Creating a specific health policy is a long mundane procedure that requires an analysis of many factors. The writing itself falls into several steps of careful consideration of the existing standards and policies, including objectives and reviewing the policy drafts. The process may seem like an ordinary activity, however, creating a valid policy has been a challenge throughout history. For the most part, the issue of interest groups lobbying and agenda-setting have caused a significant impact on the process of heath policy rulemaking.
Rulemaking is the process of making new regulations to govern the citizens. As the new rules are imposed for a specific purpose, they have an impact on one or several groups (Hall & Kozlowski, 2018.) Since the new policy directly affects a particular group, it often seeks to influence rulemaking (Petracca, 2018). Lobbying and other forms of public influence can become a certain problem preventing the introduction of a new policy as the interest groups may strongly support or oppose the law (Lorenz, 2020). An interest group’s preferences may also conflict with other groups’ preferences, which makes it challenging to satisfy everyone (Kerwin & Furlong, 2018). Policymakers can often prove their point through the net benefit for the majority of the population (Hancock, 2020). Such an approach is often applied in agenda-setting. It is the phase of public policy rulemaking, where the issue sorting occurs (Zafarullah & Banik, 2016). The concerns of the public are solved or neglected during this period.
Thus, many factors determine the health policy and its effect on people. The interest groups and the agenda seem to have a significant influence on an individual policy’s success. It is commonly believed that the agenda is set through rational and careful consideration of the evidence, but it is often determined by the interest groups and political development. Having enough rational evidence in the health field sometimes appears not sufficient to make a successful policy without the public’s support.
References
Hall, W., & Kozlowski, L. (2018). Formulating more consistent public health policies towards cannabis and tobacco. Addiction, 113(4), 608–609. Web.
Hancock, L. (Ed.). (2020). Health policy in the market state. Routledge.
Kerwin, C. M., & Furlong, S. R. (2018). Rulemaking: How government agencies write law and make policy (5th ed.). Cq Press.
Lorenz, G. M. (2020). Prioritized interests: Diverse lobbying coalitions and congressional committee agenda setting. The Journal of Politics, 82(1), 225-240.
Petracca, M. P. (2018). The politics of interests: Interest groups transformed. Routledge.
Zafarullah, H., & Banik, B. K. (2016). Muddling through: Limitations and challenges of the health policy process in Bangladesh. Journal of Asian Public Policy, 9(3), 211-226.