Many entities are involved in the public policy-making process. There is a need to understand the policy-making process. Despite making policies being an irrational process, several theories are adopted for making good public policies. Public education is comprised of policies that are based on governing rules and regulations which control the education sphere. While developing education policies the most efficient theory of public policy is an institutional theory. Institutional theory considers deeper structures of the social structure while making policies. The theory is useful because it outlines the processes in which social structure such as education has been constructed upon as a way of improving social behavior. Public education requires policies which conform to rules and regulations set by authoritative bodies. The institutional theory involves authoritative organizations in making public policies (Advani, 2009)

Institutional Theory in Public Policy.

An institutional theory of public policy is essential in addressing public policy issues in education. This is because it helps in making rules and regulations that need to be followed by a set of individuals to improve social behavior. The good thing about institutional theory is that it creates an authorities body which implements the policies in education their various public policy issues that need to be addressed. One of the issues is on the treatment of the disabled in education institutions (Hochschild and Scovronick, 2003). There are policies set aside to accommodate the disabled to ensure equality to everyone. This is an issue that is mostly faced in the education sector. To address that policies have to be made so that everyone can adhere to rules and laws. Some regulations guide the policy-making process. It has to consider the social constructs of a society and how they treat people with disability in education. While making public policy, there is a need for inclusion. Therefore all the stakeholders have to participate in the public policy-making process. The stakeholders, in this case, are the disabled, researchers and people in the education sector. The institutional theory allows the setting of the parameter within the social structure of education based on rules, norms, and regulations of a governing social body.

Public policy on disabled persons allows them to get an education without any discrimination. The development of this policy was formed within the parameters of fundamental human rights and in partnership with educational regulation guidelines. The interest groups on this public policy are the physically handicapped groups. At the same time, the civil rights groups had an interest in the development and implementation of such public policy. These stakeholders and education guidelines help policymakers to adopt the best theory of policymaking in this case institutional theory. This is because the theory involves a small group of people within the organization construct of education to make good policy. This allows policymakers to take an interest in the affairs of the affected group, which are the people with disability.

A public policy considers the best interest of society at heart. Therefore when addressing disability in public education, two things are considered. They include the benefit of the policy to the people with a disability which is a good thing for the society and the structures of implementation in the education sector. The effectiveness of institutional theory, in this case, is felt at the implementation process. Education is an institution which has a hierarchal governing structure. When tasked with policy implementation, the process starts with the highest ranking office in education. There is an authoritative body which oversees the implementation of each policy made in the education sector. In case the policy implementation process fails some people are answerable for its failure. Therefore this makes an institutional theory in policy making a good thing in development and implementation (Sally, 1994). Public education is an organization based on social constructs of a community. It is guided by norms, rules, and regulations to ensure it runs smoothly. Therefore whenever the policymakers develop public policy, it falls on the parameters of a social structure that is guided by an authoritative body.

Stakeholders find institutional theory being better than other approaches in public policy on disability issue in education. Education policy on disability requires that every student with a disability be assessed with other regular students. At the same time, teachers are required to take extra time in teaching students with a disability than they do with regular students. To implement these policies an authoritative body has to oversee the process of implementation (Sally, 1994). It requires an organization that is well structured to monitor the implementation process of these policies. Therefore stakeholders argue that institutional theory is the only theory which addresses these issues. This because the approach is effective since an education institution has regulations and governing bodies that take close monitoring of such situations. Unlike other theories which do not address the welfare of one individual, institutional theory focus on all individuals’ contribution to the well-being of a public institution.

Individual disability in education act requires several factors which assist policymakers in implementing. One element is special interests groups which include civil societies. The special interest groups ensure that institutions implement the policies to the letter. They put pressure on policymakers and institutions to make sure they implement the public policies they made. Special interest groups achieve this by going to courts or putting the public to institutions through picketing. Another factor that makes sure that policymakers implement public policies is the regulations put in place by laws. There are regulations which are put by education institutions that should be a follower to the letter. Therefore policymakers have no choice but to abide by them. There are also principal stakeholders such as the government which has the mandate to ensure all public policies are followed. The government has a duty to its citizens in ensuring that the law implements policies that are made. All these factors have helped in implementing the Individual disability education act in all public institutions. All these have been done within the parameters that exist within the institutional theory of public policy development process.

Conclusion

As discussed above, public policy on disability is one of the issues that exist in public education.  In developing such policies in the education sector, the best theory to adopt is an institutional theory because it based on regulations, rules, and norms of an authoritative social structure. Education being a social structure has many factors that assist in the implementation of public policies. These factors include regulations, special interest groups, and principal stakeholders. Institutional theory ensures development and implementation of public policies public education is possible. In conclusion, the institutional approach is most effective in public policy development within organizations that are built within an authoritative social structure.

References

Advani, H. (2009). Public Policy. National Law School of India Review, 21(2), 55-63. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/44283803

Hochschild, J. L., & Scovronick, N. (2003). The American dream and the public schools. Oxford University Press.

Sally, R. (1994). Multinational Enterprises, Political Economy and Institutional Theory: Domestic Embeddedness in the Context of Internationalization. Review of International Political Economy,1(1), 161-192. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4177094