Essay On Top-Down Policy

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Top-Down
Top-down approach is known as step down, and is essentially a tinkle down effect of policy. Top down approach starts with the big picture, and breaks down. Top-downers typically start from a policy decision reached at the “top” of the political system and work their way “down” to the implementers. The top-down approach is a clear-cut system of command and control.
This approach has clear and consistent goals, knowledge of pertinent cause and effects, clear hierarchy of authority, rules established at the top and policy is aligned with the rules (Sabatier and Mazmanian). An example of top-down policy or organization would be the United States (US) Military. The US Military has always been a top-down organization, and will unto the future. The US Military structures starts with the President of the United States and then in a hierarchic organization structure all the way down to the recruit.
Top-down approach is the carrying out of a policy decision, by an act, executive order, or a court decision; whereas the authoritative decisions are “centrally located” by actors who seek to produce the “desired effects” (Matland). Top-down approach is motivated by what has been called the “textbook conception of the policy process” (Na- kamura). This approach assumes that the policy may be divided into several phases. Top-down policies do not focus on the whole policy process, but “what happens after a bill becomes a law” (Bardach).
Just like any other policy the top down approach has been criticize. One of the criticisms for the top down approach “fails to consider the significance of actions taken earlier in the policy-making process” (Matland). Matland is discussing the early stages of the top down approach where the legal lang...

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...pproach, such as continuing to keep a centrally policy decision to be implemented by lower-level actors. They also took certain parts of the bottom-up approach such as the concept of the fact that local implementers are also actors (Goggin, Bowman, Lester, and O’Toole). Additionally, the outcome of this approach would require a negotiation processes between the local implementers and central authority (Goggin, Bowman, Lester, and O’Toole).
Top-down and bottom-up approaches could be combined if you were dealing with the right type of infrastructure that will allow each other to share and voice their opinions. This approach will not work for businesses and government entity that do not value opinion of the company or agency. If the a combined approach does not work, the business or government entity should look at choosing either the bottom-up or top-down approach.

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