9.Political process decisions and actions

1. 9. Political process: decisions and actions

MDE 151. Political
science
Yerkebulan Akberdiyev
Senior lecturer
Multidisciplinary
Education

2. Table of content

• Introduction
• Media and social influence
• Group Decision-making; A Central Part
of Politics
• Power to Oppress
• Common Questions about Politics and
Group Decision-making
• Summary
• Source

3. Introduction

• The political process refers to the series
of decisions and actions taken within a
political system to address issues, make
policies, and govern society. It involves
various actors, institutions, and steps
that shape and determine the direction
of a country or community. Here are the
key elements of the political process:

4.

• Issue Identification: The political process often begins with the
identification and recognition of societal issues or challenges that
require attention. This can occur through various means, including
public debate, media coverage, advocacy by interest groups, or
the emergence of new problems.

5.

• Agenda Setting: Once issues are identified, they need to be prioritized and placed
on the political agenda. This involves determining which issues will receive
attention and be addressed by policymakers. Agenda setting can be influenced by
public opinion, political parties, interest groups, experts, and other actors who
advocate for specific problems or policy solutions.

6.

• Policy Formulation: Policy formulation involves developing proposals and strategies
to address the identified issues. Policymakers, experts, and stakeholders analyze the
problems, gather information, conduct research, and explore different policy
options. This stage includes weighing the costs and benefits, considering the social,
economic, and environmental impacts, and assessing the feasibility of various policy
approaches.

7.

• Decision-Making: Decision-making
occurs when policymakers evaluate
the policy options and select the
course of action to be taken. This can
happen through legislative processes,
executive actions, or other means
depending on the political system in
place. Decision-making often involves
negotiations, debates, compromises,
and the consideration of different
perspectives and interests.

8.

• Policy Implementation: After decisions
are made, policies need to be
implemented effectively. This involves
translating policy objectives into
practical actions, allocating resources,
establishing implementation
mechanisms, and monitoring progress.
Implementation requires coordination
among various government agencies,
stakeholders, and sometimes
collaboration with non-governmental
actors.

9.

• Evaluation and Feedback: Once policies
are implemented, their effectiveness
and impact are assessed. Evaluation
involves monitoring and analyzing the
outcomes and consequences of policies
to determine whether they have
achieved their intended goals. Feedback
from evaluations helps inform future
policy decisions, identify areas for
improvement, and ensure
accountability.

10.

11.

Public Participation and Engagement:
• Throughout the political process, public participation and engagement are
vital. This includes opportunities for citizens to voice their concerns, provide
input on policy decisions, and participate in public debates. Public
engagement can take various forms, such as public consultations, town hall
meetings, public hearings, and the use of digital platforms for feedback and
interaction.

12.

• Accountability and Oversight:
Accountability mechanisms play a
crucial role in the political process.
These include checks and
balances, transparency,
independent auditing, and
mechanisms for holding
policymakers accountable for their
decisions and actions. Oversight
by the judiciary, legislative bodies,
and other independent
institutions helps ensure
adherence to the rule of law and
prevent abuse of power.

13.

• It's important to note that the political
process can be complex and influenced
by a range of factors, including political
culture, power dynamics, institutional
structures, and the participation of
different actors. The process is not
always linear, and there may be
feedback loops, revisions, and
adaptations as issues evolve and new
challenges arise.

14. Media and social influence

• Beyond direct political influence,
actors with resources can influence
political decision-making in more
subtle ways. By shaping broader
public perceptions of certain
technologies, system configurations
or policy proposals, it is possible to
make it easier for decision-makers to
support the interests of actors with
these capacities

15. Group Decision-making; A Central Part of Politics

Group
Decisionmaking; A
Central Part
of Politics
• The idea that politics involves group decisionmaking has been a central part of the definition
since people started using the word. Aristotle, too,
believed that humans are political animals. He
doesn’t use the word ‘social’ to describe us. It’s not
just that we cohabit with other people. We’re
political. We live in decision-making communities,
where decisions are made on behalf of the entire
group, whether one has influence over those
decisions or not.

16.

• Understandably, politics starts with a
sacrifice. We give up autonomy—
freedom—over ourselves, our property,
our preferred way of life. We also let
others make decisions that put limits on
what we do, and most of us have little or
no say over what those decisions are.
And yet, we do this because we hope
that the benefits of living communally
will outweigh the enormous costs. The
fact that they do, says something about
how significant those benefits really are.

17. Power to Oppress

• Politics, it turns out, is our
attempt to maximize the
benefits—and minimize the
dangers—of living
communally. Unfortunately,
politics creates dangers of
its own, namely, that,
there’s no way to give
government enough power
to govern effectively without
also giving it the power to
oppress us.

18. Example:

• There are a lot of advantages to
having roommates. Alone, an
apartment might cost me $1,000
per month. But if a few friends
together split the cost, one
might be able to find a fivebedroom apartment for
$2,000—spending just $400
each. That’s a lot more
affordable.

19.

But of course, there are
disadvantages as well.

20.

• When one lives with roommates,
everything becomes the subject of a
complex decision-making process,
starting with the rent itself.
Remember, it’s $400 per person—or is
it? Maybe the people with bigger
rooms should pay more? Should there
be a TV for the common area? What
kind of TV? And what if one person
never watches TV? Should he have to
pay, too? What if one roommate
wants to watch the TV at night, but
another roommate wants to sleep?

21. Summary

• The political process is a complex system
of decisions and actions that shapes the
governance and policy landscape of a
society. Understanding the stages,
actors, and challenges involved is crucial
for comprehending how political
systems function and how public policies
are developed and implemented.
Effective participation and transparency
are key to ensuring that the political
process serves the needs and interests
of the public.

22. Source

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics
/social-sciences/political-decisionmaking
• chromeextension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglcle
findmkaj/https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci
/statistics/staff/academicresearch/french/publications/davspolit
ics_ver1.pdf
• https://typeset.io/questions/what-ispolitical-process-means-3rb9zc3cy9

23. Common Questions about Politics and Group Decision-making

Q: What idea has been central in the definition of politics?
The idea that politics involves group decision-making has been a central part of the
definition since people started using the word.
Q: What dangers does politics create?
Politics creates dangers of its own, namely, that, there’s no way to give the
government enough power to govern effectively without also giving it the power to
oppress us.
Q: What is public good?
A public good is a good or service that’s provided to everyone in a group.
Everyone—and this is key—even those people who didn’t want the public good in
the first place!

24.

Thank you!