Public policy analysis involves monitoring government agendas that affect a community, evaluating their effectiveness, and proposing solutions. Analysts gather evidence, identify root causes, and assess policies to determine which parts need to be changed. A PhD in public policy is typically required for this field.
Public policy analysis is the monitoring of different government agendas that directly affect a specific community. The types of topics examined can range 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 how well these initiatives are working.
Legislators seeking to pass specific laws and government officials working to enforce them may be especially interested in public policy analysis. This is often due to the fact that, when social problems arise, it is up to these policy makers to find adequate solutions. Vandalism, poor student performance in schools, high crime rates, environmental problems, and traffic accidents are just a few examples of problems that are often addressed in this way. To determine which policies fall short of its objectives, a public policy analysis goes through several steps.
Political analysts usually start by gathering evidence of the problem. This may include conducting public opinion polls, speaking with experts in related fields, or reviewing specific cases. Gathering statistics is usually the most reliable way to know how the majority of the population feels about the issue.
The next stage of the analysis is typically to identify the root causes of a problem. If the reasons behind a given social problem can be learned, government officials can often change laws to help eliminate the problem. There can be numerous factors that contribute to a social problem. For example, adolescent drunk driving may be influenced by peer pressure, easy access to alcohol, and advertising promoting alcohol consumption.
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. Usually both the strengths and weaknesses of a policy are analyzed to determine which parts of it need to be kept, changed or replaced altogether. In this way negative outcomes can be reduced and solutions can be proposed.
A doctorate, or PhD, in public policy is typically required to work as a public policy analyst. Students studying this course often learn how to use statistical information and economic theories to evaluate the effectiveness of various policies. Graduate program students often meet with community leaders to learn first-hand how policies are developed and implemented. Students can focus in specific areas, such as health policy, urban and community development, policy management and implementation.
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