Although definitions are many, a number of key elements are present in all definitions; these relate to actors, activities, problems and solutions. Policy may be defined as "a plan of action to guide decisions and actions oriented towards solving problems. The term may apply to government, private sector organisations and groups, and individuals." A potential definition for public policy is then "a course of action or inaction chosen by public authorities to address a problem, via laws, regulations, and decisions and actions of government" [1].

Policies can take different forms: they can be implemented at various levels (locally, regionally or nationally); they can be aimed at the whole population or at specific subgroups of the population; and some will be essentially regulatory in nature, while others will have a more distributive component. Policies are also dynamic and very often the result of complex power struggles amoung various actors.

1. From Wikipedia (accessed 31 December 2006) [disclaimer].