This unit provides students with an understanding of the nature of the public policy making process. Topics include: different perspectives on how public policy comes to be formulated and implemented (with special focus on economic and political approaches); who are the critical actors involved, the function of institutions, and what policy instruments can be employed. Special emphasis is placed on developing an appreciation of the role of the policy cycle: how issues get on to the agenda, how the substance of policy is formulated, the manner in which decisions are made, and the way policy is implemented and evaluated.