While it would be impossible to agree on one definition, common themes exist throughout the literature.

First, public policy is created by the government, and private business activity is not included in its definition. For instance, popular social networking websites, owned by private entities, can make it their policy to prohibit specific individuals (suspected terrorists, hate groups, criminals) from using their platforms. This practice is not truly public policy since it does not originate from the government. There are, however, instances in which public policy and private sector policy intersect. Notably, Apple has consistently refused to unlock iPhones owned by terrorist suspects for the FBI (Collier and Farivar, 2020). The Department of Justice and the tech industry have argued for decades about the tradeoffs between privacy and national security. In most cases, the FBI has been able to unlock iPhones without help from Apple, but the government continues to apply pressure to Apple, hoping they will change the policy.

Second, public policy occurs as a response to a public problem. Public problems are issues that the government has the power to resolve. It is important to note that while the government might have the power to resolve public problems, the government faces many problems it has yet to resolve, such as drug addiction, poverty, or homelessness. Shrimping nets exemplify a problem that government was able to resolve. Shrimping nets are a threat to sea turtles that get caught in the mesh and drown. In response, the National Marine Fisheries Service requires shrimp fishers to use turtle excluder devices that allow turtles to escape if they are caught (NOAA). These turtle excluder devices exemplify public policy formulated specifically to solve a public problem.    Figure 1.1: Turtle escaping a net with a turtle excluder device.

Source: NOAA Fisheries     Attribution: NOAA Fisheries     License: Public Domain 

If a state governor develops a program that encourages schools to offer healthy food items on their lunch menu, this initiative is also a public policy. However, if a senator from Georgia opposes same-sex marriage, their doing so is not an example of public policy. The senator is entitled to their opinion, but the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996 and the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) both address same-sex marriage. These government resolutions are considered public policy. DOMA is an example of legislative policy making. Congress has wide- ranging power to create public policy; in fact, it is the primary responsibility of the legislative branch. Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) is an example of judicial policy making. While many scholars argue that the courts should not have the power to make public policy, the court’s rulings often result in the development of new policy or changes to existing policy. Congress and the court’s role in the policy making process will be addressed in more depth throughout this text. 

1.3 Why Study Public Policy?

Many students do not realize how much public policy affects them on a daily basis. If you are a college student, you may wake up in a dorm funded by a federal program. You might put on clothing made in China or India and subject to import tariffs and regulations. In the dining hall, you may have breakfast cereal and milk regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. The Federal Communications  Commission regulates the network that your phone operates on. You check your email using the internet, which was developed with federal funding. Later in the day, you may drive to the grocery store to pick up snacks in a car designed according to federal guidelines. That same evening, you may have some friends over and decide to do something crazy like get matching tattoos! Safety standards for the tattoo parlor and tattoo artists are also regulated by state government. Almost everything you experience throughout your daily life is touched by government action in some way. Why, then, study public policy? With so much at stake, the more appropriate question is who would not want to play a role in, or at least become more knowledgeable about, the policy process?

Rinfret, Scheberle, and Pautz (2019) write that understanding the policy process is essential for individuals because familiarity with the system allows us to effectively address problems in our community. Students studying public policy will quickly learn that multiple people and institutions are involved in the policy making process and many opportunities exist for citizens to play a direct role. Furthermore, increasing the number of citizens who understand the policy making process will lead to better solutions to public problems. Studying public policy will help you learn to become a more active participant in our government so that your voice can be heard during policy debates. Most importantly, if we do not participate in these discussions we may end up living with policies we do not support.An interest in public policy could also lead to a lucrative career in the field. Policy professionals come from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds, from health care and education to economic and foreign policy. These practitioners are experts in their fields and have the ability to influence public policy in profound ways. Indeed, the prospect of directly influencing public policy without ever seeking elected office has definite allure.

Regardless of your career ambitions, you will certainly find yourself involved in politics or public policy at some point in your life. Eventually a mall in your town could be abandoned, leading citizens and the city council to come together to address the blighted and vacant property. One day you may face community concerns regarding overdevelopment or contaminated water sources. At some point, you may see a spike in crime rates in your neighborhood. Perhaps your neighbor is deported, or your child is unable to receive a necessary surgery because of health care costs. Such situations will spur you to suddenly recall the lessons learned in this course and realize that you have the power as a citizen to influence public policy.