What public policy is
Public policy is what government chooses to do, or not do, about a problem.
Types of policy
Distributive policies spread benefits broadly, such as funding highways or scientific research. Redistributive policies move resources from some groups to others, such as progressive taxes funding programmes for low-income families. Regulatory policies set rules on behaviour, such as pollution limits or food safety standards.
The policy process
Policy usually moves through stages: a problem is recognised, it reaches the agenda, policymakers formulate options, a policy is adopted, agencies implement it, and its effects are evaluated, sometimes leading to changes. Real policymaking is messier, but these stages help explain why some problems get action and others do not.
Who makes policy
Congress and the president adopt most major policies, but bureaucratic agencies write detailed rules and carry them out. Courts can block or reshape policies. Interest groups, experts, and the media influence every stage. Iron triangles describe close ties among a congressional committee, an agency, and an interest group in a policy area.
Flashcard
Policy that shifts resources between groups
Check your understanding
A law requires factories to cut the amount of a pollutant they release. This is an example of: