THE STUDY OF PUBLIC POLICY

General Definition
According to Thomas A. Birkland's book An Introduction to the Policy
Process, there is a "lack of a consensus definition of public policy.
Thomas Dye argues that this search for a definition of public policy can
degenerate into a word game." (p. 19)
That said, here is a starting point. Public policy is the study of policy
making by governments. A government's public policy is the set of
policies (laws, plans, actions, behaviors) that it chooses. Since
governments claim authority and responsibility (to varying degrees) over
a large group of individuals, they see fit to establish plans and methods
of action that will govern that society.
Table 1.3 in Birkland's book outlines a few definitions of public policy
(p. 21):

Clarke E. Cochran, et al.: "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."
Thomas Dye: Public policy is "Whatever governments choose to
do or not do."
Charles L. Cochran and Eloise F. Malone: "Public policy consists
of political decisions for implementing programs to achieve
societal goals."
B. Guy Peters: "Stated most simply, public policy is the sum of
government activities, whether acting directly or through agents, as
it has an influence on the life of citizens."

The Study of Public Policy

The What?
Public policy refers to the theory and practice of government. Public
policy involves the institutional agenda-setting of society laws,
plans, actions, behaviors that it authorizes.

The Why?
This study public policy; focus is on issues surrounding the policy
processes as they relate to municipal, regional, and national levels of
government
Stone in the narrow sense, influence defined as direct impact; more
broadly as the power to change the prevailing paradigm
Research Institute
The main role of a policy research institute is to advance social science
research. These groups can be focused on particular policy issues, or can
be dedicated to public policy as a whole. To this end, the publications
produced by a given policy research institute are usually peer-reviewed
and are consistent with academic standards. Policy research institutes are
generally transparent about any ideological biases they may hold, though
generally less-so than advocacy groups. This type of policy organization
usually presents more than one point of view, and doesnt make claims
to speak on behalf of any particular constituency.
Policy research institutes are among the most vital sources for public
policy information. These organizations usually have a solid balance of
private sector, academic, and public sector involvement and influence.
As such, they are usually able to provide relatively balanced public

policy analysis to the public. Besides producing publications, policy

research institutes typically engage in consultation, sponsoring
conferences and workshops, as well as outreach and educational
programs.
Government Agency
A government agency is a group that engages in public policy
research/debate while being associated either directly, or indirectly, with
government. The term government agencies can refer to federal and
provincial government departments, government advisory bodies, and
arms-length bodies. Research undertaken by government agencies is
usually commissioned to assist government/s in addressing important or
complex issues. Because of the close relationship between government
agencies and governments themselves, research from these institutions
often has a significant amount of influence on the actual formulation of
policy. At the same time, this close relationship implies that a certain
bias in favor of the government is likely to exist.
Academic Institutions
Academic institutions, as they relate to public policy, come in two
varieties. First, many academic institutions themselves contribute to
research in public policy through the publications of individual
faculty members, usually in the social sciences. Academic institutions
also provide public policy research through separate foundations or
groups that are located on, and often sponsored by, the institution.
(An example would be the Saskatchewan Institute of Public Policy
(SIPP), based at the University of Regina.)
Academic institutions are an important source of public policy research.
Of all the types of policy organizations listed on this site, academic
institutions generally offer research with minimal inherent bias.
Although bias may exist at the level of the individual researcher, the
institutions themselves are generally considered to be the most
neutral source of public policy information. Academic institutions
influence public policy in numerous ways, though they are most

commonly associated with the publication of detailed reports and articles

that target other experts, stakeholders, and university students.
Advocacy Groups
An advocacy group is an organization that attempts to influence public
policy without putting up candidates for election (as political parties
do). Advocacy groups exist along a spectrum that runs from broadly
ideological to extremely issue-specific. An example of a fairly broad
ideological advocacy group would be the Canadian Taxpayers
Federation, whereas a group such as the Pro-Choice Action Network is
largely single-issue. Advocacy groups are quite similar to lobby groups,
though they do not engage in direct lobbying of governments (which
requires registration as a lobby organization). Instead, advocacy groups
pursue their respective causes through a variety of indirect means.
Advocacy groups generally speak on behalf of a particular constituency
in society, attempting to advance the special interests of that
constituency accordingly.
Tactics of advocacy groups include using publications, media
conferences and appearances, public forums, advertising to promote
their issues and/or positions. Public policy is generally influenced
through these indirect means by appealing to public opinion, which in
turn shapes government action. Advocacy groups often engage in
research in order to provide concrete data that will advance their
respective causes. Because of the inherent bias of advocacy groups,
research is usually undertaken with the attempt to prove a specific point
that is in line with the groups goals. For this reason, it can be argued
that research from advocacy groups is less purely scientific than research
from more neutral sources (academic institutions). That said, advocacy
groups remain a vital source for public policy research, both in Canada
and globally.