Public Policy
Public Policy is decisions that a government takes with the aim of putting to an end a problem as well as elevate the quality of life of its citizens. At the national level, these policies are established to put control over industries and businesses, protect natives, assist the national and local governments through funding programs, and promote social goals (Knill and Jale 2). For a policy to be established and implemented, it has to pass through a number of stages from its inception to conclusion. As such the film, Tapped, by Ventures is a reflection of the U.S. Policy-Making Process through its various aspects.
Agenda Building
Prior to the creation of any policy, there has to be a problem that brings to the attention of the government and other major stakeholders (Knill and Jale 10). From the film, the main concern raised is that by the year 2030, two-thirds of the world's population will have no access to clean drinking water (Ventures). In future, water will be more of a commodity than a basic need, therefore, there will be an increase in demand due to its scarcity. Its availability will be based on the demand and supply concept which will further lead to the issue of corporate control over drinking water. Companies in bottled water drain large amounts from water sources which could be used by the communities for activities such as agriculture. Additionally, an increase in the production of water bottles has led to pollution of water sources by the same bottles (Ventures). The extraction of the chemical components required for the manufacture of plastic pose a great harm to the well-being of society. Due to air pollution around refineries, many have been diagnosed with severe health complications, like cancer, while others have even succumbed to death (Ventures).
Formulation
Formulation entails developing an approach to curb an existing problem. According to the U.S. Policymaking process, the executive branch, courts and interest groups are usually involved (Knill and Jale 13). The process will involve the definition, discussion, acceptance or rejection of the possible solution for dealing with the policy problems. Proposals are usually made after which the most tangible outcome is adopted. From the film, states, locals, lobby groups and bottled water companies are mainly involved. The issue of contention regards draining and polluting water sources. The local community is in agreement that such companies conduct the operation without their involvement despite initially investing to ensure the sources were clean and never dries out. On the other hand, companies such as Nestle are against the accusations and consider themselves not reliable for the reduction in water sources experienced (Ventures).
Moreover, they insist that the company has to be subject to tax which then translates to the locals of the area buying their bottled water for only $1 while the rest of the region pay the remaining $ 5 from the $ 6 to which the company sells a gallon (Ventures). On the other hand, the company is against the idea claiming that they cannot operate under such conditions since they can run out of business. Locals consider policies that would see these companies pay higher taxes in compensation, more involvement in the company's operations and temporal closure whenever water levels reach critical levels to prevent them from drying out.
Adoption
Unlike the initial stages in decision making, the final adoption of a specific U.S. policy alternative will be based on the available government institutions (Knill and Jale 15). From the film, policies adopted were mainly associated with taxes which were to be applicable based on the type of water source water was being drained from. Taxes subjected to water sources on the surface of the earth attracted a higher fee compared to underground sources. This can be attributed to the fact that there were no clear initial policies at both the federal and state level that governed such water sources (Ventures).
Implementation
According to the U.S. policy process, this stage signifies how the new laws and programs are put into practice. Poor implementation results in the insignificance of policies. Effectiveness will depend on the nature of bureaucratic structures in the implementation of such decisions (Knill and Jale 16). The implementation of the policies did not have a large impact since only a small part of the normal procedures of the companies was affected. The statement 'pure drinking water' had to be done away with since it associated municipal water as being impure for human consumption (Ventures).
Evaluation and termination
Once a policy is passed by the legislature and has been implemented, it becomes subject to evaluation. The issue of contention related to whether the outcomes of the decisions made have achieved the initial goals. Major stakeholders will try and make individual interpretations on the actual effects of the policy in favor of their own interests (Knill and Jale 18). The policies by the local governments were effective since revenue was collected which was used in other activities (Ventures). Despite this, they did not serve a great deal of preventing excessive amounts of water from being drained from water sources.
Work Cited
Ventures, Gravitas. "Tapped." YouTube. N.p., 2012. Web. 5 Nov. 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzntuXdE8dY"oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DdzntuXdE8dY"has_verified=1
Knill, Christoph, and Jale Tosun And. "Policy-Making." Comparative Politics 15.7 (2011): 1-36. Print.
