ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the character of public policy in the United States in light of constitutional history and the Democratic Balance wheel model of public administration. It reviews some commonly used models of the policy process and policy analysis in the contemporary literature, and highlights their strengths and weaknesses in understanding how policy is developed and implemented. The chapter examines the pivotal roles played in the policy process by the public administration. Once the public infrastructure is put into place, markets can then be relied upon to signal production levels and allocate resources as private goods, while governments produce public goods. The policy process entails much more than formal policy making conducted by legislative bodies. It involves the interaction of citizens animated by a concern or issue they believe deserves public attention. Perhaps the most common policy model is a linear policy stage or cycle model that accounts for the various steps in the policy-making process.
