Introduction: Public Policy in Texas
Overview
Public Policy in Texas
Learning Objective
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Discuss important public policy issues in Texas
Introduction
Public policy is the broad strategy government uses to do its job, the relatively stable set of purposive governmental behaviors that address matters of concern to some part of society. Most policy outcomes are the result of considerable debate, compromise, and refinement that happen over years and are finalized only after input from multiple institutions within government. Health care reform, for instance, was developed after years of analysis, reflection on existing policy, and even trial implementation at the state level.
Simply put, public policy is anything the government does to achieve a particular outcome. More will be said about this in the next section; however, it is important for you to understand that public policy decisions impact our lives in many ways. As a result, we should understand how policies are formed, budgeted, implemented, and evaluated. We should also know who the policymakers are and be able to measure the eﬀectiveness of policies that have been made.
This chapter explores public policy-making in Texas across a variety of leading issue areas, including public education, social welfare, Medicaid, immigration, energy, and the environment.
Licensing and Attribution
CC LICENSED CONTENT, ORIGINAL
Revision and Adaptation. Authored by: Kris S. Seago. License: CC BY: Attribution
Revision and Adaptation. Authored by: panOpen. License: CC BY: Attribution