Chapter 7
Policy Adoption
STAGE 4 OF
POLICY PROCESS / POLICY CYCLE
Policy Adoption
¡ Process of making the preferred policy option legitimate / legalize
Policy adoption is the third phase of the policy process in which policies are adopted by
government bodies for future implementation. Policy is legitimized as a result of the public
statements or actions of government officials; both elected and appointed—the president,
Congress, state legislators, agency officials, and the courts..
It is the third stage in the policy making process which involves the practice of deciding
which among the proposed policy alternatives, including taking no action, will be used to
handle a particular problem in the society.
It is a part of the standard set of procedures in the policymaking process which is expected
to lead in all circumstances to the choice of the most efficient means of achieving policy
goals.
Policy adoption begins after an issue or a problem is placed on the agenda and makes it way
through the legislative process until it comes close to the decision agenda. In congress’s
case, the process usually begins by winnowing down a set of alternatives that are, for the
most part, debated and formulated in the committees.
It refers to the choice among policy alternatives that have been generated and their likely
effects on the problem estimated. It is the most overtly political stage in so far as the many
potential solutions to a given problem must somehow be winnowed down and but one or a
select few picked and realized for use.
It is the next step after policy formulation which includes the efforts to obtain enough
support to enable a proposal to become the stated policy of a government. At this point,
most policy proposals go through a process of bargaining and compromise and emerge
significantly changed.
Meaning of Policy Adoption
¡ Process of deciding whether to adopt, modify or reject a preferred policy
alternative / recommendation
¡ The act of accepting the preferred recommended policy option to be implemented
by a body / agency of authority (example: Legislature / in a democracy state)
Meaning- cont.
¡ Process of getting support for a specific policy proposal so that a policy can be
legitimized or authorized
¡ Process of getting the government to accept a particular solution to the problem
¡ An enactment of legislation or issuance of an executive order
Example
¡ GST proposal (recommendation) has been presented before Parliament and it was
adopted by the body throuhg the parliamentary process
Policy Adoption Decision Making Requirements
1. Refer Anderson – Chapter 4
2. To adopt a policy, it requires:
§ popular support / concent
§ deliberation and decision making
§ modification / changes to the policy options
Policy options are considered through comprehensive scanning, incremental and mixed
scanning to arrive at the most viable alternative out of the proposed options to address the
identified problem or challenge.Factors influencing public policy choice / adoption include
the following: Preference of the society, Party Affiliations (party loyalty, manifesto,
agenda, strength), Constituency Interest, Natural Factors, Public Opinion (public
perception of policy issues), Reverence, Decisions Rules, Public Interest (number of
people to be affected).
Final decision reached may have adopted any of the following decision making styles:
Bargaining (negotiation with peers to harmonize goals); Persuasion (winning others with
facts and skills);Command (superior decisions binding on subordinates); Majority
building (bargaining for numerical strength); Presidential Decision Making (actions taken
for and on behalf of the country with appropriate approvals).
Decision making types (styles) for Policy Adoption
Three main types / styles of policy adoption decision making:
¡ Bargaining
§ involve negotiation / compromise to reached a mutually acceptable decision
¡ Persuasion
§ construction of argument to get support (convince) ( to induce others) for
adoption
¡ Command
§ the directive / decision of those who has authority to bind others within the
jurisdiction
Refer Anderson –Page 114-149
Decision Making Process for Policy Adoption
3 main process:
§ Legislative process
§ Executive process
§ President ‘s / Prime Minister’s decision / announcement
§ For each process, a specific / combination of decision making style / types is
utilized
Policy Adoption Decision Making in PRACTICE
¡ In practice a combinations of decision making style / types and process is utilized to
adopt a policy:
§ At Cabinet level – executive process, it require support / consent /
persuasion and justifications
§ At Parliamentary / Congress level – legislative process, it require numerical
majority. The 3 style is utilize but dominant style practice is bargaining
§ Presidential / Prime Ministers decision making – announcement process, it
require command and support
1. Executive Process
Once policy decision is made, the concerned Minister will prepare the policy
recommendation bill to submit to the Cabinet (refer Topic 6) for approval
At this stage
The Minister concerned is required to refer and discuss with the Jab Peguam Negara
(Attorney General Office), Treasury, and the relevant ministries
Once the respective agencies approved, then the Attorney General Office will draft the bill
and submit to the Cabinet for approval ( for adoption)
Cabinet meeting for policy approval:
¡ Cabinet will consider policy recommendation base on the Guideline for preparing
the Cabinet Paper and Implementation of the Cabinet Decision to justify relevant bill
in order to adopt the preferred policy recommendation
¡ The Cabinet members will consider the justifications / feedbacks from the various
relevant central agencies/councils to make decision – to agree / disagree with them
¡ Assuming Cabinet agreed, notice will be send to the Council of Parliament Secretary
for Legislative Process for adoption
2. Legislative Process
Assuming the Secretary of Parliament Council has received the notification, the draft of a bill
will be printed and distributed to every Parliament members to prepare for the reading
processes in the Parliament
The Reading Process
Process Activity Actors
First The concerned Minister present the draft of a bill • Politicians
Reading to all members of Parliament. The Minister read • Political
title and reasons for introducing the bill. No Executive
deliberation
Second The draft of a bill is deliberated. Its advantages, • Politicians
Reading disadvantages, implications, towards public and • Political
state will be highlighted. The concerned Minister Executive
is responsible to answer question and provide • Non-political
further explanation Executive
The draft of a bill is then submitted to the
Parliament Committee – to make the relevant
changes (if necessary) and to discuss further in
detail
The Reading Process & Adoption
Process Activity Actors
Third The modified draft of bill is presented for • Politicians
Reading approval. Assuming it is approved, the bill will • Political
be send to the Second House (Dewan Negara) Executive
for the three readings processes
Royal Assent The YDPA has to approve within 30 days; YDPA
If YDPA does not approve? It will still become
law
Gazette The Bill will become law after gazetted Administrators
Announcement The concerned Minister will be informed to
take appropriate measures for
implementation. This will be informed at the
relevant administrative meeting such as State
Executive Meeting, Secretary General of
Ministries Meeting, Chief Executive of Federal
Statutory Bodies Meeting
3. Adoption - Announcement Process:
(President / PM Decision)
¡ President / PM (Malaysia) may adopt a policy base on constitutional power granted
to him as head of state / government
¡ In Malaysia, PM adopted a policy for the following justifications:
§ Nation building
§ Development (social, economy, defense)
§ Restructuring of wealth
Factors influencing decision of the President in adopting a policy
§ Permissibility – whether or not the law / constitution allow
§ Acceptability – whether or not public and other nation will accept
§ Availability of resources – whether or not funds, personnel, patronage, and
time is available and enough
§ Availability of official and unofficial information
§ Timing – whether or not is timely to adopt
§ Commitment – previous commitment (promise during election campaign),
commitment towards other nations
Factors influence policy adoption decision (in general)
¡ Values (organizational, professional, personal, policy, ideological)
¡ Political Party affiliation
¡ Constituency interest
¡ Public opinions
¡ Deference
¡ Decision rules
