What is Public Policy

Public is the people as a whole. Policy is political wisdom; a course of actions; prudent procedure.

Public Policy is government laws, rules and programs that guide the decisions by government and its agents to act or not act in specific areas.

Public Policy is the purpose, substance and effect.

Purpose why the government has acted and what is achieved; Substance actual content of government action, what the policy is; the effect or the impact of that policy on the public.

Public Policy Practice =  the decisions of government.

Public Policy includes interest groups, corporations, media, "public opinions", other arms of state.

Analysing public policy is more than describing government a actions; Must understand influences on decision-makers - and the values involved.

Madison & Dennis - Two categories of definition - Authoritative choice, policy is government making decisions. Policy making is rational & ordered.

Preferred - "Public Policy is the interaction of values, interest and resources, guided through institutions and mediated by politics."

All policies underline values and interests. Interests are often confused as values (who stands to benefit), values are fundamental beliefs or principles.

Elements of Public Policy - Resources, Institutions & Politics.

Spann & Cunrow's types of policy analysis: decision making, policy content and techniques to evaluate and improve the policy.

Parking: "Analysts of public policy try to disentangle these elements of the process, in order to obtain a better understanding of how the whole governmental system operates and perhaps to provide insight into how the process might be improved.

Thomas Dye was a guru of Public Policy - Argued that political science should not be silent or impotent . In the face of political crises and that political scientists have a moral obligation to advance specific policies.

Glyn Davis - "Pointing out the errors of current practice is fun, but it avoids the more risky business of suggesting viable alternative."

In some PP literature politics don't exist. They focus on procedure, techniques, rational, 'scientific ' processes.

Weller - Best politics may be bad politics. Good politics may mean mediocre policy.

Policy as Window dressing or Spin - Spin is the professional selling of the political message. "... Policy making is nine-tenths press release and one-tenth substance."

Community Consultation and engagement is the response of government to public disconnect.

Good policy studies attempt to hold power to account - John Wanna.