How does an issue become public policy, and who shapes it along the way?
Explain the public policy process, including how problems reach the agenda, how policy is made and carried out, and how citizens and groups influence it at the federal, state, and local levels (LA Civics, Civic Participation and Deliberation strand).
A Louisiana Civics answer on public policy: what public policy is, the stages of the policy process (agenda setting, formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation), and how citizens, interest groups, and the media shape policy at all levels, with worked LEAP Civics style questions.
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What this topic is asking
This standard asks you to explain public policy, what it is, how it is made through the policy process, and how citizens and groups influence it at the federal, state, and local levels. On the LEAP Civics test, expect a source describing an issue moving through government, with a question about which stage it is in or how people can shape it.
What public policy is
Policy is the "what the government does" side of civics. Elections decide who governs; the policy process decides what they do about real problems.
The stages of the policy process
The test rewards knowing the stages in order. A common version has five steps.
The process is often a cycle: evaluation can send an issue back to the agenda if a policy is not working.
Who shapes policy
Policy is not made by officials alone. Many actors influence it at every stage:
- Citizens vote, contact officials, attend public meetings, and sign petitions.
- Interest groups lobby lawmakers and provide information (see public opinion, the media, and interest groups).
- The media raise the profile of issues, helping set the agenda and informing the public.
- Public opinion signals to officials which policies voters support.
This is why civic participation matters: engaged citizens shape which problems get attention and which solutions are chosen (see civic responsibilities and participation).
Policy at every level
Public policy is made at the federal, state, and local levels. Congress sets national policy; the Louisiana Legislature sets state policy on schools, roads, and more; and a parish or city council sets local policy on zoning, services, and budgets. The same process, agenda to evaluation, plays out at each level, which is why understanding it helps you follow government anywhere (see Louisiana state government).
Try this
Q1. What is public policy? Give one example. [2]
- Cue. A government's plan or course of action to address a public problem; for example, a policy on public schools or highways.
Q2. List the stages of the policy process in order. [3]
- Cue. Agenda setting, formulation, adoption, implementation, evaluation.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of LDOE exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
LA Civics (style)1 marksThe stage of the policy process in which an issue gains enough attention that government decides to act on it is BEST calledShow worked answer →
A single-select item assessing the policy process (Civic Participation and Deliberation).
Correct answer: agenda setting.
Credit is given for identifying the stage where a problem gains enough attention to be considered for action as agenda setting. A distractor of "implementation" is wrong, because implementation is the later stage where an adopted policy is carried out, not the stage where an issue first gets onto the government's list.
LA Civics (style)2 marksUsing the source, explain two ways citizens or groups can influence public policy.Show worked answer →
A short constructed-response item assessing influence on policy with evidence (content plus the 9-12.SP1 skills dimension).
A complete answer names two ways. Sample: "Citizens and groups can influence public policy by contacting elected officials to push for or against a proposal and by voting for candidates who support their preferred policies. Interest groups can lobby lawmakers and provide information, the media can raise an issue's profile so it reaches the agenda, and citizens can attend public meetings, sign petitions, or join campaigns. These actions shape which problems get attention and which solutions are chosen." Credit is given for naming two valid ways, such as contacting officials, voting, lobbying, or using the media.
Related dot points
- Explain the roles of government in the economy, including taxation, spending, and regulation, and distinguish fiscal policy from monetary policy at the federal level and budgeting at the state level (LA Civics, Economics and Civic Life strand).
A Louisiana Civics answer on government and the economy: the roles of government (taxation, spending, regulation, public goods), the difference between fiscal and monetary policy, and how Louisiana raises and spends money through its state budget, with worked LEAP Civics style questions.
- Explain key personal financial literacy concepts, including income and taxes, budgeting, saving and investing, credit and interest, and consumer protection (LA Civics, Economics and Civic Life strand).
A Louisiana Civics answer on personal financial literacy: income and taxes, budgeting, saving and investing, credit and interest, and consumer protection, with worked LEAP Civics style questions.
- Explain how public opinion, the media, and interest groups influence government and public policy, including the role of the media as a watchdog and how interest groups and lobbying work (LA Civics, Civic Participation and Deliberation strand).
A Louisiana Civics answer on public opinion, the media, and interest groups: how public opinion is measured, the media's watchdog and informing roles, and how interest groups and lobbying try to shape public policy, with worked LEAP Civics style questions.
- Explain the responsibilities of citizens and the many forms of civic participation, including voting, staying informed, volunteering, and engaging with government at all levels (LA Civics, Civic Participation and Deliberation strand).
A Louisiana Civics answer on civic responsibilities and participation: the responsibilities of citizens, the many ways to take part beyond voting (staying informed, volunteering, contacting officials, attending meetings), and why participation sustains self-government, with worked LEAP Civics style questions.
- Explain the lawmaking process by which a bill becomes a federal law, including committees, votes in both chambers, the president's options, and a veto override (LA Civics, Structure and Powers of Government strand).
A Louisiana Civics answer on how a bill becomes a federal law: introduction, committee review, votes in both chambers, conference to reconcile differences, the president's options (sign, veto, or do nothing), and the two-thirds veto override, with worked LEAP Civics style questions.
- Describe the structure of Louisiana state government, including the bicameral Legislature, the governor and separately elected statewide officials, and the state court system, and compare it with the federal government (LA Civics, Structure and Powers of Government strand).
A Louisiana Civics answer on Louisiana state government: the bicameral Legislature, the governor and the separately elected statewide officials (lieutenant governor, attorney general, and others), the Louisiana Supreme Court, and how the state mirrors and differs from the federal government, with worked LEAP Civics style questions.
Sources & how we know this
- K-12 Louisiana Student Standards for Social Studies — Louisiana Department of Education (2022)
- How Laws Are Made and How to Research Them — USA.gov (2024)