whether a specific proposal is feasible in the early stages, people often under- or overestimate the opposition to it.
(b) Coalitions are often difficult to form and maintain but are often critical to the success of an initiative.
(c) Policy advocates often want to exert external pressure on public officials, yet simultaneously want “insider pressure” from key legislators or civil servants.
2. In addition to the role of initiating a proposal, discuss other roles that policy practitioners can assume, such as bystanding, opposing, and amending roles. How does someone decide which role to assume? Do people sometimes confront ethical dilemmas when they make these choices?
3. Force-field analysis often provides valuable information, but many evolving factors and imponderables often intrude.
DISCUSS the FOLLOWING
a. how strategists should establish orienting objectives, such as whether to assume the role of affirmer, amender, opposer, or bystander; whether to seek major or incremental changes; and whether to have a short- or long-term time frame
b. how to ground strategy with respect to a specific issue in current realities by conducting analysis of the level of support and opposition, contextual and situational realities that might deliberations, by trying to predict future developments that could increase support or opposition, and by adapting strategy to traditions and norms of the setting.
c. how to build alternative scenarios that are linked to strategy options as a precursor to selecting one of them
d. how to revise strategy in light of emerging realities
e. seven recurring steps in strategy including organizing a team coalition, establishing policy goals, specifying a proposal’s content and getting early sponsors, establishing a style, selecting power resources and framing strategy, implementing strategy, and revising the strategy.
1. By reviewing Policy Advocacy Challenge 12.1, discuss the following dilemmas, tasks, and realities that policy practitioners encounter when they develop political strategy:
(a) Since it is often difficult to predict whether a specific proposal is feasible in the early stages, people often under- or overestimate the opposition to it.
(b) Coalitions are often difficult to form and maintain but are often critical to the success of an initiative.
(c) Policy advocates often want to exert external pressure on public officials, yet simultaneously want “insider pressure” from key legislators or civil servants.
2. In addition to the role of initiating a proposal, discuss other roles that policy practitioners can assume, such as bystanding, opposing, and amending roles. How does someone decide which role to assume? Do people sometimes confront ethical dilemmas when they make these choices?
3. Force-field analysis often provides valuable information, but many evolving factors and imponderables often intrude.
Chapter 9
Each student will select one question to answer. You must include the page number in the book which assisted you with your answer. Each student will comment on two of their peers responses. No two students may answer the same question.
1. Review Policy Advocacy Challenge 9.2, pp. 291-295. Identify various kinds of power resources (including person-to person, substantive, process, and procedural ones) that the social worker plans to use to secure the adoption of the service innovation.
2. What does Policy Advocacy Challenge 9.2 tell us about the power of low-level persons within agencies—in this case, the student intern who wants the agency to adopt a specific innovation? What constraints, as well as opportunities, stemmed from the low position that the intern occupied in the agency?
3. Referring to Policy Advocacy Challenge 9.2, discuss the exercising of power by indirection, for example, by using third parties.
4. Discuss the assertion that people with an analytic or technical style of policy-making have falsely given politics a “bad rep.” What are some positive or necessary functions of politics within agencies, communities, and societies?
5. Discuss the assertion that skillful policy practitioners recognize the many kinds of power resources that exist, thus expanding their options in specific situations.
6. Contrast person-to-person and substantive power resources. Contrast each of these kinds of power resources with power that works by indirection (e.g., efforts to shape outcomes through procedural, process, and context-shaping strategies).
7. How does “power” differ from “force”?
8. Discuss the assertion that line workers often obtain power by using their autonomy.
9. Discuss the assertion that discretion, compliance, and whistleblowing are interrelated concepts.
10. Discuss the positive uses of whistleblowing. Also discuss how it might be abused or used unethically.
11. Discuss how policy practitioners often need to be relatively assertive, but how a victim mentality and fatalism often make people excessively passive in specific situations
12. Discuss how direct-service staff and often participate in the politics of their agencies even though they lack formal power, or authority, of higher-level staff
1. Review Policy Advocacy Challenge 9.2, pp. 291-295. Identify various kinds of power resources (including person-to person, substantive, process, and procedural ones) that the social worker plans to use to secure the adoption of the service innovation.
2. What does Policy Advocacy Challenge 9.2 tell us about the power of low-level persons within agencies—in this case, the student intern who wants the agency to adopt a specific innovation? What constraints, as well as opportunities, stemmed from the low position that the intern occupied in the agency?
3. Referring to Policy Advocacy Challenge 9.2, discuss the exercising of power by indirection, for example, by using third parties.
4. Discuss the assertion that people with an analytic or technical style of policy-making have falsely given politics a “bad rep.” What are some positive or necessary functions of politics within agencies, communities, and societies?
5. Discuss the assertion that skillful policy practitioners recognize the many kinds of power resources that exist, thus expanding their options in specific situations.
6. Contrast person-to-person and substantive power resources. Contrast each of these kinds of power resources with power that works by indirection (e.g., efforts to shape outcomes through procedural, process, and context-shaping strategies).
7. How does “power” differ from “force”?
8. Discuss the assertion that line workers often obtain power by using their autonomy.
9. Discuss the assertion that discretion, compliance, and whistleblowing are interrelated concepts.
10. Discuss the positive uses of whistleblowing. Also discuss how it might be abused or used unethically.
11. Discuss how policy practitioners often need to be relatively assertive, but how a victim mentality and fatalism often make people excessively passive in specific situations
12. Discuss how direct-service staff and often participate in the politics of their agencies even though they lack formal power, or authority, of higher-level staff
Chapter 8
Each student will select one question to answer. You must include the page number in the book which assisted you with your answer. Each student will comment on two of their peers responses. No two students may answer the same question.
1. Discuss the assertion: policy persuasion should be viewed as a relatively minor part of policy practice because people usually judge proposals by their technical merit.
2. Discuss the assertion that presentations have to be tailored to specific audiences.
3. Discuss kinds of audiences that pose particular challenges to policy presentors.
4. Discuss specific strategies for dealing with: hostile audiences, expert audiences, and apathetic audiences.
5. When someone is testifying to a legislative committee with liberal, conservative, and moderate members, to whom do they address their strategy and remarks?
6. How can someone develop presentation skills when they feel uncomfortable about making presentations?
7. Compare “hardball” with “win-win” negotiations.
8. Discuss whether a level playing field exists with respect to getting grants for agencies from foundations and other funders. (HINT: established agencies with track records and agencies or organizations that provide services that are relatively prestigious have an easier time than newer organizations or agencies that help stigmatized populations.)
9. Discuss how debaters can use an array of strategies to attack premises, the workability of their proposals, unanticipated consequences, their analogies, their date and analytic of events, points of vagueness, unacceptable trade-offs, and likely effects of unforeseen events
10. Describe and discuss the nature of coercive or hard-line messages and the risks that sometimes accompany their use
11. Describe and discuss the nature of negotiations including both win-win and “hardball” strategies
12. Discuss the nature of win-win or collaborative techniques
1. Discuss the assertion: policy persuasion should be viewed as a relatively minor part of policy practice because people usually judge proposals by their technical merit.
2. Discuss the assertion that presentations have to be tailored to specific audiences.
3. Discuss kinds of audiences that pose particular challenges to policy presentors.
4. Discuss specific strategies for dealing with: hostile audiences, expert audiences, and apathetic audiences.
5. When someone is testifying to a legislative committee with liberal, conservative, and moderate members, to whom do they address their strategy and remarks?
6. How can someone develop presentation skills when they feel uncomfortable about making presentations?
7. Compare “hardball” with “win-win” negotiations.
8. Discuss whether a level playing field exists with respect to getting grants for agencies from foundations and other funders. (HINT: established agencies with track records and agencies or organizations that provide services that are relatively prestigious have an easier time than newer organizations or agencies that help stigmatized populations.)
9. Discuss how debaters can use an array of strategies to attack premises, the workability of their proposals, unanticipated consequences, their analogies, their date and analytic of events, points of vagueness, unacceptable trade-offs, and likely effects of unforeseen events
10. Describe and discuss the nature of coercive or hard-line messages and the risks that sometimes accompany their use
11. Describe and discuss the nature of negotiations including both win-win and “hardball” strategies
12. Discuss the nature of win-win or collaborative techniques
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