The Importance of Political Feasibility to the Policy Process

Political feasibility is defined as the extent to which officials and policymakers are willing to accept and support a particular piece of public policy. Political feasibility is but one of many criteria we use when examining public policy, but it is arguably the most critical of them all. Without political feasibility, policy proposals will not possess the backing necessary to be signed into law, regardless of any other criteria we may use to examine the policy; the proposal may be effective, efficient, and technically feasible, but if it fails to garner the necessary votes, these criteria are all for naught.

Political feasibility thus plays an exceptionally significant role in the realm of public policy. Many elements go into shaping the feasibility of a particular proposal-from constituent pressure to the personal beliefs of the policymaker, for example-with the outcome meaning the difference between success and failure for the proposal at hand. Understanding how a bill becomes politically feasible is therefore central to the interests of policy advocates and analysts alike.

As our country continues forward, political feasibility will no doubt remain as important as it has in the past. Controversial issues remain on the agenda constantly, both in federal and local precincts, and shifting economic and political conditions means that their political feasibility is ever-changing. The recent "bailout bill," for instance, is unlikely to have been feasible just a short time ago, before the current economic crisis began to fully reveal itself. It is in this way that political feasibility presents itself as perhaps the most important criteria of all when evaluating a public policy proposal.

Concept Linkage

On December 3, 2008, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spoke with the Associated Press about the ongoing debate over a federal loan to the "Big Three" automakers. In the interview, Reid states his belief that they "just don't have the votes to do that now" in Congress. Despite having listened to testimony from the auto executives of each company, the proposal is still (in Reid's belief) politically infeasible. Until this changes, it is unlikely we will see a vote on the proposal.

The political feasibility of the "bailout" is lacking perhaps from a dearth of public support for the bill. The idea of the loan is certainly feasible from a technical and administration standpoint, and it certainly appears as if it would be effective at staving off the bankruptcy of these major companies. On the other hand, many citizens are vocally expressing bitterness towards the prospect of more tax money being spent, and many policymakers feel that the idea of federal help for these companies is in direct contrast to their personal ideologies. For these (and no doubt countless more) reasons, the bill is not likely to pass at the moment, and efforts must be made to garner support if the proposal is going to pass.

A similar situation was experienced during the original "Bailout Bill" a few months back, in which House Republicans voted against the bill in suitable numbers to bury its passage. Only after stocks took a record fall in response to this House vote did enough members feel it necessary to accept and support the proposal. In other words, the ramifications of not passing this bill became clearer to policymakers and the public, and the political feasibility of the bill rose sharply as a result.

Concept Application

Policy advocates and entrepreneurs have tremendous incentive to study the idea of political feasibility. By better understanding the elements of a proposal that are politically feasible (or politically infeasible), policy entrepreneurs can shape their propositions around what will be most likely to garner support. Similarly, policy advocates can draw attention to those aspects of their proposals that are apt to draw a strong political backing. As such, an understanding of political feasibility lends itself to a smoother policy cycle, particularly in relation to agenda setting, policy formulation, and policy legitimation.

Political feasibility can also be studied for retrospective purposes. For example, in a study of state policies towards climate change, researcher Barry Rabe looks at the political feasibility of particular initiatives and compares them with prevailing literature on the effectiveness of said initiatives. He finds that most politically infeasible proposals are those most likely to be supported by policy analysts (Rabe 2008, 116). Instead, the most politically feasible proposals are those that impose the least visible cost to either business or individual, and states are "extremely reluctant" to adopt any policy that carries with it an explicit price, even if said policy is thought to be more effective (Rabe 2008, 117). The varying policy of these states has allowed Rabe to examine the political feasibility of assorted proposals; in the process, we may gain some insight into the challenges that must be overcome if policy analysts are to find a proposal that can gain widespread support.

In short, there is much to learn from the study of political feasibility. Policymakers and advocates alike benefit from increased understanding of the political process, and political feasibility occupies perhaps the most important aspect of these criteria.

Concept Evaluation and Conclusions

Political feasibility has had and will continue to have an incredibly important role in public policy. In any democratic system, political feasibility will be central to the operation of the legislature, and our representative democracy is no exception. This feasibility plays a part in nearly every action taken within a democracy.

It is this everlasting importance that carries with it tremendous weight for public policy analysts. Understanding the concept of political feasibility leads to greater understanding of public policy and the policy process. Advocates, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and the general citizenry all stand to gain from this greater understanding.

On the other hand, there are limits to these analyses. It can be difficult to determine exactly why some bills are politically feasible while others are not, and in this way, bias, misrepresentation or misunderstanding may creep in. Perception and thought processes are hard to pin down, and even a poll of policymakers' feelings towards a particular bill may not provide information reliable enough to prove any solid link. This is a common problem in the social sciences, and the study of political feasibility is no exception.

In the end, it is clear that political feasibility will hold a strong role going forward. Its importance has remained a constant throughout all representative democracies, as one would expect, and it is highly unlikely that this will end any time soon. For this reason, political feasibility occupies a uniquely critical position when evaluating public policy.