The Determinants of Effective Policy Discourse : The Issuing of Taiwan’s Non-profit Lottery

• Main Authors: Yun-Chia Lin, 林原甲
• Other Authors: Hen-Chin Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/18576195925559508118

碩士 === 淡江大學 === 公共行政學系公共政策碩士班 === 93 === The main purpose of the paper is to examine the relevance of the policy discourse in clarifying the controversy about the policy of nonprofit lottery. Regardless the questioning, conflict, and controversy, it is related to the factors and conditions of a reasonable policy making. However, research in policy discourse has till today in a state of uncertainty. Existing problem include: How to present the core concept? How did it define its definition? Where is the The research has been divided into two aspects: First is to explain the content of policy discourse. Second is to analysis the formation of policy relates to the nonprofit lottery game of the country in question. Before analyzing the content and relevance of policy discourse, one of emphasizes worthy attention is the clarification of the content and relationship between policy argumentation and discourse. Because of the instability during the democratic negotiation, policy analysts often will face various possible problems generated by policy discourse. They often need to search for solutions through different channels. Thus, the first question the thesis discusses is the difference between the immanence expressed by the policy argumentation and existence of policy discourse. This is used to derive the importance of policy discourse and direction of analysis. Therefore from this view the writer thinks that the following three questions must be analyzed: How to provide the information and facts that will enable the understanding of the whole? What facets of an axiom that will be trusted by others need to be observed? Finally, what are the key factors in producing a discourse that will eventually affecting others? In part related to Public Nonprofit Lottery, it mainly concerns the relationship between the policy issues and reality when employing policy discourse theory during the process of policy making. If in this relationship controversies and confrontations constantly occur in the governing body, then the abilities of policy analysis and planning will need to be reviewed. Therefore, focus should also include the representation of the facts in order to accentuate variation of the issues and its participants’ change in attitudes in different phases of process. This will illustrate the importance and necessity of analyzing the policy of nonprofit lottery using policy discourse. Furthermore, the thesis examines and understands the differences the contents of advocacy from executive branch, legislative branch, and public opinions. In addition, the thesis consider the factors conditions of creation of reasonable policy, and various facades of actual abilities of treating controversial problems in the confronting situations. The methodologies mainly consist of bibliographical approach of digest and analysis toward the associated textual records. Records such as newspaper entries and opinion columns, government bulletins, foreign visit reports, conference minutes, journals, and various thesis papers in the related areas were used in the area associated to the lottery policy,. Because the purpose of this research emphasis the discovery of related facts and controversies, the choice of data tends toward the finding of the record’s historical ramification. At same time it attempts to observe the history from several different angles in the attempt to restore the facts regarding the formation of lottery policy. The final purpose is to discern possible problems during the process of policy making. “The Argumentative Turn in Policy Analysis and Planning” (Fischer & Forester, 1993) is used as the main referential text on the theory of policy discourse in addition to the other work selected. Other than understanding policy discourse’s origin and definition, and its shortcoming on the argumentation of policy, other referenced works is cited in the respect of policy formation in order to establish a reasonable index and conditions of an effective discourse. The paper divides the process of deliberation for the policy of nonprofit lottery (1988-1999) into five different phases. With such that three major controversies were discovered. They are: the problems to the right of distribution, profit distribution, and rules of gambling. In addition the paper will discuss and analyze the change in attitude by agent of different ranks during the process. This is done in order to derive 1) the motive of distributing the lottery is being questioned. 2) Miscalculate the capability of the lottery to solve problem. 3) Both sides’ argument deep into deadlock. 4) Absence of appropriate and flexible directive. 5) Absence of reasonable and open means of expression, and 6) a mutually beneficial situation cannot be obtained because of the dispute over distribution of resources and profits. Those facts emphasize the importance of policy discourse analysis on the issue of nonprofit lottery. On the regards to the policy discourse, the thesis delineates the necessity of further development and discussion of policy discourse. Other than the clarification of its concepts and definition, its shortcomings and dissatisfaction is discussed. Further consulting of related works confirms that the understanding of Story Form, Directive, and Genre of Discourse will assist us grasping the core concept of policy discourse. It advances the sense of imperativeness on the efficiency of policy discourse’s application. Thus, this thesis argues that with the presupposition of morality, ethic, and value, the efficiency of policy discourse’s application depends on the following sustainable conditions that are based on the foundations of Story Form, Directive, and Genre of Discourse: (1) The exploit of truth and correctness (2) Trustable Axiom (3) Manifestation of the influence of the discourse. However, while policy discourse needs to have the above three conditions in order to demonstrate its application and value, how should one assesses whether the policy maker seeks reasonable policy recommendations as their main basis during the decision making process? Can policy discourse theory holds reliable referential index base on its multifaceted immanence? The writer thinks that the question of whether the common foundations of the policy discourse can be achieved will become the important key issue in evaluating this question. Therefore at end of this thesis five referential indexes are presented. They are: (1) Multifaceted Viewpoint (2) Communicative Conversation (3) Focalization of Commonality (4) Mechanism of Certification (5) Obtain Affinity. If one of the five above index cannot be achieved, then the effectiveness of the discourse is then greatly discounted. Then the ability of the policy discourse to resolve controversies and seek reasonable policy recommendation is greatly compromised. During the analysis of policy discourse and the policy of Taiwan’s nonprofit lottery this thesis discovers the government apparently has several shortcomings in formation of related policy. It stresses the phenomenon of conflict and confrontation during the policy formation. Thus, the judgments that depend on the realistic action of resolving confrontation become an imperative. On the development of the policy discourse it is urgent to seek the possibility of institutionalization. Its preconditions should include other than internalization within the government body but also essence of story form, directive, and genre of discourse.