274 results for "public policy"

Public policy is the system by which a government responds to issues in the world. A government uses the institutions at its disposal—lawmaking, regulations, the court system, and funding—to enact its public policy. Public policy also concerns itself with the evaluation and analysis of a government's actions by the press, academia, and political parties that are out of power. Governments create public policy by identifying issues and responding to them, and organizations and individuals can help shape the government's public policy. Policies can come from the highest levels of government, or they can originate in local jurisdictions.‎

At the most basic level, studying public policy can help you achieve a better grasp of what governments do and why they take such actions. The study of public policy also allows you to have a more informed role in helping shape public policy, whether you're doing so as part of your vocation or simply speaking out as a citizen. When you have a better knowledge of public policy, you can more easily understand the process that goes into making public policy decisions, whether or not you agree with those decisions.‎

Two of the most common career paths that you can undertake if you study public policy include lobbying lawmakers in the halls of government or studying and writing at a "think tank," or public policy organization. You can also find work in government organizations at the federal, state, or local level. Career opportunities within corporations working as liaisons between the company and government officials are options too. Other choices for public policy careers include teaching or researching at the university level and writing about public policy as a journalist or opinion writer.‎

The online courses on Coursera can help you gain a thorough understanding of the principles that drive public policy and the applications of public policy in the world today. When you take online courses on Coursera you can learn the basics of public policy or study more specific topics like the effect of technology on public policy, the ramifications of tax law, or government health care policy.‎