Why is it important to understand the political context in which a social policy issue is embedded?
It is important to understand the political context in which a social policy issue is embedded when lobbying for social change. This is due to the inherent relationship between social issues and the direction of political will. The policies themselves take place within a political setting. The political situation of a society, and how it relates to social policy, are directly related. In this sense, social progress is generally directly linked to political motivations, and those in the political realm are careful to address social policy issues, as they are an underlying aspect of their ideologies (Leemer, 2004). For this reason, the political context in which social policy issues are embedded have a direct effect upon the outcome of the collective political will. When developing, implementing, and monitoring policies, the political environment is important to take into account, due to its relationship with the social issues that are being addressed.
Similarly, why is it important to identify and involve stakeholders in the policy development process?
For this reason, it is important to identify and involve stakeholders in the policy development process. This process allows the stakeholders to have a voice in how the policies that they are a part of are set forward. In understanding what policies these individuals hold as important, those that are set forward by the company can hope to better reflect the general consensus of those who hold a stake in this development. In this way, these individuals are able to be better represented, allowing the company as a whole to have better results when implementing their policies in the real world (Macmillan, 2014). In this way, they can hope to put forward more effective policies. By researching and analyzing the issue in this way, the issues can be better identified and defined, and better policy solutions and alternatives can be obtained.
Research a social policy that is of interest to you. The policy can be one that has resulted in legislative action (such as the creation of new laws or regulations as a result of advocacy work), or it can be in the development cycle.
Describe the political environment and considerations surrounding the issue.
The issue of welfare is an important social policy. This idea exists in the political context of debate surrounding the government’s role in providing these services to individuals. The debate considers the need for these polices, but the issue centers around how much individuals should receive, and to what extent. Furthermore, the political context of redistributing the income of individuals within society is a difficult one to address, due to the importance placed on individuality and self-worth within the country as a whole.
What is the objective of the policy?
The objective of social welfare policy is to provide individuals within society with the means to, at the very least, feed themselves and their families. Furthermore, these programs extend into the medical field, allowing individuals who might not be able to afford it to seek medical treatment. In this way, these polices attempt to address the disparities within society and allow for the development of equal opportunities for individuals despite the income that their families make (Kanbur, 2006).
Who is the target audience (primary and secondary)?
The audience for this issue is primary, as it involves the whole of the country. The welfare of the individuals within the country has a profound impact on the country as a whole. By feeding, educating, and keeping individuals healthy these policies seek to improve the lives of people across the country. By doing so, these polices are an attempt to create a framework for the insurance that individuals within society will be able to have the basic necessities. Int his way, the target audience is those who have faced hardship and are in need of these forms of social policy to be implemented.
What impacts will it have, both positive and negative?
The positive impact that these policies have is that they help to improve the lives of the individuals who receive the aid. By providing these types of social safety nets, individuals within society are able to move beyond working day to day for basic necessities, providing the opportunity for growth upon the economic latter (Ki-moon, 2010). By providing these services, individuals are able to gain mobility within the economic landscape of the United States, allowing them to provide more for themselves and their families.
The negative impact of these policies is that they take money to achieve, and so the setting forth of the policies essentially redistributes income from those who have more money and gives necessary items to those who might not have enough. The main issue with this type of policy is that it is difficult to administrate, and politically, it can be met with contempt by those who have money that is taken away (Skoepel, 1996). Furthermore, it is difficult to monitor those that the items are given to in order to make sure that they are not taking advantage of the programs.
Who are the stakeholders in the issue, and what are their stances on the policy?
The main stakeholders on this issue are those who have the money that would go to pay for these types of programs. This creates a divers amount of individuals, all with different opinions concerning the policies. Some agree with these polices, and argue that so long as the programs are monitored, they make sense to be implemented. Others, however, argue that the risks of these policies far outweigh the potential benefits.
References
Kanbur, Ravi. (2006). What’s Social Policy Got to Do with Economic Growth? Cornell. 1-18.
Ki-moon, Ban. (2010). Combating Poverty and Inequality. Structural Change, Social Policy and
Politics. 19-46.
Leemer, Jim. (2004). What is Social Policy? Polity. 1-12.
Macmillan, Crystal. (2014). Social Policy. The University of Edinburgh College of Humanities
and Social Science. 1-2.
Skoepol, Theda. (1996). The Politics of American Social Policy, Past and Future. University of
Chicago Press. 309 - 340
