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Policy Guide:
Introduction In general, policy is defined as all the laws, government planning and action that affect an individual's daily life. Most public policies deal with issues that we define as social problems – crime, poverty, terrorism, health care or the state of the environment. This policy guide was prepared to familiarize you with how local and national policy is created. What we tend to focus on is policy as a product, a legislative document which reflects the best thinking on how to address a social problem. However, what we often ignore is how policy making is a complex process made possible only through the contributions of many political, social and economic constituents. While the majority of public policies are formulated and implemented by the federal and state government, these elected government leaders are not the only ones involved in policy making. As discussed throughout your text, special interests groups, lobbying organizations, political action committees and citizen groups also play a critical role in the policy making process. In addition, public policy has an impact on individuals, groups, organizations and society. Policy creates change by attempting to remedy a social problem. However, in some instances, the policies intended to fix a problem can also be the source of more problems. We have collected a set of exercises that will help you learn more about the political process on your campus and in your state. In the first set of exercises, we invite you to meet members of political organizations, local political action committees or lobbying groups in your state. We include assignments which also examine your student government and a specific social movement. In addition, exercises in this guide address the impact of social policy, asking you to examine existing policy analysis and to conduct your own policy analysis.
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