Public policy is a statement that defines the procedures of an institution for the achievement of consistency in decision-making. It is the result of a political process, which involves enacting laws and regulations to enable the addressing of public concern in a constitutional manner. The efficiency of a government is founded on the presence of proper and reliable policy-making procedures. The process of policy creation is thus the implementation of the constitution by the employment of certain causes of action and resource allocation to solve a problem in society. Religion, on the other hand, refers to a “set of beliefs, concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing human affairs”. Morality can simply be defined as the standards that define right and wrong in a given society. How one experiences the world is determined by a set of beliefs they uphold thus defining their worldview. The very many assumptions we have about life shape our value system. Consequently, this affects how we intervene in situations, react to the diverse living conditions, our immediate environment and our everyday interactions with other people.
The policy-making process is influenced by several factors, the major one being the interest groups. Indeed, the individuals who are most likely to be affected by particular policies will always find a way to influence the outcome of the policy. To this end, this group of people carries along the elements of religion, morality and worldview thus their standing on these aspects will contribute a lot to the resulting policy. Religion, morality, and worldview, though closely related, serve unique purposes in the shaping of personalities. It is important to note that moral principles do not necessarily arise from a religious point of view but rather from different sources, which include secular sources as well. In addition, no human life can exist without moral principles. Otherwise, the social aspect of living becomes threatened because individuals have to find common ground for them to coexist. Morality is thus supreme in its role in the shaping of public policy because it dares to guide one’s decisions with regard to reason and dares give consideration to the interest of others.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The impact of religion on the policy-making process cannot, however, be ignored. Indeed, the conviction of religion gives humans the ability to stand against anyone and anything thus making religious groups a force to reckon with. Religion is a symbol that acts to “establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivation in men formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that they seem uniquely realistic.” Examples of this influence include the Islamic movement, the strong influence the Pope has on the Catholic movement, and the impact the Pentecostal movement had on the US government. The worldview contributes to the aspects of living, which include lifestyle, customs, thoughts, philosophies, beliefs, and culture. These aspects seem to change with different generations causing even greater conflict amongst interest groups in policymaking. Indeed, individuals in opposite factions or groups may agree based on facts but sharply differ on conclusions simply because of their different worldviews. A classic case of the worldviews influence is gay marriage.
References
"Religion." Dictionary.com. Accessed February 09, 2018. http://www.dictionary.com/browse/religion .
Geertz, Clifford. The interpretation of cultures. Vol. 5019. New York: Basic Books, 1973.
Kirkpatrick, Frank G. "The Role of Religious Ethics in Public Policy." The Huffington Post. August 09, 2013. Accessed February 09, 2018. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-g-kirkpatrick/the-role-of-religious-eth_b_3718357.html .
