Public Policy

What government does and why it performs certain actions to address a public issue. Public policy is authoritative statements or laws made by governmental actors. Although formally the executive branch and political appointees play a significant role in policy formulation, it is the career civil servants who play a key role in bringing social problems to light. Policy making initiates with problem identification. Different groups, including interest groups and individuals, identify societal problems. For the problem to receive attention, it must be placed on the agenda, so that policymakers can begin to address what should be done about the problem and initiate policy formulation. Once the policy has been formulated and approved, it must be authorized to acquire a budget. After appropriations have been acquired, it is the task of administrative agencies and other actors, such as nonprofits, to implement the policy and perform program evaluation. Evaluation is a core component of [Page 424]public policy and serves to determine if the goals of the policy were met. The findings are key in deciding if programs should be continued, tweaked, or terminated. Administrative agencies are key players not only in the implementation of public policy but also in its formulation. Agencies are close to the action and therefore have insight into what the problems are. Quite often, administrative agencies recommend legislative amendments to existing law. For more information, see Grover (2008).