ABSTRACT
Public policy is the process by which a political system develops laws, regulations, and rules. Public policy is officially made by government bodies. For education, the local school board often has great power for designing, implementing, and blocking policy. Policy making is the craft of assessing what others need and how to negotiate compromise. It is a process of understanding context and how the political and social events of a community, nation, and world influence the space in which discussions can occur, and how crises and unexpected events can shift the focus of policy making dramatically and often irrationally. It involves deliberation and a discussion of ideas. Creating policy can be considered a struggle over ideas and underlying values. Effective policy makers understand the role of argument and persuasion in their task. The art and craft of policy making requires understanding that policy making is about building relationships, negotiating positions, and compromise.
