Governments are responsible for providing public services, maintaining law and order, regulating the economy, and protecting the environment. The goals of these activities are often shaped by the needs and expectations of citizens. To meet these requirements, governments create policies through laws, regulations, programs, and funding initiatives.
A policy is an initiative created to achieve specific societal goals and objectives. To create and implement policy, the following steps are taken:
Problem Identification: Identifying issues that require action. This involves evaluating how serious the issue is and what it means to society. This is a subjective process, influenced by the political ideology of those in power. Agenda Setting: Selecting issues that are of sufficient importance to warrant government attention. This step involves evaluating various aspects of an issue, including its impact on the community, the nation, and the world.
Policy Formulation: Developing alternatives for addressing the identified problems. This step involves evaluating the costs and benefits of each alternative, as well as the short-term and long-term implications for society. Decision-Making/Adoption: Selecting a course of action from among the alternative solutions. This step requires obtaining input and feedback from stakeholders and interested parties.
Implementation: Putting the policy into practice. This includes establishing procedures and protocols to ensure that policies are conducted in the proper manner. It also includes identifying the intent, background, and other information that was used to create the policy. This information is helpful if the policy must be interpreted in a court case or in other ambiguous situations.