How it works: in theory
The Social Policy-Making Process
Social Security, the federal
government’s social insurance program
to provide financial support to retired
people, provides a good example
of the various stages of the policy-
making process.How it works: in practice
The Enactment and Evolution
of Social Security
There is a
problem.A large proportion of
elderly people were
living in poverty.Updated.
Social Security has
been modified and
expanded several times,
most recently in 1983.Signed
into law.Social Security was
passed by Congress and
signed into law by the
president in 1935.We need to
fix this.As poverty among the
elderly worsened during
the Great Depression,
solving the problem
became a priority
within FDR’s New
Deal agenda.We have
an idea.The proposal for
Social Security came
from FDR’s President’s
Committee on
Economic Security.Moving
forward...The Social Security
Administration
implements the policy.Problem recognition
Attention is drawn to an existing problem.
This can be triggered by an event or
disaster, such as the emergency response
to Hurricane Sandy, the impact of an
economic recession on the jobless and
the poor, or global warming.Agenda setting
Public awareness of the problem increases
as the media, relevant interest groups, and
political leaders talk about the problem.
The problem becomes a priority
for the government.Evaluation
Policy analysts, inside and outside
government, determine whether the
policy is working as intended.Deliberation and formulation
Different policy proposals are suggested
to address the problem, input is provided
by interested parties, relevant executive
agencies, and congressional committees.Enactment
Congress passes the legislation
and the president signs it into law.Implementation
The relevant bureaucratic agencies
put the law into effect, writing specific
regulations when needed, distributing
benefits, and handling government
contracts and procurement.Possible modification, expansion,
or termination of policy
Based on the policy evaluations and public
reaction to the policy, political leaders tweak
the law to improve it, expand the scope of
the law if it is working well, or sometimes
repeal the law.Let’s look at
that again.Social Security has been
evaluated at various
times, most recently
by presidential
commissions on reform.- Social Security is one of our
most popular social programs.
Under what conditions would it
be modified or changed? - What groups are most likely
to oppose reductions in Social
Security benefits? Which are
most likely to support them? Do
you think these groups should
have influence on Social Security
policy? Why or why not?
Critical Thinking
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