Government policy is a broad area of study that examines the decision-making and analysis of government actions. It can be viewed from several different perspectives, depending on whether the focus is on public policies (created by elected officials and implemented at the state or local level) or private policies (created by businesses and implemented in the form of contracts and agreements, typically regulated by legislative bodies).
Regardless of the level of policy being studied—local, state or national—it is important to understand the complex process of creating and enacting a policy. Often, the most effective policy is one that is well-designed from the beginning. A poorly designed policy can be extremely difficult to implement, and even the best-designed policies may fail if they are not executed well.
A key part of the policy process involves identifying and prioritizing issues to be addressed by government action. This is known as agenda setting. A large number of factors converge to guide the agenda-setting process, including the ideological stances of political parties and the need to regulate activities within or beyond a nation’s borders.
Once a policy is established, the next step is to develop an action plan for implementation. This includes identifying the individuals or organizations that will be responsible for implementation and making sure they have the resources or legal authority to execute the policy. It also requires the development of an evaluation mechanism to measure success and identify possible improvements for future policy.