Policy Theories in Public Policy Making

The aim of this article is to show that theorizing in the discipline of public policy has distinctive characteristics. Like other multidisciplinary (or interdisciplinary) fields, it has various theoretical sources and feeds from other fields in social sciences. Social science disciplines are all theoretically intermingled because they all focus on human behavior, so they can have common theoretical roots. But in any case, the question is, what is the distinctive feature of theories of public policy from other disciplines of social science. In other words, what is the special field of expertise in terms of theorizing? If public policy cannot find its distinctive feature, it will suffer from identity disorder. To overcome this difficulty, we introduce three levels of theories in public policy. The first level includes two main theories, namely policy cycle theory and typology theory, which, in a sense, bring structural theories to the field of policy making. The second level of public policy theories is usually focused on the phenomenon of decision-making in the public sector such as Multiple Stream Framework, Punctuated Equilibrium Theory, Narrative Theory, Coalition Theory, Institutionalism Development Theory etc., Even though these theories cannot be considered as exclusive theories of public policy, but they are frequently used in this discipline. The third level is policy theory, or program theory, which includes a set of underlying assumptions of a program, and explains why and how planned activities should lead to predefined goals and objectives through specific variables. Policy theories provide models of intervention in different sector of government. They are indirectly and tacitly extracted from second level of theories. For example, trilaterals model of policy making in labor policy could be referred to Institutionalism Development Theory. In real world policy making in government, what is mostly used is this third level of theory.