Public policy impacts every civilian, in numerous ways: some effects are predictable and obvious and some policies catch people by surprise. Although details about public policy are readily accessible, it remains difficult to craft a clear-cut description of any public policy. The term public policy represents a set of actions performed by the government that contains, but is not restricted to, passing laws, where the ultimate goal is a collective resolution. For instance, a policy to encourage economic progress in a period of economic inertia may involve tax cuts for commerce or other actions aiming to improve financial stability. Making policy necessitates selecting between positive objectives and other possible outcomes. Moreover, that selection always targets purpose since a policy is not a single act, but a set of actions organized to accomplish the goal, where the new policy will eventually be embedded in law and authority (Cochran et al. 2).
New York City has always been a blend of cultures, and over time, the Big Apple has developed a distinct set of cultural priorities and policies. The major challenge of cultural policy has always been how to appreciate the diverse population of the city, and to this day there echoes a time when intolerance was an act of courage and the majority upheld discrimination. New York City did find solutions that support rather than restrain the cultural expression of others; obviously, though, there are pros and cons to any policy, and the cultural policies of New York City are no exception. The downside here came with an exorbitantly high level of tolerance, which has played a cruel joke on New York City and on America in general. Nonetheless, there is also an upside, which is reflected in New Yorkers’ ability to exhibit flexibility in adapting to one another.
New York City is also focused on public safety policies, but even with the government’s strong course of action in this arena, the city remains a somewhat dangerous place. A large portion of the city budget is allocated to solving problems of public safety; however, despite the positive aspects obvious with this set of solutions, i.e., where most citizens are safe and few dire threats impact their lives, these types of decisions can also pose a negative effect: the expenses used to cover the price of New Yorkers’ safety means that money will never make its way to other vital segments of the city budget.
Different people live under different conditions, and social policy must take consider particular improvements that might have an impact on New York City society. NYC social policy attempts to guarantee human well-being and to meet residents’ needs; to make possible these kinds of policies, it takes money, in the form of financial aid to the poor. This can result in an interference, which has undeniable influence on social needs, but the advantage is that social conduct may be governed, to the extent of sexual relations and morals. There is a subtle disadvantage inherent to social policies that encompasses accessibility to birth control and/or marriage laws, as policies in this arena can act as a subtle intrusion into New York City residents’ personal lives.
The evidence presented by the author makes it clear that the way forward is to continually design new policies that will multiply the benefits New Yorkers already enjoy, and to further develop policies as appropriate. Taking into consideration all of the policy pros and cons evaluated in the above analysis, it is reasonable to conclude that the only way to advance is to maintain a balance between the good and the bad aspects of each policy—and to work together on creating a better future.
Works Cited
Cochran, Clarke, Lawrence Mayer, T. R. Carr, N. Joseph Cayer and Mark McKenzie. American Public Policy: An Introduction. 11th ed. Independence, KY: Cengage Learning, 2016. Print.