Policy Actors Flashcards
Who should make, or have the greatest influence on,
health policy decisions?
Governments (Democratic; participatory, technocratic (technical experts))
- Street-level bureaucrats (People that work for governments but are much closer to the ground and interact with people who are influenced by policy)
- Subject matter experts (e.g., physicians)
- Experts are also influenced by health but they have specialized knowledge and increased education on the matters to make informed decisions
- Health organizations (hospitals, NGOs)
- Patients/the public
– The public should have the most influence of what policy looks like because we are the ones affected
What is an Interest/Pressure Groups
Any group outside the state including market and some civil society groups (ppl that don’t work in government or business) that attempts to influence policy to achieve specific goals
Traits if an Interest Group
- Voluntary (you form or join because you want to)
- Aim to achieve some desired goal(s)
- Do not attempt to become part of the formal government machinery
- interest groups exist OUTSIDE of government
2 Types of Interest Groups
1) Cause group: Interest or pressure group whose main goal is to promote a particular issue or cause.
- Ex. Dying with dignity - group that has advocated to change the law and legalize euthanasia
2) Sectional group: Interest group whose main goal is to protect and enhance the interests of its members and/or the section of society it represents.
- Ex. Medical association - do not have any specific interests, other than to protect physician interests
Imagine the government is considering expanding the eligibility MAID (i.e., euthanasia and
physician-assisted suicide) to patients with primary psychiatric conditions and allow patients to provide advanced consent for MAID.
What’s an interest group that would attempt to
influence policy in this area?
- Canadian mental health association
- People living with dementia
- Religious groups
○ Might have strong values, but no scientific background - Legal experts - lawyers
- Psychiatrists
- Palliative care doctors
Government vs. governance
Government: The institutions and procedures for making and
enforcing rules and other collection decisions.
- Politicians, bureaucrats, policy elites, etc.
Governance: all processes of governing, whether undertaken by a government, market, or network
- Broader idea
- non-governmental actors involved in decisions (ie. pharma companies)
- Government actors + civil society organizations, (non-government; ie. human rights groups)
interest groups/pressure groups, organizations/ corporations
What is Lobbying
- the process through which individuals and groups articulate their interests to federal, provincial or municipal
governments in order to influence public policy or government decision-making - major driver of policy change, and political advocacy
- any group attempting to pursue policy change is a ‘lobbyist’ (non professional)
- Professional lobbyists are paid to assists others and represent the interest of different groups to governments
- ‘Dating’ service between interest groups and decision makers
- Lobbyists know all the players in government
- interest groups might consult a lobbyist to advance a policy objective (tob get the gov to listen
The Lobbying Act
- Lobbyists and lobbying are regulated by the lobbying act
- Lobbyists must register with the government as a lobbyer
- they must report meetings and subject matter of meetings with public officers (when, with whom)
- to be a lobbyist, you must get paid
2 Types of Lobbyists
1) Consultant lobbyist - individuals hired by external clients (non-profit organization, advocacy group)
- set up a firm and if you have an interest group, hire me, and I will go to the government
- they do not work for you, they are external to you
2) In-house lobbyist - employees of an organizations
- works within a corporation and their sole job is to lobby within that corporation
- ex. tobacco companies don’t hired consultant lobbyist, they hire in-house lobbyists, they are your employee
