Becoming an Effective Policy Advocate From Policy Practice to Social Justice

by Jansson, Bruce S.

• ISBN13: 9780495006237
• ISBN10: 0495006238
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-01-24
• Publisher: Brooks Cole

Summary

In Bruce S. Jansson's Becoming an Effective Policy Advocate, you'll go beyond just learning about policy by learning what to do with policy. Jansson's groundbreaking text provides you with a toolbox of strategies for conducting policy practice. You'll learn the essential skills in actually promoting change to social welfare policy.

Table of Contents

Becoming Motivated to Become a Policy Advocate and a Leader	p. 1
Joining a Tradition of Social Reform	p. 2
Diversity and Policy Advocacy	p. 2
Advancing the Public Interest at Home and Abroad	p. 8
Using an Ecological Perspective	p. 9
What Policy Practitioners and Advocates Seek to Change	p. 9
What Are Policy Practice and Policy Advocacy?	p. 14
Challenges Encountered by Policy Advocates	p. 15
Joining a Tradition of Policy Advocacy	p. 20
Joining the Reform Tradition Within Social Work	p. 23
Policy Devolution, Technology, Globalization, and Policy Advocacy	p. 24
Becoming an Effective Policy Advocate	p. 25
Developing a Vision	p. 25
Seeking Opportunities for Policy Advocacy	p. 25
Taking Sensible Risks	p. 26
Balancing Flexibility with Planning	p. 26
Being Appropriately Assertive	p. 27
Developing Multiple Skills	p. 27
Being Persistent	p. 28
Tolerating Uncertainty	p. 28
Becoming a Policy Advocate	p. 28
Combining Pragmatism with Principles	p. 29
The Rewards of Policy Advocacy	p. 29
Changing the Composition of Decision Makers	p. 30
Getting Started	p. 31
Becoming Leaders	p. 32
Chapter Summary: What You Can Now Do	p. 36
Notes	p. 37
Suggested Readings	p. 37
Articulating Four Rationales for Participating in Policy Advocacy	p. 39
The Ethical Rationale for Policy Advocacy	p. 40
Beneficence and Professional Practice	p. 40
Policy-Sensitive and Policy-Related Practice	p. 41
Moving Toward Policy Advocacy	p. 43
Policy Advocacy and Powerless Groups	p. 47
Policy Advocacy for Vulnerable Populations	p. 51
Other Ethical Principles in Policy Advocacy	p. 54
Other Types of Ethical Reasoning	p. 55
Toward an Eclectic Approach to Ethical Reasoning	p. 56
Returning to Ideology	p. 58
The Analytic Rationale for Policy Advocacy	p. 61
Choosing Sides: Controversy and Research	p. 63
The Political Rationale for Policy Advocacy	p. 67
Interlocking Rationales for Policy Advocacy	p. 70
Chapter Summary: What You Can Now Do	p. 73
Notes	p. 74
Suggested Readings	p. 75
Surmounting Cynicism by Developing Policy-Advocacy Skills	p. 77
Obtaining Skills and Competencies for Policy Advocacy	p. 78
A Policy Practice Framework	p. 79
The Policy Context	p. 79
Perspectives of Stakeholders and Policy Advocates	p. 81
Patterns of Participation	p. 83
The Six Tasks of Policy Practitioners	p. 84
Four Skills That Policy Practitioners Need	p. 86
Policy Competencies	p. 87
Styles of Policy Practice	p. 87
Applications of Policy Tasks and Skills	p. 93
Building Agendas	p. 93
Analyzing Problems	p. 94
Writing Proposals	p. 95
Enacting Policy	p. 95
Implementing Policy	p. 96
Assessing Policy	p. 96
Analyzing Policy Practice	p. 96
Ballot-Based Advocacy	p. 102
The Variety of Policies	p. 102
Overcoming Discomfort with Power	p. 104
Social Policy's Role in Ecological Frameworks	p. 105
Policy Practice as a Unifying Theme	p. 106
Chapter Summary: What You Can Now Do	p. 106
Notes	p. 107
Suggested Readings	p. 108
The Ecological of Policy in the United States and in a Global World	p. 109
Understanding the Ecology of Policy in Governmental, Electoral, Community, and Agency Setting	p. 110
The Players in Legislative and Governmental Setting	p. 111
Elected Officials	p. 112
Unelected Officials or Bureaucrats	p. 119
Lobbyists and Interest Groups	p. 120
Connections Among Interest Groups, Legislators, and Bureaucrats	p. 121
Public Opinion	p. 121
Advocacy Groups	p. 121
The Electoral Process	p. 122
Early Maneuvering	p. 122
Running Campaigns	p. 124
The Mindsets of Elected Officials	p. 125
The Environment of Public Servants: Elected Officials	p. 125
Shortcuts: Aides, Lobbyists, and Priorities	p. 126
The Calculus of Choice	p. 126
The Mindsets of Nonelected Officials	p. 128
Political Appointees	p. 128
Civil Servants	p. 128
Strategy in Legislative Setting	p. 129
Advocating for Resources	p. 129
The Law and Social Policy	p. 130
The Political Economy of Social Agencies	p. 133
The Political of Programs and Social Work Units	p. 137
Mapping Agencies' Policies	p. 138
The Players in Organizational Setting	p. 142
The Organizational Chart	p. 143
Budget Priorities	p. 144
Boundary Spanners and Mission Enhancers	p. 144
Informal Relationships among Organizational Members	p. 144
The Political Economy of Communities	p. 145
Different Layers of Government and Policy	p. 146
Maneuvering in a Multi-Layered Policy Ecology	p. 147
Chapter Summary: What You Can Now Do	p. 153
Notes	p. 153
Suggested Readings	p. 155
Expanding Policy Advocacy Across National Borders	p. 156
Social Problems in an Interdependent World	p. 156
Why Globalization Sometimes Harms Vulnerable Populations in the United States	p. 157
Why an Economic Gap Developed Between Developing and Developed Nations	p. 161
Why Globalization Sometimes Harms Vulnerable Persons in Developing Nations	p. 165
Another Vulnerable Population: Migrants Within and Between Nations	p. 167
Globalization's Impact on the Environment	p. 170
Threats to Public Health	p. 172
Creating a Mono-Culture?	p. 173
The Great Caveat: Globalization's Positive Effects	p. 173
Policy Advocacy for Populations Harmed by Globalization	p. 174
Policy Options in the United States	p. 174
Policy Options to Help Vulnerable Populations Abroad	p. 176
Chapter Summary: What You Can Now Do	p. 181
Notes	p. 181
Committing to Problems and Solutions Through Building Agendas and Policy Analysis	p. 183
Committing to an Issue: Building Agendas	p. 184
Taking the First Step	p. 185
Why Agenda Building Is Needed	p. 186
Legislatures	p. 186
Agencies	p. 188
Communities	p. 189
Three Challenges in Agenda Building	p. 189
The Diagnosing Stage	p. 192
The Softening Stage	p. 196
The Activating Stage	p. 200
Coupling	p. 203
Framing and Finding Titles	p. 203
Negotiating and Bargaining	p. 203
Assembling Early Sponsors and Supporters	p. 204
Routing	p. 204
Media Coverage	p. 204
Can Direct-Service Staff Help to Build Agendas?	p. 205
Policy Advocacy for Powerless Populations and Unpopular Issues	p. 206
Electoral Processes	p. 207
Developing Links with Advocacy Groups	p. 208
Using Multiple Skills in Agenda Building	p. 209
Chapter Summary: What You Can Now Do	p. 214
Notes	p. 214
Suggested Readings	p. 215
Analyzing Problems in the First Step of Policy Analysis	p. 216
Putting It All Together: A Six-Step Policy Analysis Framework	p. 216
A Six-Step Policy Analysis Framework	p. 216
Do Policy Advocates Have to Analyze Problems?	p. 220
Using a Flowchart to Analyze Some Social Problems in Step 1	p. 222
Five Cells in a Flowchart Format in Step 1	p. 223
Illustrating a Flow Chart with Welfare Reform	p. 229
Analyzing the Causes of Social Problems in Step 1	p. 234
Developing Interventions and Programs in Step 1	p. 237
Developing Preventive Programs in Step 1	p. 240
Measuring the Magnitude of Problems in Step 1	p. 245
Locating Problems Spatially	p. 247
Social Problems as Slippery Concepts	p. 248
When Are Social Problems Real, and When Are They Invented?	p. 248
Many Social Problems Defy Simple Solutions, But Many People Favor Panaceas	p. 249
Priorities Are Not Chosen Rationally	p. 250
Solving One Problem Can Create Others	p. 250
Variations in Problems	p. 251
Challenges for Policy Advocates	p. 252
Chapter Summary: What You Can Now Do	p. 252
Notes	p. 255
Suggested Readings	p. 257
Developing Policy Proposals in the Second, Third, and Fourth Steps of Policy Analysis	p. 258
Returning to the Six-Step Policy Analysis Framework	p. 258
Intersecting Arenas and Stakeholders	p. 258
Identifying Recurring Policy Issues and Policy Options in Steps 2, 3, and 4	p. 260
Establishing a Mission in Steps 2, 3, and 4	p. 261
Designing the Structure of Service in Steps 2, 3, and 4	p. 261
Planning the Extent of Devolution and the Resource Path in Steps 2, 3, and 4	p. 263
Defining Services in Steps 2, 3, and 4	p. 271
Rationing Scarce Resources in Steps 2, 3, and 4	p. 274
Addressing Agency Network Issues in Steps 2, 3, and 4	p. 276
Addressing Community Factors in Steps 2, 3, and 4	p. 278
Guiding and Overseeing Policy Implementation in Steps 2, 3, and 4	p. 278
Assessing Implemented Policies in Steps 2, 3, and 4	p. 279
An Overview of the Proposal to Fund Shelters for Battered Women	p. 279
The Anatomy of Policy Proposals	p. 280
Trade-Offs: Systematically Comparing Policy Options in Step 3	p. 280
Identifying Options in Step 2	p. 280
Selecting and Weighing Criteria in Step 3	p. 282
Creating a Decision-Making Matrix in Step 3	p. 283
Qualitative Rankings	p. 285
Using Different Policy Skills in Tandem in Steps 2, 3, and 4	p. 287
Chapter Summary: What You Can Now Do	p. 292
Notes	p. 293
Suggested Readings	p. 294
Presenting and Defending Policy Proposals	p. 296
Ideology and Policy Positions	p. 297
Proposals and Ideology	p. 297
Electoral Politics and Proposals	p. 299
Combative Persuasion	p. 300
Adversarial Debates	p. 300
Coercive Messages	p. 304
Negotiations: Hardball and Win-Win Options	p. 306
Adversarial or Friendly Communication: Which Is Preferable?	p. 307
Persuading Specific Audiences	p. 309
Determining Objectives	p. 309
Diagnosing Audiences	p. 310
Strategies of Persuasion	p. 311
Selecting a Medium	p. 312
Using a Sequence of Presentations	p. 313
Selecting a Format	p. 313
Developing an Effective Presentation Style	p. 316
Tactics for Specific Audiences	p. 317
Other Tactical Choices	p. 318
Assembling a Strategy	p. 319
The Hostile Audience	p. 319
The Sympathetic Audience with Some Hostile Members	p. 320
The Expert Audience	p. 320
Interpersonal Discussions	p. 320
Gaining Support for Grant Proposals	p. 321
Writing an Imaginative Title	p. 321
Giving a Compelling Rationale	p. 322
Drawing on Research Findings	p. 322
Setting Clear Objectives	p. 322
Including an Evaluation Component	p. 322
Demonstrating Feasibility	p. 322
Establishing Partnerships	p. 323
Demonstrating Support	p. 323
Developing a Realistic Budget	p. 323
Finding Funders	p. 323
Revising the Proposal	p. 324
Chapter Summary: What You Can Now Do	p. 340
Notes	p. 340
Suggested Readings	p. 341
Advocating for Change	p. 343
Developing and Using Power	p. 344
In Defense of Politics	p. 345
Analytic and Political Approaches to Policy Advocacy	p. 346
The Nature of Power	p. 351
Person-to-Person Power	p. 352
Power Resources that Stem from Policy Maneuvering	p. 356
Substantive Power	p. 356
Power in Decision-Making Procedures	p. 358
Process Power	p. 359
Shaping Contexts Including Use of the Internet	p. 361
Successful Power Users	p. 366
Power in Organizations	p. 366
Discretion, Compliance, and Whistle-Blowing	p. 366
Defining Zones of Discretion	p. 367
Issues of Compliance	p. 368
Whistle-Blowing	p. 368
Power Differentials	p. 369
Ethical Issues	p. 370
Developing and Using Power in Situations Where Advocates Are Disadvantaged as Compared to More Powerful Players	p. 372
Obtaining Power Resources	p. 376
Building Personal Credibility	p. 377
Networking	p. 379
Power Challenges Encountered by Members of Vulnerable Populations	p. 381
Developing Assertiveness	p. 382
Can Direct-Service Staff Use Power Resources?	p. 384
Returning to New Orleans	p. 384
Chapter Summary: What You Can Now Do	p. 386
Notes	p. 386
Suggested Readings	p. 388
Developing Political Strategy	p. 390
Establishing Some Objectives	p. 390
Determining a Position	p. 391
Selecting the Extent of Policy Changes	p. 393
Selecting a Time Frame	p. 393
Grounding Strategy in Current Realities	p. 393
The Power Distribution	p. 393
Identifying Contextual Factors	p. 397
Past Stances	p. 397
Vested Interests	p. 398
Cohesion of Likely Opponents and Proponents	p. 398
Situational Realities	p. 399
Adapting Strategy to the Setting	p. 399
Developing Alternative Scenarios	p. 400
Selecting a Strategy	p. 400
Revising the Strategy	p. 401
Seven Recurring Steps in Strategy	p. 401
Organizing a Team or Coalition	p. 401
Establishing Policy Goals	p. 403
Specifying a Proposal's Content and Getting Early Sponsors	p. 403
Establishing a Style	p. 403
Selecting Power Resources and Framing Strategy	p. 404
Implementing Strategy	p. 405
Revising the Strategy	p. 405
A Policy Advocacy Challenge: How to Block Ill-Advised Policy Proposals	p. 405
Chapter Summary: What You Can Now Do	p. 409
Notes	p. 409
Suggested Readings	p. 410
Putting Political Strategy Into Action	p. 411
Strategy in Legislative Settings	p. 412
Organizing Legislative Advocacy Projects	p. 412
Organizing a Team or Coalition	p. 412
Establishing Policy Goals in a Legislative Context	p. 414
Writing a Policy Brief: Specifying a Proposal's Content and Getting Early Sponsors	p. 415
Establishing a Style	p. 419
Selecting Power Resources and Framing Strategy	p. 419
Implementing Strategy	p. 421
Revising the Strategy	p. 429
Strategy in Agency Settings	p. 429
Organizing a Team or Coalition	p. 429
Establishing Policy Goals in the Organizational Context	p. 429
Specifying a Proposal's Content	p. 432
Establishing a Style	p. 432
Selecting Power Resources and Framing Strategy	p. 433
Revising the Strategy	p. 433
Developing Strategy in Community Settings	p. 433
Establishing Policy Goals in the Community Context	p. 433
Specifying a Proposal's Content	p. 434
Establishing a Style	p. 434
Selecting Power Resources and Framing Strategy	p. 434
Revising the Strategy	p. 435
A Primer on Task Groups	p. 435
Policy Advocates' Roles in Task Groups	p. 436
What Successful Task Groups Need	p. 437
The Task Group's Mission	p. 437
The Task Group's Leadership	p. 437
The Task Group's Developmental Needs	p. 437
The Task Group's Procedures	p. 438
The Task Group's Structure	p. 438
The Task Group's Deliberative and Interactional Processes	p. 438
The Task Group's Staff and Resources	p. 439
Forming Coalitions	p. 439
Establishing Networks	p. 440
Addressing Dysfunctional Group Processes	p. 440
An Advocacy Campaign in Sacramento, California	p. 442
Chapter Summary: What You Can Now Do	p. 445
Notes	p. 445
Engaging in Ballot-Based Policy Advocacy	p. 447
Why Ballot-Based Policy Advocacy Is Important	p. 448
Policy Advocacy in the Electoral Process	p. 453
Developing Population Profiles	p. 453
Using Power Resources to Persuade Voters	p. 456
Using One-on-One Power Resources	p. 456
Using the Media	p. 457
Interacting with Opposing Candidates in Public Forums	p. 458
Developing Positions on Issues and Demonstrating Positive Personal Qualities	p. 458
Conducting Negative Attacks on Opponents	p. 459
Getting Out the Vote	p. 460
Securing Endorsements	p. 461
Convincing Other Potential Candidates Not to Run	p. 462
Gaining Support from Party, Trade Unions, and Other Groups	p. 462
Finding Resources	p. 462
Creating a Campaign Organization	p. 464
Developing Campaign Strategy	p. 465
Strategy Options at the Outset of a Campaign	p. 465
Strategy During the Mid-Phase of a Campaign	p. 465
Conducting Issue-Oriented Campaigns	p. 467
Making Issue Campaigns and Electoral Politics Intersect	p. 467
Participating in Electoral and Issue-Oriented Campaigns	p. 469
Deciding to Run for Office	p. 472
Selecting Other Public-Service Positions	p. 475
Why Social Policy Often Hinges on Elections	p. 478
Chapter Summary: What You Can Now Do	p. 483
Notes	p. 484
Suggested Readings	p. 485
Troubleshooting and Assessing Policies	p. 487
Troubleshooting and Assessing Implemented Policies	p. 488
A Framework for Implementing Policy	p. 489
The Context of Implementation	p. 491
Policy Innovations or Major New Initiatives	p. 496
Oversight Organizations and Staff	p. 499
Primary Implementing Organizations	p. 501
Interorganizational Processes	p. 503
Diagnosing Implementing Processes	p. 507
Actual Outputs: The Evaluation of Implemented Policies (Policy Assessment)	p. 508
Reforming the Implementation Process	p. 509
Do Policy Advocates Ever Sabotage Policies?	p. 511
Case Study of Implementation	p. 512
Two Examples of Implementation Projects in New Orleans Post-Hurricane Katrina	p. 522
Policy Assessment	p. 532
Chapter Summary: What You Can Now Do	p. 533
Notes	p. 533
Suggested Readings	p. 534
Name Index	p. 535
Subject Index	p. 538
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