Birkland (2015) Introducing the
policy process
Politics and the Policy Process
politics is a process by which societies help figure out how to organize and
regulate themselves; how to govern themselves. Its location in the public sphere
makes it political.
During the Enlightenment, developing and testing postulates about how the
political world works was consistent with the way people thought of the human
and natural world during this time.
Although there have been many great thinkers in modern history, they still didn’t
provide a concise definition of politics, because it is hard to produce.
In this book, the definition of Harold Lasswell is implemented: ‘who gets what,
when, and how.’
There are great concerns about the motivations and honesty of politicians and
lobbyists.
The study of public policy is the study about how we translate the popular will
into practice.
What is Public Policy?
The study of public policy is a fairly recent discipline. McCool argued that
modern policy studies began in 1922.
Definitions of ‘public policy’:
“The term public policy always refers to the actions of government and the
intentions that determine those actions.”
Clarke E. Cochran et al.
“Public policy is the outcome of the struggle in government over who gets
what.” Clarke E. Cochran et al.
“Whatever governments choose to do or not to do.”
Birkland (2015) Introducing the policy process 1
policy process
Politics and the Policy Process
politics is a process by which societies help figure out how to organize and
regulate themselves; how to govern themselves. Its location in the public sphere
makes it political.
During the Enlightenment, developing and testing postulates about how the
political world works was consistent with the way people thought of the human
and natural world during this time.
Although there have been many great thinkers in modern history, they still didn’t
provide a concise definition of politics, because it is hard to produce.
In this book, the definition of Harold Lasswell is implemented: ‘who gets what,
when, and how.’
There are great concerns about the motivations and honesty of politicians and
lobbyists.
The study of public policy is the study about how we translate the popular will
into practice.
What is Public Policy?
The study of public policy is a fairly recent discipline. McCool argued that
modern policy studies began in 1922.
Definitions of ‘public policy’:
“The term public policy always refers to the actions of government and the
intentions that determine those actions.”
Clarke E. Cochran et al.
“Public policy is the outcome of the struggle in government over who gets
what.” Clarke E. Cochran et al.
“Whatever governments choose to do or not to do.”
Birkland (2015) Introducing the policy process 1
