Introduction
While global development strategy and public goods policy are hardly separated, most countries see domestic policy as a separate area to pursue only domestic concerns. Such a conception of the policy area results in incoherence, with one domain weakening another and untapped potential for reinforcement. Domestic policy is followed without much attention to how it will affect GPG or structural reforms (Dissanayake 2). In contrast, the latter two are regarded transactionally or as an afterthought regarding how they will affect domestic policy. It is crucial to focus on and lead the successful domestic policy to expand the influence and succeed with the foreign policy.
Discussion
Furthermore, it is a conceptual mistake that weakens global affairs and public goods to assume they are interchangeable. These mistakes result from an inadequate evaluation of the complementarity, independence, or substitution of policy measures across domains. Treating them as replacements when they are essential complements or as independent while they are true complements results in an ineffective policy mix that ultimately has a muted impact. For instance, more Americans consider boosting the economy a key policy priority than dealing with COVID-19 as the coronavirus outbreak enters its third year (Public’s Top Priority). This is a change from the previous year when the economy and the coronavirus were both at the top of the public’s agenda for policy. The decrease in the percentage identifying the pandemic has been especially sharp: 60% now consider coping with the coronavirus as a major policy priority, dropping from 78% last year (Public’s Top Priority). Therefore, the emphasis should be on food and consumer items, petrol prices, and housing costs which means spending less on such matters as the pandemic.
Conclusion
Overall, the public’s policy priorities reflect ongoing economic worries and allow them to deal with the most urgent problems. Still, domestic policy should not be viewed as a distinct field where only domestic issues must be pursued. With one domain weakening the other and unrealized potential for reinforcement, such a conceptualization of the policy space leads to incoherence. Thus, to increase influence and be effective with international policy, it is essential to concentrate on and manage the successful domestic policy.
Works Cited
Dissanayake, Ranil. “The Roots of Policy Incoherence: Domestic Policy, Global Public Goods, and International Development”. Center for Global Development, Web.
“Public’s Top Priority for 2022: Strengthening the Nation’s Economy.” Pew Research Center, Web.