public policy

American  

[puhb-lik pol-uh-see] / ˈpʌb lɪk ˈpɒl ə si /

noun

1. 1. the body of laws and other measures that affect the general public.

      These officeholders are creating public policy on important issues including affordable housing and the environment.

   2. the underlying principles, values, or objectives that inform these laws and other measures: In a secular state, no religion can become the basis of public policy.

      The Institute participates in shaping public debate and public policy through inquiry and dialogue.

      In a secular state, no religion can become the basis of public policy.

2. Law. the principle that injury to the public good or public order constitutes a basis for declaring an act or transaction illegal or invalid.

   The principle of public policy requires that we judge the tendency of the contract at the time when it was entered into.

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Etymology

Origin of public policy

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

On Capitol Hill, he’s known for his efforts to reach across the aisle, scoring in the top 25% of bipartisan senators according to the most recent Bipartisan Index released by The Lugar Center and Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.

From Salon

A Public Policy Institute of California report released this month found that the share of college-bound California high school graduates enrolling in out-of-state colleges has nearly doubled in the last two decades, rising from 8.5% in 2002 to 14.6% in 2022.

From Los Angeles Times

“Anything that prevents a future war is unacceptable for Putin,” said Russian economist Konstantin Sonin, a professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Essentially Lu Heng came in and took advantage of these ambiguities and lack of clarity in their regulations, and he got a bunch of addresses by registering as an African company and then began arbitraging them into the Chinese market,” said Milton Mueller, a professor of public policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

From The Wall Street Journal

Tom Selby, director of public policy at the online broker AJ Bell, said the OBR error was “a fitting end to the most leaked fiscal event in living memory.”

From Barron's