Problem: Provide a peer response to your classmate, Kelly's discussion post below. Provide in-text citations and references in an APA format.
"Hello everyone,
Discussion question:
Define public policy, including the characteristics associated with public policies. Define focusing events.
The beginning of Introduction to the Policy Process by Thomas Birkland explains how there are many ways to define public policy. Still, the definition that made more sense to me is the one that stated "public policy consists of political decisions for implementing programs to achieve societal goals" (Cochran & Malone, 1995). Some of the characteristics associated with public policies include that not everyone will agree on the policies made by governments in the public's interest. When a problem arises or a current event occurs, the government may change a public policy to resolve that problem as it aims towards societal issues such as unemployment, healthcare, education, and poverty. Focusing on events regarding public policy involves sudden occurrences that highlight social issues that can lead to changes in policy. A focusing event I wanted to share was the Orlando mass shooting and how it shaped the public's opinion. The Orlando mass shooting stood out as the worst terrorist attack in the nation in 2016, and the article I found on this event describes the relationship between focusing events and public attention because there are some misconceptions about how the public agrees with every policy the government puts in place from the federal level to the local level. Zhang & Liu (2025) stated how the Orlando mass shooting "prompted an immediate spike in public concern of broad terrorism and public safety matters" (p. 467). Public responses to this focusing event increased on the counterterrorism of this nation; however, the Orlando mass shooting impacted public support for specific government actions regarding gun control. It is important to note that "analyzing public responses to violent events can offer crucial insights for policymakers to enhance" emergency preparedness and response plans (Zhang & Liu, 2025, p. 476). It prepares our nation for what may come in the future and prevents us from repeating the mistakes made in past events.
How have policies in emergency management developed from focusing on events?
Policies in emergency management were developed from focusing events in how the view of whose responsibility it was when it came to disaster response and relief, because disaster assistance was lacking in the resources and needed improvement in response, etc. Rubin (2020) stated, "like other domestic social needs, disaster assistance was considered the responsibility of the states or, more often, local governments, charities, and other social institutions such as churches" (p. 11). Governments needed to focus on examining the aftermath of incidents rather than the federal legislation or policies. Many of the historic disasters that occurred in past centuries could have been prevented because there were occurrences such as the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, where there were about 11 floods that occurred before it hit, which could have made the planning, response, and recovery more efficient. Emergency management has used past disasters to structure their planning, response, recovery, and mitigation policies, and rather than making it a local level responsibility, it has expanded, which is important to the interrelationship of governments and how to assist citizens when it comes to a disaster.
How are the Jeffersonian, Hamiltonian, and Jacksonian public management styles demonstrated in the creation and implementation of policies in public administration and in emergency management? Provide examples from emergency management history to support your response.
These three different public management styles are demonstrated in the creation and implementation of policies in public administration in emergency management because EM relies on "theories, concepts, and abstract knowledge as well as on experiential learning and experimental research" (Sylves, 2019, p. 39). Each approach focuses on different issues, and expectations of an emergency manager, which is safe to say that some of the elements of one model may not match with the other two models. The evolution of public administration is a battle between these models because of their different bureaucracies and how they should function. Major disasters that occurred in the early 1900s, as I mentioned earlier, such as the Galveston Hurricane, revealed some of emergency management's issues, such as "centralized versus decentralized decision making by the federal government and/or military agencies" (Rubin, 2020, p. 6). Emergency management has expanded and continues to make changes within its organization in response to the effects of past disasters and their effects on the public. Need Assignment Help?
References
Birkland, T. A. (2020). An Introduction to the Policy Process: Theories, Concepts, and Models of Public Policy Making (5th ed.). Routledge.
Charles L. Cochran and Eloise F. Malone, Public Policy: Perspectives and Choices. 4th edn (Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2010).
Cochran, C. L., & Malone, E. F. (1995). Public Policy. McGraw-Hill Humanities, Social Sciences & World Languages.
Rubin, C. B. (2020). Emergency management: the American experience (3rd ed.). London; Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.
Sylves, R. T. (2019). Disaster Policy and Politics. CQ Press.
Zhang, Y., & Liu, X. (2025). How does a focusing event shape public opinion? Natural experimental evidence from the Orlando mass shooting. Policy Studies Journal, 53(2), 463-479.