Government policy is the set of laws and enactments that guide how modern civilization functions. They can determine everything from compulsory school attendance and public transportation systems to how many stop signs are placed in a town. Politicians at all levels of the government create and implement policy, with ramifications that affect every person, family, business, organization, and community in the country.
The purpose of policy is to produce social outputs and outcomes that have a positive impact on society. However, in practice, elected officials and other high-ranking government employees don’t have the expertise or tools needed to develop and implement policy on their own. That is why they rely on the vast government bureaucracy to provide them with guidance.
In political science, the process by which government policies are created is commonly known as the policy cycle. It consists of five distinct stages:
Policymakers begin with the perception that a problem exists. This may come from media coverage, politicians, or citizen groups.
After identifying the issue, they try to understand it more fully by researching and analyzing data. This helps them decide which possible solutions to consider. It also enables them to weigh the costs and benefits of each solution.
Once they make a decision about which solution to pursue, policymakers work to implement it. However, it is important to note that policymaking can be very complicated. Even well-intentioned policies can have unintended consequences. They can promote certain behaviors and ignore or punish others. Those who benefit from a policy are called winners, while those it harms are considered losers.