Systems, Laws, and Internal Policies

The previous side note spoke about the death of good policies by systems. In the medical field, symptoms point physicians toward underlying problems. The symptoms may not show up as an underlying disease until damage is already present. The same idea exists in the study of governmental systems and is seen when a good policy proposal becomes a law but is then turned into a set of rules through the implementation of internal agency policies.

One necessary aspect of any system is the formulation of internal policies. In governmental systems, a law is passed, an agency formulates rules, and internal policies are born. An agency has finite resources and works to ensure proposed rules align with the law, while also protecting other programs under its purview. A new program represents another budget line item competing for dollars. New instructions from the legislature may cause staff members to divide their focus. Rules must take these issues into account, and the result is the agency attempting to implement programs in an efficient manner.

Organizational leaders are rewarded when they rigidly apply the policies because it protects an agency from having to question the way it handles pressurized situations. The cost of rigid adherence to internal policies is that it may stray far away from the original intent of a law. Even with internal auditing, external oversight, and societal pressure, the agency process gravitates toward staying rigid and predictable.

Many good policy proposals meet their end because organizations cannot function at a flexible level when there is an expectation and pressure for consistency, efficiency, and operating within their budget.