Policymaking in Government and the Role of Various Entities and Stakeholders

Policy Making
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Policy Making
Policy-making at the federal, state, and local levels shares several similarities in terms of their policymaking process. Each level of government involves a group of elected officials or representatives who draft and pass legislation, regulations, and policies to address societal issues. These policies are designed to address the needs and interests of their respective constituents. At the local level, policymaking mainly involves legislators such as the city, town, and county council members exercising the authority granted by the State Constitution and laws to come up with local laws. In addition to the power granted by the State laws, the city codes and charter may offer councilmembers a certain level of “home rule” powers if they do not contravene the state laws.
At the state level, policymaking is a process that involves actions from the three levels of government. The state legislatures influence policy-making by enacting legislation and providing oversight on the fiscal use and the implementation of various programs. The judiciary as represented by various courts influences policy-making through trials and offering precedents that inform policy-making. The state executive branch as headed by the governor of a given state has policy-making power and establishes the mechanisms through which the existing laws are observed and implemented within the state. Notably, state regulation forms a large part of health policy despite the potential number of limitations that exist as it regards state powers (Campos & Reich, 2019). However, the extent to which a given state influences policy-making varies among states.
At the federal level, policymaking is a highly complex process that may be accomplished through the actions of either the legislature, executive, or judiciary. The federal legislative branch in the United States is the Congress and is made up of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The US Constitution gives Congress the legislative powers which encompass the right to put in place the required federal laws as it determines. In addition, the executive as headed by the President has the power to influence policy decisions. The President is responsible for signing or vetoing legislation that has been passed by Congress. The President can also use executive orders and other administrative actions to implement policies without congressional approval. Further, the various agencies of the executive branch, such as the Department of Justice or the Environmental Protection Agency, are responsible for implementing and enforcing federal policies. The agencies are overseen by the President and can be directed to take specific actions through executive orders or other forms of presidential authority (Montez et al., 2020). The judicial bran...