ABSTRACT
Public policy processes have become a contentious exercise in the contemporary political environment worldwide, especially in terms of their efficacy and impact. The paradigms of strategic political processes towards formulation and governance of major public policy reforms have witnessed significant metamorphoses in recent years. The formation of divided and/or unified governments and their associated attributes marked by political gridlock and polarized politics have been increasingly responsible in shaping the contours that entail the process of policy formulation. This chapter makes a comparative analysis of the heightened political brinkmanship in the negotiation during the policy processes of two of the most monumental public policy reforms – the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India and NAFTA in the US.
