The government has a lot of power, and it uses that power to make laws, enactments and regulations that govern the behavior of society. These policy outputs are known as public policy and they have a direct impact on your daily life. In fact, most people have a stake in the decisions that governments make. This is why influencing political decision-making through voting, supporting candidates and donating to parties are all ways that you can contribute to the development of government policies that affect you.
Policymakers face a number of challenges as they formulate policy. Their decisions are influenced by the influences of the political party in control, national interests, the needs of different constituencies and the capacity of various agencies to meet these demands. In addition, the nature of some policy decisions – such as promoting democracy and human rights into other nations – is inherently risky and can have long-term implications that are often difficult to understand and predict.
These risks mean that many of the policy outcomes do not always turn out as planned. Even the most basic policy initiatives can be complicated to implement because of the complexities involved in coordinating, mobilizing and directing a multitude of people and organizations. The failure of some policies can also engender disillusionment with political systems, encouraging social movements that seek to advocate for change. This can create a cycle of positive or negative impacts that have long-term consequences.
About the Author
