Policy Decision Making in Theory and in Practice: The Eggs Story

Abstract

This study case is related to policy decision making, which is occurring during the finalization of the policy making process – policy evaluation and review steps. The case mentioned about the egg price crisis occurring during the mid 2010 extending through the beginning of 2011 in Thailand. The Thai government had already proposed and implemented various policies aimed at controlling the economic situation, such as selling eggs by weight, putting eggs on the list of controlled goods, and open markets for the importation of laying hen breeders. Thus far, however, the outcome was not what the government had expected because egg prices remained high. This situation was particularly worrisome because of the longstanding tendency of the Thai public to use egg prices as an indicator of the government’s ability to manage the country’s economy. There were also many criticisms regarding these policies, as well as their ineffectiveness in reducing egg price inflation. As a result, the government was in the need of evaluating its implemented policies and reviewing what to do to solve the problem: keeping and implementing all the policies, adjusting the existing policies, or eliminating all or some of the policies.