IP-18 COOPERA TIVE EXTENSION SERVICE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY • COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

international markets have on local commodity prices; more knowledgeable of the link between events in the Introduction to nation’s capital and their local community. In short, public attitudes and relationships are changing, so Extension is changing. All of us — Public Policy Extension agents, leaders, and specialists — are affected. We do not have to look for public problems and Education issues; they find us. Extension agents and leaders can Jerri Cockrel, Extension Public Policy Specialist play a special role in public decisionmaking. Many of us already have been involved in public policy decisionmaking, sometimes as educators and sometimes as advocates. You can teach about controversial “Public policy education Many of the Extension educators in public issues without becoming Family Community Leadership are controversial through public policy begins with the issue and Extension home economists. So, to a education. Public policy education is tries to educate those who degree, our respective activities have “an Extension program that applies the will be affected by public fashioned our labels. Perhaps it is our knowledge of the university to public work more than our disciplinary issues and educates citizens to enable policy. The objective is not background that defines us. them to make better-informed policy usually reflective of any one Each of the three types of Extension choices.” 1 Public policy issues usually education — community development, arise out of disagreement over what the individual or group.” leadership development, and public role of government should be.2 While policy education — complements the the experts differ on wording and learners want to go. Some of them do others. The lessons that people learn in emphasis, most agree that public not know how to get there. They may leadership development tend to make decisionmaking differs substantially not want to ride together. Some of them them receptive to research-based from private decisionmaking and know how to drive better than others. information and nurture the expectation requires different educational methods. We give them maps and driving that one can work with people to effect Public policy education begins with lessons. Sometimes we help them solutions. The contemporary the issue and tries to educate those who figure out where they have been. We do approaches to social action have will be affected by public policy. The not ride along, but they often will call borrowed a leaf from the public policy objective is not usually reflective of in for consultation. educator’s book and anticipated any one individual or group. If an issue opposition or other points of view. exists or is emerging, controversy over People who have participated in the objectives, alternatives, and Public Policy Education and leadership development or community interpretation of the consequences is to Future Extension development programs appear to be be expected. So the identification of much more receptive to programs on affected parties and conscious efforts to Programming public issues. These complementarities involve them in the policymaking Public policy education is essential suggest that cooperation will make all process are built into the educational to future Extension programming. of us more effective. Also, issues we program. People today are more aware of what is face today are more complex than in The public policy educator designs happening outside their local area. the past, demanding multidisciplinary the program and facilitates the They are more sensitive to the effects responses with more interaction among educational process. In public policy of agricultural chemicals on health; subject-matter specialists. education, it is not clear where the more aware of the impacts that How Can Public Policy Education AGRICULTURE • HOME ECONOMICS • 4-H • DEVELOPMENT 1 Be Useful? Learning the methods of builds the capacity to solve problems, decisions to be that, when we make public policy education can help you to reason, and to understand people. private decisions, we are trying to do prevent programs from being blocked Education is commonly aimed at something for ourselves. This line of by controversy and enable you to carry individuals, but our intent may just as reasoning goes on to argue that we get out programs that you might otherwise well be to improve the capacity and involved in public decisions only to have had to avoid. Using public policy understanding of organizations. protect ourselves. These observations education methods will help you deal about motives for involvement in with issues that divide citizens into government may seem cynical. It is true factions. These methods help people Private Decisions Versus that there are people who act on noble understand issues in the public arena. motivations to see that government is Public Decisions fair, efficient, humane, consistent, and Decisions are made every day. They so forth. But involvement is more Defining Public Policy range from the minor, such as deciding commonly propelled by some sense of which brand of soft drink to buy, to the self-interest and personal gain. Education significant, such as proposing marriage Motives and behavior aside, public Public policy education in Extension or starting a business. Most decisions decisions are very important to us. is a subdiscipline; it is not a program are private. They are made by They affect the way we make our living area, but is applicable to all program individuals and firms with little thought and the quality of life itself. Public areas. It can be (but does not have to to how they will affect those not decisions determine the quality of be) a separate program effort, or line immediately involved. Our economy education, control traffic, provide item, or plan of work. If public policy and indeed our culture assume that defense, stabilize banking, and supply education is not a program area or individuals and firms are the best our judicial and legislative systems. effort, then what is it? judges of what is in their own interest. None of these services would be Public policy education is a Contrast this to what you see and provided without public decisions to methodology — a combination of hear in the news. The news media determine what the policy should be. It philosophy and methods. The seldom report private decisions. Private is the decisionmaking process that philosophy is based on the ideals of decisions are news only if the decision distinguishes public from private self-government; the methods are those (1) is peculiar, abnormal, or about some decisions. that educators have found helpful when famous person; (2) runs counter to law There is a need for education for dealing with controversy. Together, the or custom; (3) affects significant public decisions, although the philosophy and methods provide the numbers of individuals; or (4) has an educator’s role is not readily apparent educational tools that Extension impact on the “public welfare.” to many Extension agents, leaders, and educators can use when dealing with Private decisions are not normally specialists. Thomas Jefferson stated this public issues. controversial. They are usually treated need for education eloquently: Policy is an agreed-upon course of as “none of the public’s business.” Why action, guiding principle, or procedure is the news mostly about controversy? I know no safe depository of the considered to be expedient, prudent, or The obvious answer is that sensation ultimate powers of the society but the advantageous; for example, “Payday is “sells.” The less obvious fact is that people themselves; and if we think them the last day of the month.” Many public controversy implies the existence of a not enlightened enough to exercise policy educators use the following problem that cannot be solved their control with a wholesome definition of public policy: a settled privately; it requires public discretion, the remedy is not to take it course of action adopted and followed intervention. from them, but to inform their by the public. Public policies are There is another big component to discretion by education. defined by many groups, such as the news: the actions of government are councils, legislatures, and courts, and followed continuously. What the Jefferson’s statement upholds the they take many forms. Laws are president of the United States does role of the individual as the best judge initiated by the legislative branch, every day is news; what the president of of his or her best interests, while promulgated and carried out by the a major corporation does is seldom recognizing the legitimate role for administrative branch, and interpreted news — only when it affects the education to enable the individual to by the judicial branch. All of these general economy. While most decisions become a better decisionmaker. His actions create public policy. made daily are private, it is public reference in the first line to “the Education is sometimes defined as decisions that occupy most of the news ultimate powers of the society” clearly information dissemination and and much of our attention. includes the making of public decisions technology transfer. But there is more Some individuals perceive the major as well as private ones. to education than this. Education also difference between private and public

2 What Public Policy one we can rely on. Other times we Summing Up have good information, but no one is Now that you know the basic Educators Need To Know interested. At the other extreme, when Public policy educators need: concepts of public policy and how interests have reached the pitch of education can improve the public • to distinguish between decisions that unreasoning conviction, one cannot are public and those that are private; dialogue about it, we will start to build educate. Teachable moments lie in your understanding of the context. The • to know how public policy is made. those periods between apathy and war, That is, they need to understand context for public policy education is i.e., “The Issue-Intervention Cycle.” the political system. To most of us, politics and to recognize how politics An issue may be “unteachable” for works. They do not have to like public policy is made in the mystical years; then, within a matter of months, world of Washington, D.C., and the politics, but they do have to a teachable moment may emerge. understand the process; role that an Extension agent or • to know when they are likely to be specialist might play in policy perceived as acting politically; formulation is obscure, if not • to know when they can practice Help with Public Policy inappropriate. It is essential that we politics and when such practice will Education understand how public policy is made compromise their ability to educate; There are people in every state who in America, not only in Washington, • to be familiar with a variety of have expertise in public policy but in our state capitals, county policymaking models and competent education. They can be useful courthouses, and city halls. in at least one of them. (Competence counselors, teammates, or advisors in The other three publications in this means the ability to use a model in both your study and your future series discuss how public policy is analyzing an issue.); practice. (Keep in mind that you are made; how educators can learn to • to be able to distinguish myths, and looking for educational help, not distinguish between facts, myths, and value judgements, and to help others seeking to form a coalition to values, and how public policy educators do the same; participate in politics. The distinction can maintain their objectivity. These • to recognize the influences of values is essential!) These people include publications are: and ethics on public policy; agents, specialists, and administrators IP-19 Public Policymaking in America • to apply at least one public policy who have been trained in public policy IP-20 Public Policy: Facts, Myths, and education method; at the Western Extension Winter Values • to be able to design effective public School in Tucson, Arizona; the Duluth IP-21 Directions for Public Policy policy education programs. Extension Summer School in Programming Minnesota; the Southern Regional Extension Summer School at North Thanks to North Carolina State University Teachable Moments Carolina State University, Raleigh; and the following authors: Verne W. House, Clemson University, and Public policy educators must be Public Policy Specialists Seminars in Washington, D.C.; the Otter Rock Karen Behm Overstreet, Louisiana State aware when a “teachable moment” is at University hand. There are times when education (Western States) and the PACE is impossible; one must wait. (Michigan) projects; or the Extension Sometimes there simply is nothing to Home Economics Public Policy 1B.L. Flinchbaugh, Kansas State University offer; we either have no information, or seminars in Washington, D.C. the experts do not agree, or there is no 2Richard Barrows, Iowa State University

3 Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, C. Oran Little, Director of Cooperative Extension Service, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Lexington, and Kentucky State University, Frankfort. Issued 12-91, 2M

Copyright © 1997 by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. This publication may be reproduced in portions or its entirety for educational or non-profit purposes only. Permitted users shall give credit to the author(s) and include this copyright notice.

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