Public Policies and Governance

In today’s world, many countries’ governments are indirectly run by the people. Most of the countries around the world are Republican Countries. In all the Republican countries around the world, its governance and power are held by the people and the representatives chosen by these people. The nation is not ruled by the whims and wishes of the ruler, unlike in old times. The principle aim of the government and its governance in the 21st century is the well-being of its people. This well-being is implemented through policies that help in lifting the people and provide for their survival needs. 

One of the most important parts of Politics is the planning and implementation of public policies. These policies are not only the government’s responsibility but also the general citizens and other institutions or organizations running within the country. It is an important and peculiar way through which the unheard voices of a nation can be heard. These policies are a necessary part of political society and the government governing the society. Even when the tenure of a political party is over, the policies implemented by this party will not be over. 

Now that we have skimmed through the public policies and governance, let us briefly discuss it.

Public Policies

One of the most important parts of the discussion is Public Policies and Governance in Public Policy. Public Policy deals with the actions taken by the government to address and solve the issues faced by the citizens. These actions are taken into consideration when the government decides to approach and solve an issue or problem that troubles society as a whole. Public Policies are made by the government on behalf of the Society or its citizens to resolve certain issues faced by them. 

Let us take a hypothetical example for Public Policy. As we know, many students in the country take the option of applying for an educational loan, with a high rate of interest. Now, let’s say that for the convenience of the students, the government came up with a policy that the student will have to return only 30% of the principal amount. 

The procedure for the introduction and implementation of Public Policy in India includes six phases. These are-

• Agenda Phase: In the Agenda phase, the problems that need government attention are assessed. This phase helps in understanding the objective and aim of the policy. 
• Policy Phase: The blueprint of the policy is being shared and discussed. The goals behind the policy, financial cost, instruments needed and chosen are discussed and established in this phase. Various solutions and ideas are considered in this phase. 
• Adoption Phase: In this phase, the best solution and idea are adopted. This stage requires acceptance from the stages of governance in the country. 
• Implementation Phase: This phase decides on the actions to be taken for the implementation of the policy in society. Monitoring of the implementation is yet another important task taken up by this phase. 
• Evaluation Phase: This phase looks into the impact caused by the policy in society.
• Termination or succession phase: This phase decides on whether the policy is to be terminated or continued with updates, based on the results of the evaluation phase. 

Some of the Public policies include- Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, Make in India, Digital India, etc. 

Governance

Governance is a system through which various institutions and organizations control and operate its functioning, mechanism, and people. One of the principal goals of Governance is the transparent and truthful decision-making procedures of the people. The interests of the people are protected. 

An important usage of the term Governance is in Corporates. Corporate Governance is a system through which the rules and processes are controlled and directed by an organization. It provides the blueprint for attaining an organization’s principal goal and aims- to increase performance and management. In a company, the board of directors plays an essential role and influences the procedures of Corporate Governance. The principles of such Corporate Governance are transparency, accountability, responsibility, fairness, and loyalty. 

Conclusion

In all the Republican countries around the world, its governance and power are held by the people and the representatives chosen by these people. The principle aim of the government and its governance in the 21st century is the well-being of its people. Public Policies and Governance indicate the planning, implementing, and enacting of laws, and adapting acceptable behaviour by the government and citizens. One of the most important parts of the discussion in Public Policies and Governance is Public Policy. Public Policy deals with the actions taken by the government to address and solve the issues faced by the citizens. Therefore, Policies help in making the governance system more accountable and reasonable for the citizens. One of the principal goals of Governance is transparent and truthful decision-making procedures.