Name: ________________________

Period: _____
Public Policy-Making Process
Directions: Fill in the following notes as we address each step in the policy making process.

Public Policy
u What is public _____________?
u A course of ____________ taken by the government to address a public
______________ or issue.
u Policies can be instituted by ______, regulations, ____________, taxes, etc.
u Ultimately these are all formed in ______________ to issues voiced by the people.

Steps Example: Gun Violence

Step 1: _____________ Setting Step 1: Agenda __________________
u Several deadly school
q Must ______________ the
_______________ occur, bringing the issue of
problem
gun _______________ to the forefront of the
q The people must identify
agenda.
concerns, ____________, ideas,
u The ______________ demand action
etc.
and a change in policy.

Step 2: Policy _____________________ Step 2: Policy Formulation

q Must formulate ____________ to
________________ the issue.
q Come up with ideas, settle on a
policy _______________, plan of
_____________.
Step 3: Policy _____________________
q Must build _______________ for
the policy and legitimize the
_________ for it in order to get it
_____________.
q ________________ Institutions
get involved (interest groups,
___________, parties, etc.)
u Several policies are
_________________- _______________
background checks on gun owners,
______________ health evaluations, limiting
gun ________ and magazine capacities, etc.
u Ultimately, a policy requiring stricter
background _____________ and banning the
sale of _______________ weapons is designed.
Step 3: _____________ Adaptation
u Several interest groups organize
____________ to ________________ the need
for stricter gun policies. They encourage their
supporters to _______ their officials.
u The ___________ highlights gun
violence statistics and __________ shootings
that raise support for the policy.
u Ultimately, the policy needs to be

© Holly’s Social Studies Store 7/2020

 _______________ or passed by the
government.

Step 4: Policy Step 4: Policy ________________________

________________________
u The federal government passes a
______ requiring _____________ background
q The policy must be put into
checks and _______________ the sale of
___________ and
assault weapons.
________________.
u Each state must
q The _______________ is
___________________ what this looks like in
responsible for implementing
practice in their state.
policy.
Step 5: Policy _____________________ Step 5: Policy Evaluation
q The policy must be u Two years __________ the gun law
__________________ to was passed, the government must ___________
determine whether it has actually whether it was ______________ in reducing
______________ the original gun violence.
problem. u Have there been
q Has it ________________ or ____________ school shootings?
created new problems? u Has overall gun violence
decreased?
u Has the law been effective or
________?
u Is it ___________ keeping,
changing, or dismantling the policy?
Complexities in the Policy-Making Process
u ____________________, Compromise, Compromise
u Different parties and ideologies will ______________ about how to _________ a
problem.
u Severe party ________________ worsens the issue.
u Everyone can agree that school shootings are ________, but not everyone can agree
on ________ to ____________ the issue.
u Leads to a standstill, _________ of meaningful policies/action.
u Takes __________
u It can take a lot of _________________ to reach an agreement. Usually deals must
be struck- logrolling.
u Must ensure there is enough _______________ to pass.
u Many participants

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 u There are many _________________ involved- special _______________, agencies,
media, think tanks, ____________ politics, etc.
u Public ________________
u Many elected officials are concerned about the public and getting _______________
u The national _______ is a perfect example.
u Our debt is out of control and _________ to be addressed.
u However, no one wants to make the needed _____________ and the public is largely
_________________ about the issue.
u So the debt keeps _____________, because no one wants to make the _________
decisions and risk losing public support.
Example:
Steps Policy Issue:
Step 1: Agenda Setting

- What is an issue you feel is of real

importance in our society today? (Can be
a state, federal, or local issue)
- Why is it important? Why does it need
to be addressed?
Step 2: Policy Formulation

- What options are there for addressing

the issue?
- What do you think the best policy would
be?
- What complexities do you see in
forming a policy?
Step 3: Policy Adoption

- How would you legitimize the issue and

make people/officials realize it’s
important?
- What elements of the policy would you
highlight to gain support?

Step 4: Policy Implementation

- Who would be responsible for

implementing the policy?
- Would it cost anything to implement?

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 Step 5: Policy Evaluation

- How would you evaluate the

effectiveness of the policy?
- After what period of time?

© Holly’s Social Studies Store 7/2020