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What is Public Policy Analysis?

S. Zaimov
S. Zaimov

Public policy analysis is the monitoring of different government agendas that directly affect a specific community. The kinds of topics examined can vary from the impact of infrastructure on a city to smoking laws. The idea behind public policy analysis is to provide the government with facts and statistics about the extent to which such initiatives are working.

Legislators who seek to pass specific laws and government officials who work toward their application may be particularly interested in public policy analysis. This is often because, when social problems arise, it is up to such policy makers to find proper solutions. Vandalism, poor student performance in schools, high crime rates, environmental problems, and traffic collisions are some of the many examples of problems that are often addressed in this way. To determine which policies are not meeting goals, a public policy analysis goes through several steps.

Public policy analysts generally begin by collecting evidence of the problem.
Public policy analysts generally begin by collecting evidence of the problem.

Policy analysts usually begin by collecting evidence of the problem. This can include conducting public opinion surveys, speaking with experts in related fields, or examining specific cases. Gathering statistics is usually the most reliable way to learn how the majority of the population feels about the issue.

The next phase of analysis is typically identifying the causes of a problem. If the reasons behind a certain social problem can be learned, government officials can often adjust laws in order to help eliminate the issue. There may be numerous factors that contribute to a social problem. For example, drunk driving by teenagers can be affected by peer pressure, easy access to alcohol and advertisements promoting its consumption.

The causes of social problems are often studied by public policy analysts.
The causes of social problems are often studied by public policy analysts.

Once evidence has been gathered about the nature of a problem and its causes, analysts use it to evaluate the effectiveness of the specific policy. Both the strengths and weaknesses of a policy are usually analyzed in order to determine what parts of it need to be kept, changed, or replaced altogether. In this way, negative outcomes can be reduced and solutions can be proposed.

Public policy issues may involve providing civil services, such as proper sanitation.
Public policy issues may involve providing civil services, such as proper sanitation.

A doctoral degree, or PhD, in public policy is typically required for work as a public policy analyst. Students who study this course often learn how to use statistical information and economical theories to evaluate the effectiveness of various policies. Students in graduate courses often meet community leaders to learn first-hand how policies are developed and implemented. Students may concentrate in specific areas, such as health policy, urban and community development, policy management and implementation.

Discussion Comments

JessicaLynn

@sunnyskys - I respectfully disagree. I don't think a degree in psychology is a requirement to study statistics and facts regarding the way social policy affects the population. I think an undergraduate degree in some kind of hard science would serve a future policy analyst much better.

sunnySkys

I think it would be great to require people who work as public policy analysts to have an undergraduate degree in sociology or psychology. You can definitely learn a lot about public policy issues by crunching the numbers. However it seems like someone who is helping influence serious decisions about the population should have a good understanding of how the human mind works.

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    • Public policy analysts generally begin by collecting evidence of the problem.
      By: Ammentorp
      Public policy analysts generally begin by collecting evidence of the problem.
    • The causes of social problems are often studied by public policy analysts.
      By: Edyta Pawlowska
      The causes of social problems are often studied by public policy analysts.
    • Public policy issues may involve providing civil services, such as proper sanitation.
      By: Petr Nad
      Public policy issues may involve providing civil services, such as proper sanitation.
    • Traffic collisions are one topic that might be studied by public policy analysts.
      By: Anna Baburkina
      Traffic collisions are one topic that might be studied by public policy analysts.
    • Public policy analysts might look how social issues like racism are dealt with.
      By: grafikplusfoto
      Public policy analysts might look how social issues like racism are dealt with.
    • Policy analysts may speak with experts in related fields in order to collect evidence on topics that are impacting a city.
      By: xy
      Policy analysts may speak with experts in related fields in order to collect evidence on topics that are impacting a city.
    • One phase of public policy analysis identifies the causes of a particular problem, such as peer pressure influencing drunk driving by teenagers.
      By: jedi-master
      One phase of public policy analysis identifies the causes of a particular problem, such as peer pressure influencing drunk driving by teenagers.