The policy making process : the case of South Africa's Tobacco Amendment Act

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:Policies made by the government of a democratic country affect the lives of allcitizens whether directly or indirectly. Policies should therefore represent the valuesof a democratic society. Since South Africa's transition to democracy in 1994, policymakingprocesses have promised to be everything that those in the past were not. Thenew government's ruling policy has promised to maximize opportunities for politicalparticipation, especially in terms of citizens being able to influence governmentaldecision making in cases where it affects their lives. The Tobacco Products ControlAmendment Act of 1999 is regarded by many as one of the world's most controversialand regulated tobacco control policies. What makes this case exceptional is the factthat the policy process thereof seems to have caused some concern with regard toissues such as transparency, participation and consultation. The study, therefore,aims to establish the degree of political participation and consultation that one couldobserve in the making of the new tobacco law. It also gives an overview of what thepolicy-making process in general is like in South Africa; this is then compared withthe case of the Tobacco Amendment Act. The study also focuses on broader aspects ofthe policy process such as the role of public policy with regard to the problems of thesociety. This research assignment is intent on describing the nature of the policyprocess of the Tobacco Amendment Bill and, by doing this, to promote the principlesof democracy such as transparency, accountability and legitimacy, to which so manySouth Africans have dedicated their lives

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University