Factors in Public Policy Making

Factors that Make Public Policy Making Complex and Unruly
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According to Thomas (2004), public policy is a complex and multifaceted process that is involving and time consuming. The process involves several interest groups, businesses, and individuals who try to influence policy outcome. Therefore, making an effective public policy is a very big challenge in the modern pluralistic society. The public policy is often marred with the pressure of day-to-day politics and other bureaucracies that tend to affect the public policy making process. This paper discusses the factors that make public policy making in a modern, pluralistic society complex and unruly.
One of the factors that complicate the public policy making process is the changing economic environment (Kraft & Furlong, 2014). The policy environment is always affected by the current and the expected economic conditions. However, the economic conditions are always changing in response to global economic shifts and the changes on consumer tastes and preferences. Therefore, making a public policy that would effectively work for the changing economic condition is very challenging.
The other factor that complicates public policy making in the modern pluralistic society is the divergent opinions. The public opinion and priorities are always taken into consideration during the public policy making process (Tung, Vernick, Stuart, & Webster, 2014). However, most people tend to have divergent opinions in matters of environment, climate change, energy solutions, among other things.

Therefore, the policy makers find it challenging to balance the interests of the divergent public opinion.
The other factor that complicates the public policy making process is the technological changes. Technology is quickly changing in response to the market needs and the emerging business opportunities. Therefore, the public policy that was effective several decades ago may be rendered obsolete due to the changes in technology. The business environment and public governance tend to adapt to the changes in technology (Kraft & Furlong, 2014). The new and the lower cost technologies easily gain public support. However, it is not easy to predict the direction of the technological advancements. Therefore, the public policy making process is often affected by the technological advancements.
The other factor that complicates the public policy making process in the modern pluralistic society is the interest groups. The modern society is full of interest groups such as labor unions, trade associations, environmental advocacy groups, professional organization among others who are always interested in influencing the direction of public policy. On the same note, the individuals and businesses also organize into associations with the aim of influencing the direction of public policy. Such groups are always interested in how the public policy would satisfy their selected benefits. Therefore, the public policy makers are always under intense pressure to bend to the needs of the interest groups.
On the same note, the public policy making process is always complicated by the business associations. In the modern society pluralistic societies, some businesses have grown so big that they form multinational corporations with lots of wealth and influence (Tung, Vernick, Stuart, & Webster, 2014). When these business acts collectively, their influence becomes massive for the public policy makers. In most cases, the business associations tend to ensure that the public policy does not negatively affect their businesses. In the United States, the National Association of Manufacturers and the US Chamber of Commerce are some of the business associations that tend to affect the policy making process and complicate the process with their interests.
In conclusion, the public policy making process is very complex and unruly in in a modern, pluralistic society. First, the public policy making is complicated by the ever changing economic environment. In addition, the public policy making process is being complicated by the advancements in technology. Finally, the public policy making process in the modern pluralistic society is being complicated by the divergent opinions, the interest groups, and the business associations.
References
Kraft, M.E & Furlong, S.R. (2014). Public Policy: Politics, Analysis, and Alternatives. CQ Press
Thomas, R.D. (2004). Understanding Public Policy (10th, ed). Beijing: China Renmin University Press
Tung, G. J., Vernick, J. S., Stuart, E. A., & Webster, D. W. (2014). Political factors affecting the enactment of state-level clean indoor air laws. American Journal of Public Health, 104(6), e92-7.