Public Policy and Political Interpretations of Socioeconomic Environments
Author(s)
Menahem, Gila
Abstract
In the controversy regarding the factors shaping public policy, socioeconomic and political perspectives take opposing stands. The socioeconomic model is criticized for turning causality into an object of statistical manipulation. An attempt is made to substantiate a political model of policy formation and to incorporate social construction components into such a model. The data and analysis demonstrate that socioeconomic environments and configurations are subject to divergent interpretations by political decision makers. The analysis points to the politically constructed nature of public interpretations of socioeconomic environments. The data show that interpretations and portrayals of the socioeconomic configuration are used as a basis for public policy agenda setting and for a prescription of goals and priorities. It is demonstrated that the interpretations of the socioeconomic configuration provided by political leaders are relevant for understanding the public policy orientations they initiated and the choices they made.
