For political decisions to be made in the United States, collaboration is required between members of diverse organizations. These groups include the President, members of Congress, his Cabinet members and advisers, judges, officials from political parties, representatives from the media, and leaders from special interest groups (UShistory.org, 2016).
Public policy is defined as “a system of laws, regulatory measures, courses of action, and funding priorities concerning a given topic that are promoted by a governmental entity or its representatives” (Kilpatrick, 2000). When the issue is identified that needs resolution, the purpose of public policy is to set goals.
Public policy can be created by an order from the President or other government officials, a regulation, a city ordinance, or the court’s decision (ThisNation.com, 2017). Opposing parties lobby to have legislation drafted in their favor. Citizens who do not follow new public policies may be fined or censored.
Public policies are set based on society’s needs. They include: settling claims, facilitating cooperation; legislating morality; and protecting individuals’ rights (ThisNation.com, 2017). The objective of public policy regulates balance between individual’s rights and civil order. Many times, government officials question if they should respond to a specific problem, based on the balance between liberty and political order. While a complete absence of public policies would allow individuals too much freedom, dictated public policies would resemble a dictatorship.
The process for setting public policy follows predictable steps: 1) recognize the problem; 2) set an agenda to determine which problems should be solved; 3) formulate policy based on the needs of diverse people groups; 4) adopt the policy; and 5) implement the new policy; and 6) evaluate its effectiveness (UShistory.org, 2016). The process for setting public policy in the U. S. is very effective for the American way of life. It allows citizens to speak out about issues that important to them and request governmental legislation.
- Kilpatrick, D. (2000). Definitions of Public Policy and the Law. Retrieved from
https://mainweb-v.musc.edu/vawprevention/policy/definition.shtml - ThisNation.com. (2017). The Policy Process. What is Public Policy? Retrieved from www.thisnation.com/textbook/processes-policyprocess.html
- UShistory.org. (2016). Policy Making: Political Interactions. Retrieved from www.ushistory.org/gov/11.asp
