1.2. Nature of Public Policies

♤ Goal Oriented: They are goal oriented. Public policies are formulated and implemented in order to attain the objectives which the government has in view for the ultimate benefit of the masses in general.

♤ Collective actions: It is the result of government’s collective actions. It is course of activity or' the governmental officials and actors in a collective sense than being termed as their discrete and segregated decisions.

♤ Decision: Public policy is what the government actually decides or chooses to do. It can take a variety of forms like law, ordinances, court decisions, executive orders and decisions.

♤ Positive/Negative: Public policy is positive in the sense that it depicts the concern of the government and involves its action to a particular problem on which the policy is made. It has the sanction of law and authority behind it. Negatively, it involves decisions by the governmental officials regarding not taking any action on a particular issue.