THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POWER AND POLICY PROCESS: A CRITICAL REVIEW
Keywords:
Power, Policy, Policy Process, Policy Distribution, PolicymakerAbstract
Power and the policy process are two intrinsically connected phenomena upon which societal rules are based. In non-democratic societies, the powers that shape decision/policy making process use to be that of the tyrant/monarch and his closest allies. However, in modern day democracies, policy processes are overseas by political authorities through direct citizens' participation in all the stages of the policy formulation - agenda setting, proposal, interest aggregation to the implementation and evaluation. In this sense therefore, power influences which issues are addressed, how policies are formulated, and how they are implemented. In other words, powerful individuals, media, civil society organizations and other state and non-state actors have always been an important element in shaping the nature and direction of policies in today's civilized social settings. Thus, power and policy processes are always along a single linear process. The specific aim of this research is to investigate the reciprocal impact of policies on power dynamics. Literature on power, policy, policy process and many other relevant issues were reviewed thematically with a view to having a rigorous understanding of the cases under study. Luke's three dimensions of power theory was used as the theoretical framework of the research. Having fully relied on secondary data, the research used content analysis method in analysing the existing relations between power and policy process. Based on this, the research revealed that, In the realm of policy making, various sources of power emerge, including political, economic, expertise, public opinion, media, and institutional structures. simply put, power plays in all the stages of policy making processes. The paper recommended that policy makers should seek out and include diverse perspectives in policy-making process and also promote inclusivity to avoid policies that inadvertently perpetuate existing social inequalities.References
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