the distinction between policy making and decision making: they cannot be simply be differentiated as macro and micro levels of reality. policy makers never start with blank sheets of infinite possibilities - previous decisions affect present policies. Goverment's ad hoc decisions (on maternity level, nurserly schools, school hours) may together add up to forceful implicit policy (discouraging women to join the labour force)
Policy is the selection of non-contradictory means to achieve non-contradictory ends over medium to long term. Policy is the thread of conviction that keeps a goverment from being the prison of event
public policies are those policies developed by goverment bodies and officials, and thus focus on purposive actions by or for the governments. policy involves the decision to act on some particular problem, but includes subsequent decisions relating to its implementation and enforcement. policy shoould involve more than intention or statement of intent - it should represent what governments actually do. However, given that goverment's choice not to do something may respresent a policy. policy must decide what goverment say they will do, what they actually do, and what they decided to do. In looking at public policy, we are concerned with the formal insittuions of government; they provide the structure with which the public policies takes place
Health policy embraces courses of action that addect the set of insitutions, organizations, services, and funding arrangments of the health care system. It goes beyond health services, however, and includes actions or intended actions by public, private and voluntary organizations that have an impact on health. Health policy is concerned with enviromental and socio-economic effects on health as well as with health care provision.
policies addressing issues a systematic or macro policies. These policies are ususally the