ABSTRACT
The term ‘policy’ is often used to refer to a document or statement that outlines a particular action to be taken by a government or organisation. In reality, however, policy statements belong to highly complex social processes which often involve multiple stakeholders, power struggles, and conflicting ideas about the best possible solution to a particular policy issue. Social psychologists have long been interested in understanding the complex and relational aspects of the policy process, including collective decision-making, the role of shared beliefs in driving policy implementation, and the broader effects of policies on the social psychology of groups or populations.
