Policy instruments to address a specific problem. Social Sciences

POLICY INSTRUMENTS TO ADDRESS A SPECIFIC PROBLEM
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Policy Instruments to Address a Specific Problem
Policy formulation and implementation in the public sector plays a significant role in the development and achievement of diverse objectives across the social, political, and economic dimensions of society. The achievement of positive outcomes or desired effects upon the implementation of a given policy reflects in its ability to address an existing issue or problem facing individuals or groups within and the society as well as the community at large. The public sector further uses equally diverse policy instruments for the development and implementation of policies to address different public issues or problems. There are two main policy designs or instruments that can be used in policy formulation and implementation across the outlined social dimensions in the public sector, substantive and procedural policy instruments (Howett, 2019). The choice of policy instruments to use in addressing a specific problem is informed by the unique factors characterizing the identified issue. Factors to consider when selecting the appropriate policy instrument to address a specific problem include the severity or the extent of its effect on society, causes of the problem, the availability of resources to develop and implement the policy, and the roles of all stakeholders involved in effecting the desired outcome. The issue of racial discrimination in Australia, for instance, makes for one of the issues with a range of adverse effects the nation, which necessitates the implementation of effective policies towards promoting equality across social, political, and economic dimensions. An evaluation of the policy instrument used in addressing the issue of racism in Australia, which forms an excellent platform for understanding the underlying factors determining the policy instruments and policy design choices employed in public policymaking.
Australia is characteristic of racial discrimination in its labor market with the perceived minority groups such as the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people being the major victims of systemic discrimination in both the private and public sectors. According to the Australian Census of 2016, 44% of the working-age population from the indigenous communities is not in the country’s labor force while only 23% of the same population from the majority non-indigenous group shares the same fate (Dinku, 2019). In essence, minority groups have limited access to the country’s labor market. Factors limiting their participation in the labor market include education, disability, and the criminal justice system. Individuals with higher levels of education have higher chances of participating in the labor market across the gender divide compared to their lowly or uneducated counterparts from their indigenous communities. Female members of such communities with a criminal record or contact with the country’s criminal justice system also have lower chances of joining the country’s labor force c...