Policy-making is a complex process, which often depends on the political system in which it is created, and the outcome of one policy in a particular political system does not imply that it will be identical to the outcome of the same policy in another political system. Therefore, policy-making analysis usually focuses on single phases of the overall policy-making process. From all of this, a conclusion can be drawn that the possibility to influence the agenda, as well as to define the nature of the social problem, is a crucial source of power, by giving preference to the institutions that solve the problem, i.e., propose a solution to it. In addition, the presence of groups of actors (politicians, bureaucracy, mass media, interest groups, international organizations, etc.), who compete with each other to set an agenda that would be in line with their preferences, is quite evident.
Regarding the formulation of the policy, the main primacy in most political systems is given to the executive power, i.e., the bureaucracy, while with the adoption of the policy the executive-legislative relations come to the fore. We have shown that the fragmentation of power can drastically influence the adoption of policies, which can only be achieved through negotiations and compromise. If the political system shows a concentration of power, the adoption of policies is less challenging.
Once the government has made a decision in the applied policy cycle, the regulations of the same policy come into force in order to achieve the desired change intended by the policymakers. We can say that at first glance the policy implementation phase seems to be an automatic continuation of the decision-making process, but, often in practice, there can be a significant gap between the adoption of new legislation and its implementation.
We can conclude that the analysis of applied politics is developing as one of the most promising branches of political science. Despite significant progress in an empirical and theoretical sense, there are still challenges ahead. This branch of science is almost impossible to advance only by disclosing new empirical research, both nationally and internationally. New, well-established key concepts need to be approached. This includes re-examining classical typologies and taxonomies, developing more integrated theoretical models, combining different research methodologies, and systematically linking policy outputs, policy outcomes, and policy impacts.
The textbook “Applied Politics” is a collective work and is the result of the excellent academic cooperation of a group of professors at the Faculty of Law “Iustinianus Primus” in Skopje, who, through it, would like to stimulate the interest and knowledge of the readers in the field of applied politics.
Applied politics is extremely important for the development of any society, especially for the countries that are in a constant process of democratization and adoption of European standards. By studying the applied policy, results are obtained that can be included in the activities of the academic staff, students, administration, but also the general public, in order to analyze the social and political system, as well as the reform process in the country in general.
The analysis of different applied policy concepts, theoretical and practical aspects, as well as its implementation, can be useful for the entities involved in the policy formulation and implementation process, including decision-makers in state institutions, administrative structures, political parties, civil society, etc.
States that are still going through the process of stabilization of their political systems, defining the directions of future development, as well as structuring the various social segments, pay due attention to the process of setting priorities, determining the policymakers, as well as to the evaluation of the results if their implementation. Therefore, the study of all these aspects is necessary for the developmental path of society and the state, and this university textbook aims to contribute towards achieving this goal.
Attention is given to the definition and nature of applied politics, its elements, typologies, and dimensions, as well as the different models of policymaking. The way policies are made and formulated, their formal and informal makers, and the different levels in this process are also subject to analysis. Policy adoption, policy analysis, and evaluation are also considered, with a separate section devoted to policy implementation.
Covering all these dimensions, the textbook brings the basic knowledge in this area to the readers, enabling them to create the foundation for further study and research of the applied policies.
Students are given an opportunity for a systematic presentation of applied politics, while the general public has the opportunity to get acquainted with the concepts that affect the overall social life. This contribution to research in the field of political science is an added value to the literature in this field, and is the basis for further studies of applied politics and their upgrading in the future.
