Methodology Study On Public Policy Alternative Formulation

1. Research Objectives and Significance The importance of policy-making is indubitable. A scientific policy-making procedure relies on effective methodology and the cooperation of policy-maker and analyzer. However, policy science, as a newly developed discipline, is stillin the phase of introducing-into to China. Research efforts on rationalizing policy science to China are struggling on but with little achievements. This situation was closely related with the gap between the ideal policy-making and the reality. Furthermore, it brings other four gaps, the gap between ideal policy-analysis and policy research, the gap between policy- makers and analyzer, the gap between scientific researches and policy making, and the gap between the policy science and nature science. The significance of theory and methodology for alternatives formulation is undoubted. But as same as the current policy science in China suitable methodology remains vacant and urgently needed. This project was supported by the Natural Science foundation of China (NSFC, 79925002). It aims to rationalize policy science by developing an Alternative Research Formula. The formula includes a series of steps, methods, principles and an interactive mechanism between policy-makers and policy-analyzers. 2.Research Methodologies (1). Theory research Obeying the four principles as to be logic, scientific, applicable, and reasonable in policy-making, this study-group constructed a indicator system to evaluate the this 4 principles, which contain 42 indicators. This indicator system was used in analyzing the flaws and vacancies in the step of PAF theory. Also, this indicator system was used to re-analyze the improved theory. The method of norm-and-gap analysis was used to assess each individual indicator. The data in Theory part is all of the policy science literatures published in China before the end of 2001. Total number is 40. (2). Evidence-simulation According to the proposed process, the study selected medical expense control as a policy issue to simulate. The evidence-simulation study goes with theories and models as its base. Data-collecting method includes literature inducing, routine data collection, sample survey, and intention survey. 3. Main Research Results XI Part one: Theory research (1), Current and flaws in the theory on Policy Alternative Formulation (PAF) In the flaws analysis part, the study obeys the sequence of the indicator systems. First we analyzed PAF theory as a whole stage in policymaking, then we analyzed its two sub-stages.