ABSTRACT
This chapter identifies the key political actors in the policy process and explores how policy making might be affected by these political interactions. The policy domains of the three tiers of government in Australia have been designated either by the Commonwealth Constitution and consequent High Court interpretation, or by state government legislation and regulation. A policy community approach is useful for an analysis of recent childcare policy and dairy policy, as it focuses on the actions and interactions of a range of policy actors at one time. The dairy industry can be divided into two separate but interrelated sectors: the manufacturing milk sector and the market milk sector. While policy analysis predominantly takes place at the sub-government level, actors within the ‘attentive public’ category can also get involved by providing qualitative information or statistical profiles on the issue or problem.
