Governments adopt courses of action to address public problems. A policy is such a course—whether a statute, a regulation, a spending program, or an established pattern of official behavior.

Policy emerges from the interaction of elected officials, civil servants, interest groups, experts, and public opinion. Implementation often determines success or failure as much as formal design. Evaluation asks whether the policy achieved its stated goals and at what cost. Policies accumulate, interact, and sometimes contradict one another across domains.

Good policy matches instruments to objectives, anticipates side effects, and remains revisable in light of evidence. Political constraints frequently produce second-best solutions. Comparative policy analysis examines why similar countries adopt different approaches to shared problems such as health care, education, or climate change.

• Course of action adopted by government
• Addresses identified public problems
• Shaped by politics and implemented by administration
• Subject to evaluation and revision